Blame, however, indirectly, that the "Meteor" turned out exactly like that, the aircraft carrier "Taiho". In general, "Ryusei" / "Meteor" quite claims to be one of the most beautiful and graceful aircraft of the Second World War. And at the same time, it was the heaviest carrier-based strike aircraft of Imperial Japan at that time.
All in all, a very outstanding car.
But let's start with the aircraft carrier.
The aircraft carrier Taiho became the largest Japanese specially built aircraft carrier and the first Japanese aircraft carrier with an armored flight deck. In total, it was planned to build five such aircraft carriers, but we can say that someone was lucky, because the Japanese managed to finish building only the lead ship of the series during the war.
"Phoenix" / "Taiho" belonged to the class of heavy strike aircraft carriers. There was indeed a lot of armor, but protection had to be paid for by reducing the air group from 126 aircraft to 53.
On the other hand, the planned dimensions of the hangars and the dimensions of the elevators made it possible to take on board much heavier and larger aircraft than ordinary Japanese aircraft of that time. It only remained to give an assignment to aircraft designers to create such aircraft. Weighing up to 7, 5 tons and dimensions up to 14 meters long and the same in wingspan.
In general, at the beginning of the war, the Japanese naval command simply dreamed of a heavy attack universal aircraft. Which could be used as a bomber, torpedo bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft. Everyone is tired of the existing division into bombers and torpedo bombers, and the need to have both types of attack aircraft on board an aircraft carrier.
Of course, it would probably be quite tempting to first shoot 50 torpedoes at the enemy squadron, and then send the planes with bombs that survived the first attack. Finish off. And it so happened that someone stayed on the deck.
And in 1941, the Japanese command was ripe for the development and adoption of such an aircraft. The 16-Shi specification was even developed, according to which new versatile aircraft could be developed to replace the newly entered service D4Y "Suisei" and B6N "Tenzan".
It is difficult to say why this time the Japanese command decided to abandon the competition. Perhaps for the sake of saving time, perhaps for some other reason, it is very difficult to say today. But it's a fact: the design assignment was given to Aichi Kokuki.
The specification requirements were quite peculiar for the Japanese aircraft industry:
1. Maximum speed - 550 km / h.
2. Normal flight range - 1800 km, maximum - 3300 km.
3. Maneuverability comparable to the deck fighter Mitsubishi A6M.
4. A bomb load of two 250-kg bombs or six 60-kg bombs in a compartment or an aircraft torpedo.
5. Defensive (?) Armament from two wing 20-mm cannons and a movable machine gun in the rear cockpit.
The engine was a new 18-cylinder radial Nakajima NK9 "Homare 11" with a capacity of 1820 hp, which was tested in 1941.
The project was led by Norio Ozaka with his assistants Morishige Mori and Yasushiro Ozawa.
This team made many interesting moves to ensure that the plane was a success in all respects.
To remove more engine power, a four-blade propeller with a diameter of 3.5 meters was used for the first time in the project. Such a screw dragged a lot of clearance behind it.
Since the designers wanted the aircraft to be very "smooth", aerodynamically as close to ideal as possible, they abandoned the traditional external suspension of weapons.
For bomb armament, a very spacious bomb bay was placed in the fuselage, capable of accommodating two 250-kg tandem bombs or six 60-kg bombs on a special suspension in two rows of three each.
It was also possible to load one bomb of 500 or 800 kg into the compartment.
But the torpedo did not want to fit into the compartment. And in order for the aircraft to carry a standard Type 91 torpedo, an original suspension was developed, on which the torpedo was located under the fuselage, being displaced to the port side. But in this case, four more 60-kg bombs could be hung on the underwing hardpoints.
In order for the plane to painlessly transfer the device of such, frankly, rather large bomb bay, it was necessary to use a midplane scheme. This, accordingly, led to an increase (and hence - fragility) of the landing gear. To shorten the landing gear, the wing received a "reverse gull" kink.
To allow the plane to move inside the aircraft carrier, the wings received a hydraulic folding drive, which reduced the span from 14.4 to 7.5 meters.
The crew consisted of two people instead of the standard three on deck torpedo bombers.
The small arms, as required, consisted of two Type 99 Model 2 wing cannons and a defensive 7, 92 mm Type 1 machine gun in the rear cockpit.
The first prototype aircraft was ready in May 1942. In test flights, the aircraft demonstrated excellent controllability and high flight characteristics. With the proviso like "if the motor worked normally." The motor, the new "Homare 11", was naturally capricious, as it should be for a new one.
The war with him continued throughout 1943 and, most likely, would have ended in complete defeat of the designers, but in April 1944 the next version appeared, the Nakajima NK9C "Homare 12" with a capacity of 1825 hp. With him the plane went into production under the designation "Deck bomber-torpedo bomber" Ryusei "B7A2".
However, in 1944, Japan was no longer able to quickly establish the production of new aircraft. Yes, it turned out that the Meteor was easier to manufacture than the smaller D4Y Suisei that Aichi had been building for several years.
The first serial aircraft were armed with a 7, 92-mm Type 1 machine gun on a mobile installation, and the last serial B7A2 received a 13-mm Type 2 machine gun. This was perhaps the only aircraft modification in the production process.
However, the release did not last long. The production of B7A2 at "Aichi" finally stopped in May 1945, after the earthquake, but this could no longer affect the course of the war.
A total of 114 V7A units were built, including experimental ones.
But this is not yet the most unpleasant thing. The main trouble for the Meteors was that there were no carriers, as it were. Instead of five heavy aircraft carriers of the Taiho class, one was built. The rest were not even laid down, and the Japanese fleet had to be content with ships of a more modest size.
Basically - alterations from ships of other classes, such as how the Americans sculpted escort aircraft carriers from everything in a row.
And on such aircraft carriers "Ruisei" could no longer be safely accommodated precisely because of its size. Alas, but the main enemy of the "Meteor" was the size, and not something else. Therefore, a 20-Shi specification was even drawn up for the development of a successor to the Ryuisei, the smaller B8A Mokusei bomber, but the project did not go further, the war ended.
The only aircraft carrier "Taiho", for which, in fact, the "Ruisei" was designed, entered service on March 7, 1944. According to the project, 24 of the latest Mitsubishi A7M2 Reppu fighters, 25 Aichi B7A2 Ryusei bombers and four Nakajima C6N1 Saian reconnaissance aircraft were to be based on board.
But while the group was preparing for the transfer, the aircraft carrier was armed with old aircraft. His battle group on the first campaign consisted of 22 A6M5 fighters, 18 B6N2 torpedo bombers, 22 D4Y2 dive bombers and three D3A2s.
As you know, in the very first campaign, in the battle of the Mariana Islands, "Taiho" was sunk. The blame for the death was not so much one (!) Torpedo from the American submarine "Albacore", which hit the aircraft carrier, as the inept actions of the crew, who did everything to make the ship die.
Well, they don't sink an aircraft carrier with a displacement of 34,000 tons with one torpedo. However, if the crew kisses from the heart, it's easy.
In addition to the Taiho, the Ruisei was expected on only one ship: the gigantic Shinano, converted from a Yamato-class battleship.
It was planned to have about 20 aircraft there, but alas. The fate of the Shinano turned out to be even shorter than that of the Taiho, and American submariners sank it right on the test passage.
So all the B7A produced were delivered to the coastal units stationed in Japan. The largest number of aircraft of this type entered service with the 752nd Kokutai, which took an active part in the battles for Okinawa.
The combat use of "Meteor" was quite limited and fell on the final battles of World War II, when even a miracle would not have saved Japan. Combat sorties of Japanese strike aircraft no longer differed little from suicide kamikaze strikes.
In the meat grinder of the fighting for Okinawa in March-July 1945, the Japanese lost their last trained crews. In the same place, around Okinawa, the few "Ruisei" found their end.
It is very difficult to say something concrete about the success of the pilots on the Ruysei. Mainly because the Americans did not bother at all to identify the aircraft that inflicted damage on them and did not bother themselves with what the Japanese pilot was flying.
And the majority of Japanese pilots could not tell about their successes for a very good reason. But nevertheless, something still remains in history.
Almost a detective story with the aircraft carrier "Franklin", which the Japanese pilots trimmed in such a way that, although it was restored, the "Franklin" did not fight again and did not return to the ranks of the fleet.
First, on "Franklin", the flagship of the TF-58.4 task force, on 19.03.45 near Okinawa, he plowed a kamikaze on a G4M bomber. There was no big damage, the kamikaze fell into the sea from the other side of the deck.
But while the crew was catching their breath from such a show, the plane that crept in, which according to the Americans was D4Y "Shusei" or "Judy" in American terminology, passed along the deck of the ship, dropping two 250-kg bombs, one of which hit the bow, and the second into the aft part of the ship, after which a large fire broke out on the ship, which lasted more than a day and actually destroyed the aircraft carrier as a combat unit of the fleet and a third of the crew.
But there is a certain inaccuracy that makes us reconsider something in that story. TWO bombs, which, according to the Americans, were dropped one after another. And hit one in the bow, and the other in the stern.
Alas, in my review of the "Susei" I wrote that this aircraft in the D4Y2 and D4Y3 variants took only ONE 250-kg bomb into the bomb bay and a couple of lungs under the wings.
Yes, in the version for the kamikaze, it was possible to load a 500-kg bomb and even an 800-kg bomb into the bomb bay, but two 250-kg … Alas. They simply did not fit into the bomb bay, and if someone had pushed them there, then the suspension mechanism would be for ONE bomb.
That is, it is normal for a kamikaze, but dropping - no, it will not work. And then the discharge would obviously take turns, since the length of the aircraft carrier is about 250 meters, so we think.
By the way, to arrange a "super-overload" and hang 2 x 250 kg under the wings will also not work. How not to be able to drop the bombs one by one. The plane can simply be dragged off somewhere, in the direction of the wing with an un-dropped bomb.
Well, it just doesn't work "Shusei", even though you crack. Moreover, it is also a twin-engine …
But "Ryuisei" - quite. He just has a bomb bay for 2 x 250 kg. And he could throw bombs one at a time, not at all afraid to disturb the alignment of the plane. It's just that, as I said above, the Americans did not bother themselves at all who flew in. With bombs, it's Judy. And that's all.
The second episode took place on July 12, 1945. It seems that (again the Americans testify) four Betty torpedo bombers at low altitude passed unnoticed into Buckner Bay near Okinawa and attacked the battleships Pennsylvania and Tennessee at anchor.
The torpedo hit the "Pennsylvania", but such a mastodon has one torpedo that an elephant can get. And the crew was clearly not like the Taiho, because the Pennsylvania did not sink. Losses amounted to only 10 personnel perished.
However, the same Americans testify that the Betty, which attacked the battleships, were with a broken wing and single-engine. That is, not "Betty" at all. And not Mitsubishi G4M, but all the same Aichi B7A.
Apparently, this was almost the only sortie of the Ruyseevs as torpedo bombers. By the way, three planes were shot down after leaving the attack, but the last survivor did not return to the base either. Either fighters caught over the sea, or trivially there was not enough fuel for the return trip.
Judging by the damage to the battleship, a hole of about 9 m in diameter is one of the few cases of successful use of the Type 91 Kai 7 air torpedo.
Despite the fact that the Ryusei bombers were quite modern and quite competitive exactly in the capacity in which they were created, they still did not avoid being used as flying bombs in special attack detachments.
At the end of July 1945, the newly organized detachment "Mitate No. 7" entered the structure of one of the most combat units "Emperor's Shield". The detachment was formed entirely from B7A bombers and bore another name - "Ryuisei-tai", that is, "Ryuisei group".
The first baptism of fire of the "Ryusei group" took place on July 25, 1945, when 12 V7A with 500-kg bombs flew out to attack the US aircraft carrier group operating in the southeast of Honshu. All of the group's vehicles were intercepted by American fighters.
On August 9, American fighters intercepted and destroyed a group of five B7A vehicles near Kinkasan Island.
On August 13, three Ryusei bombers from the Mitate-7 group attempted to break through to the American ships at Cape Inubo, the easternmost point of the Japanese archipelago on the island of Honshu. One plane returned due to a malfunction, the other two were shot down on the way.
The Ruisei made their last flight on the morning of August 15, 1945, after the announcement of surrender. An attack on American ships was planned near the port city of Katsuura in Chiba Prefecture. The last two serviceable "Ruisei" of the group took off for this task. Their fate remained unknown.
There was one more detachment, equipped with "Ruysei". It bore the beautiful name "Saiyu" / "Blooming Stream" and included the last 8 B7A. The detachment was prepared for the last battle for Japan, but they did not have time to use it. The reason for this was the American pilots who destroyed the fuel depot.
On this, the history of the combat use of perhaps the most advanced strike aircraft in Japan ended …
One bomber Aichi B7A "Ryuisei" has survived to this day, which is in the collection of the Garber Aerospace Museum in the USA. True, as a spare exhibit and disassembled.
LTH B7A1:
Wingspan, m: 14, 40.
Length, m: 11, 50.
Height, m: 4, 075.
Wing area, m2: 35, 00.
Weight, kg:
- empty aircraft: 3 810;
- normal takeoff: 5 625;
- maximum takeoff: 6 500.
Engine type: 1 х Hakajima NK9С Homare-12 х 1 825 h.p.
Maximum speed, km / h: 565.
Practical range, km: 3 300.
Combat range, km: 1 800.
Rate of climb, m / min: 580.
Practical ceiling, m: 11 250.
Crew, pers.: 2.
Armament:
- two winged 20-mm cannons type 99 model 2;
- one 7, 92 mm machine gun or one 13 mm machine gun on a movable mount at the end of the cockpit;
- one 800 kg torpedo or up to 800 kg bombs.
Overall, the plane was quite impressive. Excellent flight characteristics, good armament. If Japan could realize the strengths of the aircraft by building it in sufficient numbers …
Alas, like many brothers, "Ryuisei" was confused in the attacks of the kamikaze.
