herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

[1275psi]

23/3/42

Bataan falls -completeing the Phillipines battles
Imperial eyes turn towards Port Moresby....................

[1275psi]

its now the 26/3/42

The remains of 47th sentai sit forlornly at Hong Kong
2 planes, 5 pilots -and one injured in Hospital

There is an unreal air about the unit -the war in the southern pacific sems to be quiet -other than a AMC going down in glory against some DDs -and it also seems a very long way away.

Some designers come and pour over the planes for a day -and leave -entries for "give us a cannon like the zero" -just seem to bounce off deaf ears

For all intents and purposes the unit seems to have been forgotten.

[1275psi]

Our bored pilots watch with envy the ASW patrols leave
KI-48a's

[1275psi]

26/3/42 to the 31/3/42

remains of 47th sentai sit idle at hong Kong
Juni B rejoins the unit at the weeks end.
The enemy launch a major offensive against Nanchang -chinese troops reaching the cities outskirts, on the 31st however 47th sentai is recalled across the straight to Canton, and back into the war............

[1275psi]

30/3/42

To my Sons,

I-26 departs today -Icannot tell you from where, just some remote speck in the southern pacific.
Our navy is preparing a major offensive through the oceans south of here, and I am part of the vanguard -I really hope to bag something better than a transport..........

I continue to pray for you sons -fight hard - I hear that our planes are so superior to the enemies - but i think that this must be exagerrated.
Still I think it marvelous that Japan can show those Imperialists how to fly!

We sail
I write on return

Best wishes,
Capatian Juni
I-26

[1275psi]

1/4/42
The situation at nanchang is reported to be"grave"
The chinese have opened a very unexpected offensive -and japanese lines are struggling to hold the waves of endless infantry that threaten to swamp the defences.
Worse -the chinese airforce is being stiffened not only by the AVG -but persistant reports of british aircraft filter daily to Canton field
Luchow appears to be a hornets nest of enemy planes -it must be crushed

Every plane is needed -even the 2 remaining Tojos can contribute.
Today is a maximum effort -canton field, as large as it is now, is stretched to the limit preparing the days strike -but it is also supremely practiced now -and not a plane remains behind

Juni V, and Takenaka win the lottery today -and they lead the strike
2 single fighters, but behind a great wedge of planes, 50 odd Type O's, 27 betties, and nearly 60 of the armies helen bombers - differences and arguments have been brushed aside by necessity -the skies MUST become Japanese.

The Chinese are about - Juni V see's them first -a small flight of biplanes -153's -climbing straight for them - suicidly brave.
The tojos attack -slashing at them, but not even the 44 can out turn the biplanes, and much ammunition is expended into empty space, as targets fleet acrposs gunsights.
some zeros dive -not all of them, just enough -and its all over very quickly, 4 columns of smoke rise from the fields below, the bombers continue undisturbed.

Luchow is hit -but the field is not closed -and reports continue to come in all day that enemy planes continue to support the chinese troops.
There are no highjinks in the mess tonight -as packed as it is with so many pilots now on station -just an air of seriousness.

The big radio tells of many battles today -port blair is being invaded, Mandalaby is under attack by the army(still), strange places never heard of in the solomons fall, but nothing is mentioned of the war in China today.
So things are bad.
Very bad.

[1275psi]

i-153

[1275psi]

2/4/42
Something has changed in Major Takenaka.
For nearly a month now he has been nominally in charge of the remnants of 47th sentai -yet the group has really just acted as a combine -each to his own.
today he takes charge -there will be "no more lotteries", no more squabbling - if this unit was going to be a unit -then small, or large -it would act as one.


By no surprise the men are pleased.
At last
Leadership

Takenaka leads Inoue today -who has considerably improved his attitude as well. 1st para are resting at Rangoon -and there is little to worry about concerning sons.

There is plenty to worry about in the skies over Luchow though.
Again the chinese attack -this time in a new never before seen plane, a fat ugly monoplane -that flies as badly as it looks
Inoue though on return is startled to find 2 holes in his tail -he never even felt the hits

The mess is lighter in spirit today -the Navy pilots are particularily upbeat -the mighty zero has accounted for 7 of the new enemy fighters today -and all agree that if these are representative of the best and newest the Allies can produce -then the zero will remain number one bird for many years yet.

The bomber pilots too are pleased -60 loads delivered -with nary a scratch -a good run

still no news from nanchang -just continued pleading for "max support please!"

[1275psi]

Our new opponents -bunnies for the zeros

[1275psi]

Been on holidays, updates soon

[Grotius]

A good read. I'm looking forward to more.

[1275psi]

3/4/42
Despite the calls for continued help from the Army to the north, there are practical things that aircraft and pilots simply cannot ignore.
Principally there is the simple thing called "hours"
All aircraft -from the mightiest bomber, to the lowliest army co operation plane operate maintenance schedules detirmined by hours of airframe or engine use -and only fools ignore them.
This brings great stress between the two competing needs -the need to keep the combat aircraft in the air combating -and the need to keep the planes in the air -with out failures!

Today is one of those crunch days.
As many operations that the command may want today -he is not going to get them -over one third of the Army bombers need a 500 hrly -now.
In reality probably nothing wrong will be found -or even really needed to be done -but if you start down that path -the path of -put it off for a "little while" -then the decsent into chaos is not far away.

Operational losses are hard enough to bear -with out adding to them.

So today the orders are stand down - and while the mechanics drain sumps, change filters, the pilots get on with the million little things we tend to overlook

Some do laundry - poor 47th sentai has moved so often the state of some of their kits seem to be the flying suit they wear -and litle else.
Socks are at a premium!
Takenaka runs - and runs -all the others note -something has been ignited in him -he appears ready to burst with aggression.
The twins spend the day usefully -to them - gambling against the bomber pilots -and today winning
Inoue writes letters -his son in the 1st paras is now in Bangkok -knowledge gained through news reports -the situation in Burma is clouded with heavy fighting still around Mandalaby -Inoue expects to hear his son back in danger anyday.

Hyakutake can not be repressed today -he wangles a "test flight" of one of the type o's from the navy pilots - and spends 2 hours stunting above the field

he is probably the only pilot in japan today who enjoys the day totally..........

[1275psi]

4/4/42

The weather gods intervene
A packed field of planes now ready to fly -covered in sheets of rain -that falls, and falls, and falls.

Weather forcast for tomorrow -clear
Takenaka is informed by the navy pilots that the Tojos"will fly ahead again" tomorrow
He nominates Hyakutake "if you really need to fly so much.........." and Iwaya "punishment for failing to obtain me some socks" for the mission tomorrow.

[1275psi]

5/4/42
Wing tip to tip the 2 Ki 44s sweep north at 10000 feet.
Its a glorious flying day -scattered cloud at 5000 feet -fantastic visibility, and air as smooth as glass.

Hyakutake is grinning -is there anything better than this?
he feels connected - connected to his plane, his wingman, the world around him.
The bellowing engine talks sweetly to him -the throttle vibrates slightly under his hand, and the stick is part of him -an extension of himself -he only needs to think -no, its even quicker than that -to want -to place his plane just thus -and it will happen.

Upside down, vertical, horizontal -it is all the same to him -Hyakutake and his plane are one.

Iwaya is not grinning -he is sweating -the constant adjustments needed to stick where he is is making him ache -how does the buggar do it!?
He should have joined the bloody navy.............

Contact!
The Lancers certaintly look impressive sliding down towards them -great round cowlings -but the two japanese pilots have plenty of time -even Iwaya can outfly these
It looks like a bounce -a very good one -right up to the moment just before the lead begins to fly - both Tojos climb ubruptly -climb and roll, and now upside down diving onto the scattering P43's -easily avoiding the clumsy attack.

Hyakutake times it very well - his plane follows his thoughts subconsciously -upside down, rolling into the vertical as the target frantically tries to avoid.

His guns hammer -at last strikes!
he spins twice -still vertical -recovers, pulls hard right -zeros flash past -lots of them -hunting the clumsy chinese planes, the great engine roaring now at full throttle -his body under the great wieght of G's -but the sky is empty already of fighters - only the great bomber formation is in view.

The grin is even wider - "Ill take that one"he thinks -"that one I will take"

[1275psi]

Combat report for 5/4/42

2 planes 47th sentai with 51 zeros, 89 bombers attacked Nanchang

5 enemy P-36a's shot down -confirmed
1st Lt Hyakutake claims one probable - NOT granted -this plane definately confirmed killed by LT Konda -navy pilot

[1275psi]

33rd division troops completing the encirclement operations of Mandalaby Burma - placing the British defenders in great peril

[1275psi]

6th and 7th of April 42

Our records show no flights taken by our remaining 2 fighters -reasons are unclear.
It is known that the Chinese offensive at nanchang faied this week -quite possibly the japanese did not see a need to waste precious bombs on the retreating army.

What is known that China Command ordered its planes to swing focus again - the new target -the chinese and Allied air force.

The period that follows shows what would always be the fundamental flaw of the japanese Army airforce
If fully -fully concentrated in China -it may have won total air superiority -but it never would be.
The Helen -in particular -had revealed a un forseen aptitude for ASW operations - so with many of these units being hived off, and the continous transfer of experienced fighter units to the south -china would soon become relagated (as far as the airforce was concerned) as a training area.
Whether this would materially affect the ground war, was a question yet to be answered.

The war in China would continue - meantime, major, far reaching and devastating operations were about to commence in the deep south of the empire.

[1275psi]

The key component for future japanese plans................

[1275psi]

8/4/42

Today is the twins turn to fly.
Its another very big raid, the 2 KI-44's again accompany some 41 zeros as they escort 26 betties and some 60 odd Helens north against Chinese airfields.

The twins today do not lead the zeros, but sit some 2000 feet above them and the bombers -hoping to bounce any Chinese foolish, or brave enough, to engage them.

The enemy does in fact come up - first 3 lancers scout around the flanks of the formations, but then disapear into the haze without engaging, another 3 try to climb towards the formation -some zeros manage to bounce them, knocking down one.

Its a very impersonal death at 10000 feet.

[1275psi]

9/4/42

The big old radio is still struggling on in the mess.
Today the news is proclaimed with a great burst of imperial marching music, the usual propaganda preparation.
For once it probably deserves it, Mandalaby in Burma has fallen -and another British brigade has been destroyed.

There are however, not many pilots today available to listen to it, very early this morning the field has rung again to the sound of mass departures -but not on missions, the Navy has left, the zeros have departed.

The betties remain -and more zeros are going to arrive soon, but with just 2 fighters available -and the AVG now operating at Honan -the bombers will not be risked today, or the next -not until fighters are again available.

And fighters -especially long ranged ones, are badly needed elswhere.