Ki-100

[Howard Mitchell]

Hi Corbulo.

Page 73 for the bit I typed in, paragraphs 2 and 3, page75 paragraphs 2 and 3 again for the bits I paraphrased. From some of the conversations I have had with people at netwings.org (a MS Combat Flight Simulator 2 site) I believe that the UK edition may be different from others. Not sure what you have out there on Rigel 5!

One of the Netwings forums had an excellent debate over the relative merits of the F8F Bearcat compared to the Ki-100 a few months back, with contributions from some very knowledgeable people. The consensus seemed to be that the Ki-100 was a brilliant fighter by 1943 standards, but by 1945 it was simply not up to the standards set elsewhere. After some careful thought I tend to agree with this - its quoted top speed of around 360 mph would have been considered very low in the European theatre of operations by then. Its advantages were that it was close enough in performance to Allied aircraft to give an experienced pilot a good chance of victory, and easy enough to handle to give an inexperienced pilot at least a chance of surviving.

I have heard of the Okinawa incident you mention, but never in any reliable, first hand accounts, and I’m sure I have heard that it is disputed. Its probably one of those stories that gets picked up and repeated without being verified. Given the over-claiming mentioned in my last post I can quite believe that the Japanese thought they had shot down 14 Hellcats, but until I can find out more details I doubt that they actually did. Certainly if half a squadron of Hellcats had been dispatched in such a dramatic fashion in a single action I’m sure it would be remarked upon in many other sources (especially American ones!) Anyone out there know any more?

[corbulo]

Thanks for the page references which I read. We have the same edition. I read backwards from there but no reference to Mitschers' TF 58 attack on Okinawa, March 19th. Gailey says, page 424,
The War in the Pacific
"Prior to the invasion, Admiral Mitscher led his powerful TF 58 northward to attack the many airfields and installations on Kyushu. For two days, beginning on 19 March, hangars, barracks, airfields, and targets os opportunity wer hit. Seventeen ships, including the superbattleship Yamato were also damaged. The Japanese committed a large number of planes to defend the island with little effect".

On April 2nd the Japanese launched another attack against the Okinawa landing force. Ki-100s may have been part of the escorts.