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japanese troops now operating to the north of Mandalaby

Hyakute recieves news today -his cow is pregnant!
How is he going to get the bull back to Shanghia though -and this is getting pressing- as Bulls eat an extrodinary amount of feed!

2/3/42

records show 47th sentai did not fly this day -although the KI-27 unit did conduct some ground attack missions.

The pilots spent quite some time in the mess discussing the situation.

4 planes obviously was in adequate to have any direct effect on the war- but surely there was a way to be found to contribute until the sentai could be rebuilt with the new fighters coming in the some dark distant future?
not surprisingly, it was Inoute -the former fisherman -who came up with a possible answer.

Somehow, Iwaya had reached the front -and only a small stretch of open land seperated him from his own lines.

It was dark - almost dark enough.
Some 100 yards away to his left, a chinese machine gun occasionally spat random tracer lazily towards the other side of the field.
Every few minutes or so, a flare would arc into the sky - revealling the rough mounds of dirt of his hoped for destination.
Now for the tricky bit - getting across -with out the machine gun nailing him -or more likely -his own country men.

He girded himself - rose from his cover -and promptly stumbled into a hidden shell hole.
It was occupied.
A young chinese man -almost as dirty and rough as Iwaya was -turned from his act of nature - and gave a terrified shout.
In books - Iwaya leaps -and kills the man.
In books -there is a desperate struggle.
In books -Iwaya wounds the man -and spends an agony contemplating the horroer of war.

Here -Iwaya turns and flees.
But so does the Chinese soldier -abandoning gun, and shellhole.
Iwaya finds himself on the plain -exposed -and already he senses the machine gun -surely aiming straight at him!

he runs - and runs -and falls gasping into the japanese trench -upsetting the 3 fellows there -men far more interested in the dinner Iwaya promptly stumbles over -than any altercation from the enemy!

He is safe.
telling the tale, will take far more courage than it ever took to cross the field.

The idea -basically...........................

3/3/42

Destroyer pope engages 3 japanese MSW -and a real naval stoush takes place -surprisingly the news reports the Pope -"as a heavy cruiser"

Hyakute and Juni B had won the toss today

Alone the two fighters swept towards the north -at some 5005 feet -cruising -seemingly oblivious to the skys around them

Already Juni had a sore neck -constantly twisting too view, to glare into the very core of the sun -seeking any birds of prey waiting to swoop down to them.
Somewhere-somewhere behind the Ki-27s were following -far higher -waiting for the bite -if it ever came.

today it does not -and the mission finishes with the nates straffing a small road convoy.

The fishing had been poor -but sometimes as one knows - just going fishing can be enough.
Today they feel back into the war.

3/4/42

Operations diary, 47th sentai -operating from Shanghia

records for the sentais operations are very good for this period
takenaka's flight leadership may have been very weak -the unit basically now seemed to be operating as a collective -not a commanded unit - but his record keeping was very good

The unit flew CAP operations today - with no combat taking place

Combat missions recorded to date

hyakute -------25
Juni V----------26
Juni B----------25
Inoute---------14
Iwaya----------26
Takenaka------25
Inoue----------23

70 th sentai flew training missions today

70th sentai flies training ops - and suffers the usual troubles -op losses

The little chinese man had apparently had a very difficult time at the gate -the guards could well have shot him -if one considers the situation in china at the time -but he had persisted
.
Eventually Hyakute had been called to the gate -and recieved the message -after passing across suitable renumeration

The message was distressing -yet did solve a pressing problem

"regret to inform of british bombing raid today - which missed your airfield
It did, however not miss your Bull. we are well -and eating well of steak!"

5/3/42
Shanghia field is closed by sheets of early spring rain -giving the base support personal a chance to catch up
The base is bulging with planes -KI-49 transports, the Ki-27 nates, KI-43 oscars -and the navy is sharing the field -9 B5n2 kates operating as ASW patrol, and several e7k2 Alfs on recon duties - these elderly planes are having the roughest time -employed mainly over the front -losses for them have been hard

the war news is quiet -a few points of interest -the allied navy is aggressively using its minor vessels -the Pope is sunk by 4 japanese destroyers, and the vendetta is sunk near Singapore by a DD and some Pgs

Fighting at Maniulla and Singapore appears to be reaching an end -enemy ships fleeing manilla -and being sunk -and the same at singapore

In Burma - the 2nd para is reported to have been forced back across the irrawady, this daring raid has failed.

The twins inspect the kate -its an impressive plane -large compared to the Ki-44, and the folding wings are a marvel

The crew of thei bird are a happy bunch - they think this a great draft -just the right mix of importance -with the chance of action against the submarines (not, Juni V notices, that any have been spotted yet in this neck of the woods) -but also the good quarters, and a chance to occasionally fly to nagasaki .

but the twins, despite their naval background -are glad they are not flying this plane -it makes a KI-44 seem like a flying arsenal in comparison.

kates at shanghia

6/3/42
The news was announced as all news was announced these days -with the blare of marshall music , and repeated reminders of"an imminant important message" from the Imperial Goverment

As expected that it was -it still seemed to be a glorious surprise -Singapore had surrendered -and 59000 allied men had fallen in its defence

The conversations that morning centered around just one thing - did this mean the end of the war in the Pacific?
Would they soon be going home.?
The war may have been seemingly charging to a victorious conclusion in the pacific -but the war continued its relentless pace in China
Much to the twins amusment today -and very much to the chargin of the Navy Kate pilots - an allied Submarine had today successfully hit a tanker at the harbours entrance -a daring attack indeed.

The word mortified, bacame the popular word of the day...............

7/3/42

Shanghia heavily clouded in today, and all units are stood down
47th Sentai pilots spend the day mostly doing what needs to be done -hiding in various messes, or sleeping............

8/3/42

47th sentai re enters the war today.
As planned the entire unit travels ahead of the rest of the strike -looking for trouble, seeking trouble.
The sky throbs with the massed japanese strike - an impressive sight - if you count numbers.
But many of the planes are the already obsolete nates - they give impresive mass , but very little punch.
The target is wenchow -a city helpless to the rain of bombs that descend. Not one shot is returned by the chinese -it is the ultimate milk run.
It helps build unit cohesion, helps with operations -the entire process of getting the planes into the air, assembled, and all together - but does little towards the war effort

Our pilots are pleased to fly, but remain a little frustrated again at the lack of action.

Some of the bombers involved.........

9/3/42
a small circle of pilots sit under the shade of a very large tree, the grass is green, fresh from overnight rain. behind the men a large number of KI-27's are scattered across the field
The pilots -its easy to identify them as such- are discussing the perenial topic -tactics
Hyakute is busy pushing his views " such a light fighter as the KI-27 is so much more manouverable than our enemies -one would be mad to avaoid getting into a dogfight with them - they manouver like elephants -we, on the other hand -can easily avoid their blows -and strike back with impunity"
"Ah" replies one of the Nate pilots" but what then? - the allied bombers are particularily hard to pierce with simply machine guns"
"yes" Hyakute considered the sky for a moment " but there pilots are not -we must get in close -close enough to see the colour of their fear"

most of the circle nod in assent - it is of coyurse the honourable way to fight

It was a pleasant day.
And really -it was hard to think that such a conversation on such a day -really meant anything.

10/3/42

same field
same circle of pilots
same straggle of fighters across the field awaiting orders
Inoute expresses his opinion-and its a lot differnt to yesterdays
"Hit and run -thats the secret -dive -dive with a heavy plane -hit him before he even sees you -thats how this war is going to be fought"
"And no dogfight?"
"No! -dogfighting means you have lost what advantage you have, and..."
"And Im going to dive in a KI 27? -or even your 44? -your speaking crap Tojo pilot- you are speaking crap............."

Today was not as pleasant day as yesterday.........

Spread like cows over the field -the KI-27's await orders

Maybe it was for the best -but today the Sentai packed its flying kit -and staged to central China -Hankow -where KI -43's also were gathering.

The sentai arrived shortly before ten -and was quickly refueled -the plan was to ambush enemy bombers operating in the area - bombers operating "like its a milk run" -and to do it today.
Like most rushed plans -it did'nt happen
The osacrs arrived late, and were short on ammo .
The ammo was available at the base -but when the cases were prised open - were found to be ruined by moisture.
more would have to be flown in.

Nobody had maps
nobody was very happy about flying without an orientation flight -especially with the front so close............
It did'nt happen
OK -they would try for tomorrow..........