Japanese airpower in WW1
I'm trying to find out what aircraft the Japanese military had at their disposal, particularly early in the war. I know about the 4 Farman MF7s the IJN used in the attack on Germany's China colony. What else did they have and where were they used?
Tim
Doesn't appear there was much else besides the MFs; Japanese military aviation didn't get rolling until after WW1.
I found the same. The French sent an aeronautical mission to Japan in 1918-1919, and the Japanese bought some war surplus aircraft at that time: SPADs, Nieuports, Salmsons, and Breguets. But nothing specific before this date.Originally Posted by csadn
There was one Japanese pilot who flew with Les Cicognes as a volunteer... ISTR he was mentioned in the Osprey volume on them, and his plane had a unique origami crane design painted on it where everyone else had more lifelike renderings.
There are a few pages about Japanese aviation in 'Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War 1'.
I found this link http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyJapanese.htm where it's mentioned a carrier (WAKAMIYA) with 4 Farman seaplanes.
More info about the ship here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanes...rrier_Wakamiya
http://www.1250scale.com/1250Wakamiya.htm (a model, some info and pics)
Attilio
Very cool! Thanks!
Nice find, Attilo!
Voilŕ le soleil d'Austerlitz!
Nice find. In a "what if" war scenario, carrier power discovered 20 years earlier, the Royal Navy against the Kriegsmarine in pocket carriers in the Mediterranean sea or Japanese with British planes against the German Empire in the Far East.
Not cranes (as a Cicogne I assume that would have been Kiyotake Shigeno from N.26), but ducks!
Onomichi Isobe of N.57
Balders, I think Shigeno was the pilot I remembered.
Found these link:
http://warnepieces.blogspot.it/2012/...ar-one_18.html whit new details about Maurice Farman seaplanes
http://www.wwi-models.org/1/Photos/Fre/HF6/index.html whit pics taken at the National Science Museum in Tokyo. The seaplane is a Farman Type 6 Shorthorn, imported to Japan in 1915, equipped with a Japanese-produced 100hp Daimler engine.
(from http://www.constable.ca/caah/shorthrn.htm:
The Maurice Farman "Shorthorn" carried it's crew tandem, the observer in front, the pilot behind. The British used MF 1914s as bombers in 1914 in the Dardanelles, in Africa and Mesopotamia, with 80 assigned to the Royal Navy. The French used early types on the eastern front and in Macedonia. The 1914s assigned to the Belgans flew bombing missions against German submarines and Zeppelin bases. A Farman of 1 Wing was credited with destroying a Zeppelin at Evere. By 1915 the plane became useless against the mounting aerial opposition from the Germans, who had a new Fokker monoplane, and it was quickly relegated to training pilots in England.
Technical Details
There were too many types and subtypes of the early Farman aircraft to be able to describe them easily. The early MF 1912 was 12 m long with a wing span of 15 m. Three models were labelled MF 1914, but the basic structure was the same. It was a biplane with the upper wing longer than the lower. The wings were supported by wooden struts and braced with steel wire. The engine was a "pusher" type mounted aft of the cabin. Generally it was a 70 hp rotary Renault.)
I'm working on that. In the timeline: The experiments with flying airplanes off ships leads to a new concept for commerce raiders/auxiliary cruisers -- rather than being armed mainly with guns (which are effectively limited to line-of-sight), they are armed with aircraft carrying bombs and the occasional MG (for convincing the wireless men to shut up >:) ). The aircraft extend the raider's spotting range considerably, and allow the raider to attack other ships without necessarily placing itself at risk from return fire; machine shops onboard allow the unit to remain in operation so long as the fuel lasts. (I'm also pondering whether to allow the raiders to have hot-air-filled kite-balloons as an inexpensive 24/7 long-range-observation platform.)
A couple of interesting engagements leads to some of the faster carriers being attached to the various sides' main fleets for observation and harassment purposes -- I'm wondering if this may *prevent* there being any major fleet engagements in the War, as the Germans can never get out of Kiel unobserved, and therefore can never achieve the surprise they wanted; meanwhile the "real war" is fought with U-boats and raider CVs....
During the Seige of Tsingtao the Japanese Navy used Farman seaplanes, while the Army flew four Maurice Farman and one Nieuport NG2 (IV/VI). They also had their own home grown Seishiki-1 which was a single one off prototype. After this they received a lot of French-built Nieuports and British Camels and Snipes.
Bleriot 11-2 one trainer bought in 1911. 13 March disintegrated in flight killing the pilot and passenger.
Caudron G.3 trainer with an 80hp Gnome engine. Date unknown.
Japan obtained one Henri Farman probaly a type C in 1910. An H.F.20 was imported in 1914 and converted to the Kaishiki Number 7 plane in 1915. Using this experience the firm produced the Army Henri Farman Type Model 4 in late 1915. Powered by a Japanese produced 70 hp Renault engine. It entered production in 1916 as the Type MO 1914 were built in 1916, 1919 and 1920 a total of 84 were produced.
Imported five M.F.7s from 1913 to 1914. Four took part in the Tsingato campaign.
The Japanese navy purchased a three seat M.F.7 and 3 two-seat H.F.7s. Also used at the Tsingato campaign.
Six Mo-6s and eight Mo-4s served with the air units assigned to the 12th Air Division and used in combat in Manchuria and Siberia in 1918.
A single Nieuport Type 6M was purchased in 1913 a two seater with a 100-hp engine. Used in the Tsingato campaign.
Several Nieuport 24s were obtained in 1917.
Thanks for reviving the thread, I haven't seen it initially.
Late or post-war the Japanese had Sopwith Pups in both the navy and army air forces with the army is listed as receiving One and a Half Strutters.
Me neither.....great links Attilio!
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