# IJA Secret Intelligence Team at Chofu



## Shinpachi (Jun 21, 2008)

Until August 15, 1945, there used to be the IJA's smallest but most powerful intelligence team located in the suburbs of Oume, a few kilometers to the north of Chofu airfield. It was formed of all young skillful communication engineers, well-experienced veteran pilots and a few Japanese-American English translators.

Their main mission was to catch V-code transmitted from Boeing B-29 left the Mariana Islands and to foresee how many, when and where they would fly into the Japanese mainland.

Some times the team cut in the communication exchanged between the allied forces, pretending an American soldier, to collect/leak false information or to let an isolated US aircraft to surrender. One or two armed reconnaissance Toryu and Dinah always assissted this mission. 

This team was officially called 101st Communication Team under the direct control of the headquarters of the 1st Air Force of IJA.

All records and traces about this team were abandoned or erased or modified before the Allied Forces reached to the IJA headquarters at Ichigaya of Tokyo in late August 1945.

However, a testimony of a radio crew Mr. Teruo Miyoshi who was engaged in the reconnaissance mission came up on the internet four years ago though I have known it recently. He thought that he had got old enought to unveil everything before he passes away. 

With any appropriate translation tool, you can check more details by yourselves at the following site - 

‚*‚é’ÊM•º‚Ì‚¨‚Í‚È‚µ@ƒoƒbƒNƒiƒ“ƒo[ˆê——

I'm thinking to translate them too but the volume is so large that I can't promise when I can do it at this stage. So I introduce the site first.
The attached Toryu(Ki-45kai) reconnaissance version image is my guess.
Mr. Teruo Miyoshi has confirmed in his article it was painted in blue.

Hope you ALL enjoy!

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## Wayne Little (Jun 21, 2008)

Hmmm...Interesting stuff....!


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## Shinpachi (Jun 21, 2008)

Hi Wayne. Thank you for your comment.
If you want to know any article perfectly, I will be happy to translate.
Translating article by article at random might be the realistic way to translate all finally.


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## syscom3 (Jun 21, 2008)

Shinpachi, please translate anything to do with the B29 missions.

Theres a B29 forum I frequent and I know some of the B29 aircrews would be fascinated with what you have to say.

http://b-29.org/

B29-Superfortress : B-29 SuperFortress is a mailing list dedicated to the amazing flying machine, the B-29 Superfortress.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi syscom3 
Thank you for your request of translation.
That's what I want to do as I'm a B29 fan too.
I will start with Article No.12 and hope your B29 veterans will be interested.

*****************************************************

Article No.12
The First Encounters with B29
============================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


It was around the period(*estimated in late 1944) when I was just accumulating the reconnaissance experiences as a radio crew and even encountered Grummans several times. 

On that day, nothing unusual happened. To hear the pilot Sergeant-major's voice "We home", I checked again the sea surface for the security with the binoculars. In the lower left, I had found a large aircraft heading to the south with black smoke trail.

I told it to Sergeant-major tapping him on the shoulder. "OK" he said and turned our plane to be positioned 550yards away to the target's tail. Through the binoculars, to my surprise, I observed that the tail gun turret(*meaning the gunner's room possibly) which must have been located just under the rudder had gone somewhere. The rudder itself was also swinging and just about to drop anytime.


"We'll get lower. Check the target well". Our plane dropped the altitude a little and I could see better a big hole on the position of the belly gun turret. The bomb bay doors kept open because the lock would have been broken.


"We'll get higher". Our plane got a higher altitude and approached to the target a little closer.
An enemy gunner recognized us. He rotated the gun turret toward us but he did not shoot.
Through the binoculars, the gunner looked absent-minded, lost his fighting spirit anymore and was only gazing at us.


"We'll get forward". Our plane increased the speed and positioned left-upper of the target.
One third of the left cockpit was missing. Co-pilot was controlling the aircraft desperately.
Left two engines stopped. Oil was burning and blowing black smoke.
Judging from the total situation of damage, the super fortress seemed to have got some close flack hits.


"Don't you shoot?" I asked.
"I don't shoot a wounded deer. Look it well. This is the B29 which is called 'fortress in the sky'".
I was impressed.
I was impressed more with her efforts to keep flying than I myself had witnessed a real B29.


I tried to catch her emergency signal but could not synchronize well.
"Check the sea surface well. Submarine will appear. Check the other B29s too"
Looking around with the binoculars, I found an object in the sea which looked like a submarine. It was following the B29 at the periscope depth.


"The submarine floats up" Sergeant-major said.
Soon I could observe one submarine came up suddenly in a steep angle. 
Flying around the B29, we kept observing the submarine too.
The deck hatch opened. Sailors came out, uncovered the anti-aircraft gun, aimed at us and seemed waiting for the next order. The bridge hatch opened. A few persons alike officers appeared and were beginning to observe us through their binoculars.


The B29 was trying to ditch at the almost sea-level altitude but if it ditched holizontally, judging from her damage situation, the total cockpit would be blown out by the impact. I instantly thought that bringing the nose upward a little would be the best way to protect the cockpit, though the fuselage would be broken into two parts instead.

I wondered which way Co-pilot would choose.
He ditched holizontally at last.


As I had been afraid, the cockpit was already missing, water rushed into the fuselage through the bomb bay and the hole where the cockpit had existed earlier. The big aircraft was sinking rapidly. Co-pilot, sacrificing himself, would have tried to save other crews. A rescue boat was observed approaching to the ditched B29 but, viewing from the sky, its speed looked very slow. I prayed "Hurry. Hurry" in my mind forgetting my own position. Yes, I was just forgetting the war at that moment as if I had been watching a movie.


"Check the submarine's gun". To hear the voice, I returned to myself.
Some B29 crews seemed rescued narrowly before the big aircraft sunk to disappear. Flying around, I found a person on the bridge showing his salute to us. I happened to salute too automatically.
Our plane flew above the submarine and waved the main wings to say good-bye. Looking back, I could still see a person standing on the bridge. He seemed saying Thank You.


"Anything happened today?" Sergeant-major asked.
"Nothing. It was clear today. That's all".


When I was transmitting telegram "This is ----. Reconnaissance no unusual. We home. (time)" to the headquarters, I heard Sergeant-major murmured . "Painful". I could feel all the brutality and emptiness of the war in this one word - 

"Painful".


/End of Article No.12

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## ccheese (Jun 22, 2008)

Very interesting.... Chivalry ??? Or just being civilized for the moment ?

Charles


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## Shinpachi (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi　ccheese.
A hard question has come at first!

I believe that 50percent was 'Chivalry' but the rest 50percent was Sergeant-major's judgment because their mission was reconnaissance. They had to avoid unnecessary fights. 

On this point, a professional soldier might say '100percent judgment'.

As far as I have read articles, this team was formed of ten at most military soldiers with three at least civilian employees who were Japanese-Americans. The author was seventeen(!) years old then and a corporal.

In the mission, the ability and skill was said prior to the rank and age.
So, they communicated freely and frankly each other unlike other military sections. It was unbelievable for me at first because my father who used to be an IJA ordinary soldier was saying "Military life was HELL!".


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## timshatz (Jun 23, 2008)

Great post Shin, hope to see more of it.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 23, 2008)

Thank you timshatz for your interest.
Next will be coming up in a few days!


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## syscom3 (Jun 23, 2008)

Shinpachi.

Have you ever been to the Imperial War Museum at Yasakuni?

Ive been to Japan on numerous occasions.

Also, do you know where your father served? Was he stationed away from Japan?


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## Shinpachi (Jun 24, 2008)

HI, syscom3. I'm glad to hear from you again.

I also happy to know you have visited my country many times.
Very expert.

No, I haven't ever been to the Imperial War Museum at Yasukuni though
I had visited the Yasukuni Shrine several times when I was living in Tokyo
in 1970s. 

My father was nineteen years old and served any infantry regiment in Chiba Prefecture nearby Tokyo during 1944-1945.

Without exception, he didn't talk much about the war.
His generation had no good memory in the war.
One thing he told me was he witnessed Ki-61 Hien shot down by B29 in the high sky. Pilot jumped out but his parachute didn't open and crashed on the ground. This seems a shocking incident for a teenager...

OK I will continue translation.
Please look forward to it.
Thank you for your interest again!


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## Wildcat (Jun 24, 2008)

G'day Shinpachi, great post mate and many thanks for taking the time to translate for us. Looking forward to more of your posts.
BTW, does all this stuff relate to homeland defence or is there anything concerning the Japanese point of view in New Guinea?


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## Shinpachi (Jun 24, 2008)

You are welcome Wildcat.
I'm glad you enjoy.

The 101st Communication Team was engaged in the protection of the homeland only. They covered as distant as the Mariana Islands including Iwo Jima but not New Guinea.

Sergeant-major(Mr.Takenaka) had been an Oscar(Ki-43) pilot in New Guinea and its nearby battlefields before he joined the 101st Team. His age was 27-28 in 1945 so he would have been there for a couple of years at least. He said in the story that his skill and experience as a fighter pilot was performed in the daily dog-fights there. He seemed having enough knowlege about the Allied Forces aircrafts too. He became a flight instructor after he left the 101st Team in May or June 1945 and was said missing in Okinawa when the war was over.

I can't recall anymore descriptions about New Guinea at the moment.
I may find anything, I will let you know soon.

Good day Wildcat!


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## Wildcat (Jun 24, 2008)

No worries mate, thanks for the reply. I look forward to your future posts.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 24, 2008)

Dear ALL, Here is Article No.37.
Please enjoy 

*************************************

Article No.37

SPY
===
Author: Mr.Teruo Miyoshi 

It was late spring of 1945 when the cherry blossoms season was almost over. 
In those days, ordinary citizens were threatened by a range of daily air raids and enjoying the cherry blossoms was little affordable.


Search order was issued -
[The enemy task force is heading to the north at 440miles offshore the Boso Peninsula. Search its scale. ] 


Before take-off, I checked the communication room and knew that staff didn't catch the radio wave yet any from the U.S.military. I asked Communication Sergeant to inform us, if he was successful to catch the V-codes and to deciphere other communications, of the outline of the B29s numbers and their junction with the Grummans immediately. The V-code was always dispatched from B29 to identify herself before making formation and Grummans would fly to escort the B29s.


Even based on our past experiences only, we were able to estimate the junction like "near the coordinate ---" but if we were successful to catch their radio communications, it would help us to specify the precise point. We had already clarified what the value of "coordinate" which U.S.military was using meant almost precisely. Therefore today's mission was very important in order to measure our performance and to check whether it would be reliable or not in the future.


After take-off, I transmitted message to the base "Use A3(*communication by voice) of ---KHz longwave. Send in broadcast style. We use ---KHz shortwave".

"How about we transfer the captured American messages as they are to you immediately?" the base replied.
"You are knowing I'm not good at English. Who are you?"
"I'm Sergeant ----. I've just made fun of you. Now the mission starts. OK?"
"Oh, Sergeant. Sorry. When the base sends Japanese translation, voice of a cold staff is not welcome. Over "

(Note by the author) Voice of a cold staff sounds unclear as the +/- amplitude(swing) of audible frequency is so large.


Sergeant had arranged two private soldiers who were in charge of translation and a communication soldier who was to send our plane the translation. The base communication room would now look as if it had been changed to a perfect SPY Team. Sergeant would be very busy.


Even when such communications were going on between our plane and the base, my Sergeant-major was silent and single-minded to continue the maritime reconnaissance.


"Visible! Enemy task force of a few ships. Two aircraft carriers are included" I shouted. 
I immediately reported the situation to the base, but the junction with the B-29s was unknown yet. 
We could still estimate the general junction by considering both the distance between the Mariana Islands and the Japaese mainland and the flight range of the carrier-based escort fighters but this time the 'general' made no sense because we had to verify if the value of "coordinates" would coincide with the point that we predicted. I was much tensed up.


Our plane was circling on the clouds so as not to be seen from the enemy ships but they would have already captured us on the radar screen. 


"The communication between the B29s and the task force has begun" the base announced.
"B-29s ---miles south of the task force, altitude 30,000feet, direction ---, estimated junction 'coordinates' ---" 
It seemed successful to catch the "coordinates" which U.S.military defined for themselves.


Thinking the passage of time, the carrier-based escort fighters would take off in ---minutes soon.
Unlucky to us, the sky was getting clear and we had no clouds to hide.
"Don't check the carrier-based fighters. Check the numbers and route of the B29s. I check the carrier-based fighters" said Sergeant-major.


The carrier-based fighters were taking off one after another and began circling above us. Making up the formation of about ten fighters, they seemed waiting for the B29s.
"Take care. One of the fighters has received attack-order" the base warned us.
Enemy seemed to have catched our plane on the radar and issued the attack-order.



Through the binoculars, one fighter on the rear-end of formation was observed leaving the formation.
It would be attacking us but, fully loaded with 250kgx2(*500lb?x2) bombs plus gun bullets, it couldn't be accelerated.
I had never seen such a slow Grumman before.


"OK. Let's pull it around and tire" said Sergeant-major. We had ascended to the maximum altitude with full throttle.
The fighter was chasing us desperately but the distance was not shorten.
When the rest Grummans of formation were heading to the scheduled point("coordinates"), our Grumman was desperatively persistant. I guessed the pilot obeyed his order strictly but would be irritating himself now because he was unable to catch us.

"Hey, why don't you stop chasing and chase your formation. or going to be lost in the sky?"
When Sergeant-major murmured with bitter smile, the B29s formation had composedly appeared in the far and higher altitude. 

Approximately 50 or more. 

"Junction's 'coordinates' of B29s and carrier-based fighters is ----" the base announced.
We ignored the Grumman and headed to the coordinates in a hurry.

"Advise me if that Grumman gets closer to the shooting range. I'll opponent"
Seregeant-major continued saying,
"You may know.. the order within the formation is decided by ranks and experiences. Staying on the rear-end, he would be the newest comer and eager to distinguish himself a.s.a.p"


The "coordinates" we aimed at had got closer.
I reported the base the numbers of B29s and Grummans along with their flight direction and estimated "coordinates".
Our base was successful to catch and decipher their attack target, junction and junction time.
"We launch jamming from now. Change the frequency to ---KHz" the base announced.


I plotted the U.S. military's "coordinates" value on the map. The error was less than 2miles which might be ignored in the sky. I told Sergeant-major "We have done it. It's perfect"
"Well done. It's worth the hardships... By the way, how is he who was chasing us?"
Looking back, I found no shadow of aircraft.


"If he readlly wanted to carry out his attack-order precisely to shoot down my plane, he must have dropped all bombs and reduce the weight first. Remember those who are unable to judge situation properly are never useful in the battle field"


/End of Article No.37

***********************************************

Hoping American patriots have no wrong feeling about this article,
Shinpachi


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## timshatz (Jun 24, 2008)

Good article. Good read.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm relieved, timshatz.
Thank you.


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## eddie_brunette (Jun 25, 2008)

Very good, thank you. I never knew this. I presume the Grummans is F6F's, and I never knew they escorted the B29's, always tought it was the 51's

edd


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## Shinpachi (Jun 25, 2008)

Thank you eddie_brunette for your post.

After the fall of Iwo-jima in March 1945, P-51 joined escort but I've ever heard their flight range was limited between Tokyo and Iwo-jima though I do not know this was true or not.

I was born in Sendai city which was located in the northern district of Japan. about 300km(200miles) far from Tokyo.

My mother witnessed 'Grumman' not P-51 in 1945. She called it 'Kansaiki' meaning 'Carrier based aircraft'.

I believe P-51 was unable to cover this area.


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## eddie_brunette (Jun 25, 2008)

Makes sense, the P51's was stationed at Iwo Jima (correct me if wrong).


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## Shinpachi (Jun 25, 2008)

Hi edd.

Yes, P-51s stationed at Iwo-jima.
The first P-51 arrived at Iwo-jima on March 6, 1945.
Iwo-jima was returned to Japan on June 26, 1968.

Thank you for giving me a chance to check P-51 and Iwo-jima


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## Shinpachi (Jun 26, 2008)

Article No.43 (1 of 2)

Encounters with Noth American P-51
==================================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


On the day, low black clouds were hanging over the sky and I had an ominous presentiment.


We foresaw an air-raid by the small fighter-bombers, not by the large aircrafts like B29, to prepare necessary equipments for the scramble anytime. I didn't ask my radio device adjustment to a ground crew that day but to a private soldier who was a technical specialist in the communication room. This was because not a few improvements were added to the standard Army radio and it would be a burden for a ground crew to maintenance. 

(*The private soldier had been working for an electronic maker as an radio engineer before he was drafted to the military. Age was around 40 then.)


"Sergeant-major T and Corporal M. Come to the communication room immediately" hasty voice of Chief of Communication Room sounded. My brief rest after the breakfast had been blown out.


Streaming out the allied forces' ongoing communications through the radio speaker, a translation soldier was attempting simultaneous translation. General weather informations such as wind-direction, speed, values of bias flow and clouds conditon seemed occupaying the contents. But the last sentence was "An enemy airplane is not found". Normally, this kind of broadcasting-style communication was launched from a certain station but the last sentence let us suspect if this was mere a weather broadcasting. 


"It's 'Tsuyuharai(a guide)'. A guide for the formation!" Sergeant-major suddenly shouted.
"How long has this broadcast been on air?" he asked with a serious look.
"About ten minutes before. I've listened twice. Therefore broadcasting is being repeated every five minutes" Chief of Communication Room replied. It was only Sergeant-major who could understand what it meant. 


In the field of communication technology, a man is said 'an information analyzer with prejudice'.
When a person reaches a conclusion, he or she judges matters being based on his or her own 'information', 'knowledge' and 'experience'. Even when an incident is beyond his or her scale of ability, a person always tends to force himself or herself even to create any conclusion though it is always limited by his or her scale of ability. 

In this point of view, Sergeant-major behaved samely but he hit the right answer. He explained his own experience -

In the southern battle lines, Japanese bases were located on every small islands. Therefore, when the task force or the attack-fighter team of the allied forces came out, there was always a guide aircraft whose role was to observe the Japanese military situation flying sixty miles ahead of the main unit.

In old Japan of Edo(Tokugawa) era, there was also the same system. When a local Load and his soldiers marched between his territory and Japanese old capital Edo, there was always a guide(called 'Tsuyuharai') advancing fifty yards or so ahead.


Then, in the backward of the guide aircraft which was now broadcasting a weather information, there should be a large formation heading to the north, that is, to the mainland of Japan.
"Judging from the oscillograph pattern, this broadcast is being dispatched from a moving object with no doubt" a technical soldier had confirmed.


After the fall of Iwo-jima, the North American P51s of the U.S.army were concentrating on the island.
This aircraft was superior to the Grummans on not only flight-range but armaments. Japanese military was obliged to find it earlier in order to prepare themselves for the coming attack better.


Chief of Communication Room had inquired the headquarters to be advised there was no information about the broadcast yet.
Then, there might be our own choice.


Before Sergeant-major and I met Base Commander to report the broadcast contents which was estimated from a U.S.military reconnaissance aircraft, Sergeant-major instructed Chief of Communication Room, Chief of Ground Crews and a translation soldier the following works - "Chief of Ground Crews to prepare my aircraft for immediate scramble. Translation soldier, if received the broadcast again, to record not only its contents but reception time in GMT(Greenwich Mean Time)".
- in GMT because U.S aircrafts was using GMT. 


Base Commander's order was -
"Take off immediately and reconnoiter their aircraft type, numbers and location.
Our team is not only the team which carrys out the sortie order which was given by the headquarters but we have our own reconnaissance standards that we have researched and developed by ourselves. As for the matter that has even 10percent possibility relating to the enemy's action, I shall take all responsibilities".

To be continued...


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## Shinpachi (Jun 26, 2008)

Article No.43 (2 of 2)

Encounters with Noth American P-51
==================================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


Told to Chief of Communication Room "The U.S. aircraft will be sure to clarify the coordinates value in broadcasting. Please pass it to me immediately if catched" , Sergeant-major and I headed straight down to the south. I didn't forget to bring the "Table of Coordinates Value of U.S. military aircrafts" which we had originally developed. 


About twenty minutes had passed since the translation soldier caught the first broadcasting.
If the guide was a U.S. aircraft despatched Iwo-jima and also swift P51, presuming the cruise speed at 216knots/h, its present position was estimated at around 85miles north of Iwo-jima. The coordinates was also ---.

According to Sergeant-major's opinion, the guide would fly sixty miles ahead of the main unit. Then the main unit would be now making up formation and getting into the level flight. We were flying at altitude 15,000feet. A lot of clouds prevented us from seeing the ocean. 


"The coordinates of the U.S. aircraft has been turned out to be..." the base announced and told us the value.
It was same as our flight route...their usual route of targetting Mt.Fuji.
"Sortie order issued by the headquarters now" the base announced.
We had already been on the far southern ocean then.


If we had relyed on the information which was brought by our radar sites only, we wouldn't have been able to take effective action in the emergency. I was afraid of it. It was true that our military had no enough skillfull staff for the intelligence missions anymore. Intercept system was also getting insufficient.


As time went by, I couldn't calm myself because I was looking forward to the appearance of the guide aircraft, wondering what kind of aircraft it would be.
"The guide aircraft has begun communication with the main unit" the base announced. It also told us that the replies from the main unit were extremely short saying "Yes sir" only.


On alert of being grasped their location by the Japanese military, the main unit seemed transmitting the minimum sentences.
Estimating from the passage of time and the coordinates of the U.S. aircraft as a guide, it was now 60miles ahead of us.
As our plane was also flying at 216knots/h, both aircrafts would encounter in a few minutes.
The guide aircraft had appeared at last.


Through the binoculars, I checked the nose shape. It was not of the air-cooled radial engines.
As we had guessed earlier, it should be "P51" which, mounted with the liquid-cooled engine, was thought deployed on Iwo-jima.
"The guide aircraft now reporting to the main unit he has been discovered" the base announced.
The guide aircraft was observing us maintaining a certain interval.


Sergeant-major advised me that the guide aircraft would never attack us first.
This was not only because the pilot who had to guide the main unit reconnoitering enemy's situation was a veteran but also he must have been ordered to bring the main unit to the destination with no mistake.
As Sergeant-major said, the guide aircraft did not seem attacking us but, frankly, I had a feeling of eeriness which was hard to explain.


"The guide aircraft now advising the main unit 'Fly under the clouds. Make the Japanese airplane difficult to find'" the base announced.


It wouldn't make sence as reconnaissance if we couldn't find the main unit location. Almost ignoring the guide aircraft, we headed further down to the south flying above the clouds but our main target was under them. On calculations, we were to be just overhead the main unit in ---minutes soon. It was our secret flight, flying above the black clouds and under the deep blue sky. We had to take care of enemy's abrupt appearance and attack from inside the clouds below us.


"We will be above the main unit in a few minutes. As we dive into their beneath, grasp the aircraft type and numbers instantly" Sergeant-major said. His tactics sounded pretty artistic. It was no sooner I heard his voice "OK, let's go" than he had made the dive literally. We were just in front of the main unit. Our plane had passed through the U.S. military formation for a second. Crossing Speed was as fast as 270knots/h but I was confident with my dynamic vision. Approximately fifty P51s. The formation's Commander would have so astonished. 


Our plane was immediately out above the clouds, reduced the speed to almost STALL and headed north slowly. 
This was also his tactics. 
Two or three fighters of the formation would be heading to the north with full throttle to chase us now.
Maximum speed of P51 was about 380knots/h. On the other hand, our plane was flying as slow as 100knots/h.
The speed difference was as much as 280knots per hour.
Visual confirmation of our aircraft would be impossible for them in ten minutes at latest.


I reported the coordinates of the main unit along with aircraft type and numbers to the base. Our base now knew their attack target by plotting the coordinates the formation Commander instructed. 

Though present day is said the era of electronic war, in the past, our team did it by using wireless radios. It was a handmade tactics.

(Note by translator: Author was working for the communication company NTT - Nippon Telephone Telegram after the war. His knowledge and experiences have been refreshed era to era)


/End of Article No.43


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## Haztoys (Jun 26, 2008)

Shinpachi--Great info hope you stay around we could real could use the Japanese point of view ..The Japanese point of view is dieing each day as time goes on with the men who were there passing on ...And the ones we have been on here just want to jump up and down about the atomic bomb and how they were wronged and not try to get the Japanese info on paper 

Good to have you and hope you stay...


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## Shinpachi (Jun 26, 2008)

Hi, Haztoys 
Thank you for your warm comments which are really worth my hardships for translation. Yes, please let me stay around here for sometime. There are still a lot of articles to be translated. I don't know how long it will take for me to complete.

Wishing you a happy day,
Shinpachi

Note: Attached image is me with my CG Zero8)


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jun 26, 2008)

Shinpachi, great material. Do not worry about the time it takes to translate. This material is well worth the wait. Good picture also.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 26, 2008)

Thank you Aaron Brooks Wolters for your warm courage.

I wondered how readers in overseas would feel this story which referred to the infamous IJA before posting my first translation. 

However, I could enjoy it very much and tried to think some of the people might be interested too even in overseas.

I'm very glad now.
Thank you


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## Haztoys (Jun 26, 2008)

I do not think you understand Shinpachi...This info is not real out to the westerners..You are one of the first to get it out ...Most Japanese do not want to even bring it up.. We here do not really want to judge the past on what happen on this forum ...We would real just like to get the info preserved before its to late..And there's big holes in the Japanese info ..The Japanese had so much shame after the war they just wanted it to go away..

Good pic of you there.. You need the white head band with the meat ball on it to be a real Japanese fighter pilot..

(Sorry on the "meat ball" statement do not no what the right name for the head band was ...  ...)


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## Shinpachi (Jun 26, 2008)

Thank you Haztoys for your very accurate and heavy comments on how we Japanese have been behaving after the WW2.

Yes, I could feel the same in my father's life style after the war.
Whenever he tried to be proud of how brave he was at the wartime, my mother said "But you lost". He shrugged, smiled and kept silence.

>.......there's big holes in the Japanese info ..
I never thought those holes are so big. Very precious advice.

Please don't ask me Hinomaru-hachimaki(the white head band with the meat ball on it). If I wear it, I must die  

In my frank impression, I can feel the same atmosphere as the guide P-51 aircraft pilot in you. I'm saying this in a good meaning.

I'm glad to communicate with real Americans.
Please keep in touch and look forward to my translation in the future.

Thank you ALL again!


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## Shinpachi (Jun 27, 2008)

Ah I remember such Hinomaru-Hachimaki was popular with Japanese "Easy Riders" thirty years ago 

Image source: ttp://image.blog.livedoor.jp/snow_angel0122/imgs/6/a/6aba70a1.jpg


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## eddie_brunette (Jun 27, 2008)

Antoher good story, thanks alot.
Were they still flying the Ki45/46 when they dove through the 50 P51's? 

edd


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## Shinpachi (Jun 27, 2008)

Hi, edd

Thank you for reading my post and question.
Yes, the Ki-45kai kept flying because it did not crash P-51s fortunately


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## eddie_brunette (Jun 27, 2008)

Imagine the P51 jocks reaction. I read before that one plane can cause hovoc on a big formation. They usally dont know how many planes attack them


edd


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## Shinpachi (Jun 27, 2008)

They usally dont know how many planes attack them
[/QUOTE said:


> That's right. You have a good point of view, edd
> 
> I have been thinking of making a CG movie. I'll put it in my mind.
> 
> Thank you!


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## Wildcat (Jun 27, 2008)

Very interesting posts Shinpachi, thanks again mate.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 28, 2008)

You are welcome Wildcat!
I'm beginning to enjoy posting my work as well as the translations.
I know the translation must be first though.

Thank you and good evening!

***************************************************
I was impressed.
I was impressed more with her efforts to keep flying than I myself had witnessed a real B29.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 30, 2008)

Article No.18

Tracking the Grummans
===================== 
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


On the day, lying clouds were gloomily filling the sky and no winds in the morning. The streamer beside the runway kept pendulous.


My instinct told me that there should be an enemy attack on such a day when the people tended to be careless. I went to the weather forcast room. Checking the weather chart, I asked a staff how the atmospheric pressure positions would be. He advised that the wind would blow stronger as the low pressure on the north would come down to the south gradually. The isobars would crowd out. 


Received a table of random numbers of the day at the cipher office, I went into the communication room.
A communication soldier was struggling on the radio "It's hard to catch. A lot of noise today".
"No way but give up like a today when the radio state is no good but, sorry to say, it is your mission to catch them even under the hard state. Do you know why the state is so bad?" I asked.
"No, I don't know." 


"Radio, especially the shortwave reflects between the ionosphere and the earth surface many times to spread far but the stratocumulus(piling clouds) like today is floating at about 6,000feet high and reflect some extent of radio generating the phase which cause the noise." I explained and added
"I'm guessing a reconnaissance order today. Please catch my signals firmly then."
"Yes, I do my best." 


For the security, I listened to JJY(*JJY is the call sign of a low frequency time signal radio station - by 'wiki research') to adjust my watch. I also checked a transportable long-wave receiver to bring aboard the plane. These preparations were to turn out to be useful afterwards on the day. Something was going on in the officer's room. My partner Sergeant-major came out the room and said "Be prepared for scramble." 


I wished to say "I'm already prepared " but held the words.
He repeated the order [Enemy task force vessels are estimated at ---miles offshore the Boso Peninsula. Confirm their location]. In those days, we had frequent air-raids by the carrier-based aircrafts. 1,000lb (450kg)x2 bombs were loadable to a plane of Grumman plus as many as six 0.50cal(12.7mm) machine-guns were equipped with it to power. I didn't think it should be allowed to shoot the people who were trying to escape on the ground even in the wartime. 
Above all, targeting and shooting the non-combatants was the evidence of malice aforethought and the murder itself.

(*Aboves are author's personal comments from a Japanese point of view as of 1945)


This time Two reconnaissance aircrafts had taken off, flying up into the sky through the thick dark clouds and headed for the south. What we could observe were the clouds after the clouds. Sea surface was little visible. 
Our partner aircraft(*Dinah) had taken a dive to lower altitude under the clouds but my Sergeant-major was maintaining the 15,000 feet above the clouds. I couldn't often understand what Sergeant-majour was thinking. However, thinking the situation well, there were not necessarily no gaps among the clouds - stratocumulus. Sea surface would be visible through any gaps.


Yes, it was visible.
I had found the enemy fleet through a tiny gap. Two aircraft-cariers and a few escort vessels.
When I was sending telegrams to the base, our partner aircraft which was flying lower had been captured by the fleet radar and getting a fierce attack by the anti-aircraft cannons. U.S. war-vessels were equipped with the multi-loadable anti-aircraft cannons, so called 'pom-pom-gun' and enormous numbers of Japanese war-aircrafts were lost. Not a few suicide attack aircrafts(*Kamikaze) were also shot down before they reached to the target vessels.


By the aid of clouds, our plane had had no attack. My Sergeant-major was so cool and circling above the clouds as if nothing happned.


"Thinking the distance to the mainland and flight range of Grumman, Grummans will take off soon. Keep an eye on them." Sergeant-major said. Tiny-look enemy aircrafts were observed taking off their mother carriers one after another.
Circling and making up a formation unit of about ten aircrafts, totally thirty aircrafts in echelon formation were starting to head north toward our mainland.


Lest they should be found by the Japanese radars, they flew at extremely low altitude.
On the other hand, our plane flew so higher to follow and watch them that they was not aware of us at all.


I sent report by the telegram to the base. 
On the occasion of such a good chance to intercept, our communication soldier of the base replied "Radio sensitivity is bad". He requested me repeating the telegram again and again, and again. The communication soldier of the day was quite a poor receiver.


Approaching to the Nojimazaki lighthouse which was located at the south end of the Boso Peninsula, strange to me, the enemy planes had begun to fly tandem with equal intervals. They would be avoiding the capture by our radar sites but I wondered if they were knowing our plane observing them from 15,000 feet high.


By the way, our IJA interceptors were not coming up yet.
What were they doing when we had been tracking the attackers for a long way, roling instead of the radars? 


The line of formation had turned slightly eastward a few miles short of the Nojimazaki lighthouse and, after passing Takatsukayama(Takatsuka mountain) begun flying along the mountain ridges at ultra-low-altitude (approx. 150 feets) as if snaking on the ridge.

The five Grummans of the leading group were very good at snaking the ridge even at such a incredibly low altitude but the rest groups of the formation were flying up and down unstably. For the tailing group, it would be the first time to join the actual mission today. They looked as if baby ducks walking desperately after their parents.


"We'll join their back" said Sergeant-major and had doven.
We had our own position 300yards behind the last Grumman but the pilot was too busy about controlling his aircraft to check the following aircraft behind him.


Our interceptors were not arriving yet anyway.
I sent telegram again to the base. The base reconfirmed everything was OK with the headquarters.


I tapped out the code with the straight key in live(no encryption) style to the base "I'll tell you our flight course in the broadcasing style from now. Catch it well with no mistake." and then, scowling at the landform and the map, I transmitted a crossing point as a landmark. Full concentration to catch the point was requested under the speed of 270knot/h.


I also tried detection of the radio communication of the formation commander. Through the long-wave radio receiver which I had brought in earlier, I succeeded catching and listening their communication clearly but regretly all in Englsih. I was not so good at English then. However, the last word I caught was "Attack a target".


A line of tandem formation had separated into two forward/backward lines as if cut off. The forward lowered the altitude further to almost the sea level and headed for Yokohama crossing the Tokyo Bay. The backward aimed at somewhere in the central part of Tokyo. I could listen "Concentration time GMT ----." 


I had known their concentration time but junction. It would be offshore Boso(*east of Tokyo) or Izu Peninsula(*west of Yokohama). Above Kisarazu area(*there was an IJA airfield) nearby Tokyo, a dozen of our interceptors were flying toward us at last and - our mission was OVER.

I thought that U.S.military was also training 'baby' pilots through the actual missions.
Our winning results of shot-down on the day was seven by intercept, eight by ambush at the south of Tokyo Bay for the concentration time. (*Our lost? not mentioned)


Perhaps veterans survived and new-comers shot down.
Later, our team was awarded and given a testimonial for the contribution but I was not so happy.
If the interception had been much faster, the situation wouldn't be so worse for the both sides.
We could have prevented our ground from the damage by the air-raid and a lot of lives would have been saved.

The other accompanying reconnaissance aircraft which had been shot by the U.S. warships had got an aileron damage but returned to the base safely earlier than us.


/End of Article No.18


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## eddie_brunette (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks, another insightfull story. Interesting to read this:

_"I wished to say "I'm already prepared " but held the words.
He repeated the order [Enemy task force vessels are estimated at ---miles offshore the Boso Peninsula. Confirm their location]. In those days, we had frequent air-raids by the carrier-based aircrafts. 1,000lb (450kg)x2 bombs were loadable to a plane of Grumman plus as many as six 0.50cal(12.7mm) machine-guns were equipped with it to power. I didn't think it should be allowed to shoot the people who were trying to escape on the ground even in the wartime. 
Above all, targeting and shooting the non-combatants was the evidence of malice aforethought and the murder itself.
(*Aboves are author's personal comments from a Japanese point of view as of 1945)"_

I watched *"The Bridge Of No Gun Ri"* on history channel this weeked and was shocked. I wondered if stuff like this actually started in WW2.

edd


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## Shinpachi (Jun 30, 2008)

Thank you edd for your comment.

Yes, I was also taught the Japanese military did many cruel things on the other national peoples and POWs in the ww2 at school. You will know some at the following link
POW Research Network Japan @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ƒz[ƒ€ƒy[ƒWŠÇ—ŽÒFŽO—Ö—SŽ™
US-Japan Dialogue on POWs
???????????????????????????????


I have found my calculation mistakes in the translation -
(The upper is wrong and the lower is right)

my Sergeant-major was maintaining the 1,700feet above the clouds.
my Sergeant-major was maintaining the 15,000feet above the clouds.


I wondered if they were knowing our plane observing them from 1,700feet high.
I wondered if they were knowing our plane observing them from 15,000feet high.


at ultra-low-altitude (approx. 17feets) as if snaking on the ridge.
at ultra-low-altitude (approx. 150feets) as if snaking on the ridge.

I shall correct my post from now.
Sorry!


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## timshatz (Jun 30, 2008)

Shin, two great posts. Liked the tactics the Sgt used with the Mustangs. Pretty slick, smart.


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## Shinpachi (Jun 30, 2008)

Thank you timshatz. I'm glad you've liked my posts.
It encourages me for the next translation


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## kaigunair (Jul 1, 2008)

Shinpachi, great articles! I just found them now, and will continue to watch for your future articles.

I'm nisei and can't read japanese very much at all. Jpn was my worst subject at school. I collect IJN flight gear as well as try to do research. NONE of this stuff is available in english. I appreciate your translations VERY MUCH!!

Doomo Arigatoo Gozaimasu. Tote mo Jiyoozu desu!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 2, 2008)

great articles Shinpachi, please continue!


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## Wildcat (Jul 2, 2008)

Agreed, very interesting stuff!


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## Shinpachi (Jul 2, 2008)

Hi, kaigunair. Thank you very much for your post!
I have fully known now what I'm doing is not so bad.

Ohome ni azukari kouei desu.
Thank you for the compliment.


Hi, Wayne Little, Wildcat!

I always appreciate your warm support.
Thank you.

Thank you ALL.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 4, 2008)

This is really interesting Shinpachi. Keep up the good work.8)


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## Bigxiko (Jul 5, 2008)

nice posts
very interesting


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## Shinpachi (Jul 5, 2008)

Thank you Aaron, Bigxiko.
Your posts have kicked my heavy a-s forward. Thanks 

************************************

Article No.35

Misfire
========
Author: Mr.Teruo Miyoshi 

In all seasonal glory of the spring of 1945 when the cherry flowers looked as if they were racing gorgeous bloomings, the tide of war was all the more surging upon us and there were no major cities in Japan which had not been scorch by the incendiary carpet bombings by the B29s. 


On our way home to the base after a daily reconnaissance mission was over, I couldn't help thinking that our mission had originally been planned to reconnoiter the enemy lines and forces in details so that our forces could make an effective attack on them. This should be a precondition to develop strategies. However, our recent mission was expected contribution to protecting ourselves, not to attacking the enemy, regretly.


When I had just completed my routine mission by sending final report "We home now" to the base, Sergeant-major said
"En route to the base, we'll check our defence system near the Boso for the future references" and flew over the edge of 'Okinoshima'- an offshore island. Altitude was 3,000feet high.


"Can't you see this Sun marking!" Sergeant-major who seldom raged had suddenly shouted in large voice.
We had had friendly shootings form the island.


On the other day before, our Sergeant G's aircraft also had had friendly attack from the ground above the Atsumi Peninsula nearby Nagoya. It would have been unavoidable incident under the circumstances then because he was tracking the B29s in the nighttime but, this time, it was daytime and sky was clear. No one could misidentify the Hinomaru(*painted in red as if a meatball) even with low magnifications of binoculars.


Our plane lowered the altitude to 300feet and I witnessed our friendly Twin Anti-Aircraft Cannon. The caliber would be as big as 30 millimeters. If we had got a shot on the engine, it would stop at once.
"We'll fly at the ultra-low-altitude. Take a picture."


Turning lower to 150feet and passing through their overhead, through my camera finder, I identified one figure who looked like an officer standing at the cannon's side. He was holding up a saber(Japanese sword) over his head.
That man would be trying to shoot down this friendly airplane by any means to delete the evidence that he had not only misidentified the target but ordered firing mistakenly. I wanted to say "Remember a military aircraft reports the situation to the base immediately."
I was sorry for the ground soldiers who were conducted by such a very novice officer. 


Fortunately my Sergeant-major was a man of calm itself. If the pilot had been a short-tempered man, they would have received a volley of a 37mm cannon and a 20mm machine gun altogether. (*the aricraft type seems Ki-45kai 'c'. not 'a' because it had no two 12.7mm guns)


"We've got a friendly fire. Location, Boso Okinoshima. No damage to the aircraft." I reported to the base by A3(*radio phone). A few minutes later, I received a reply "Your report has been passed to the headquarters by way of our base commander immediately."
I felt an atmosphere which would never allow the incident ending like 'that's OK for the incident'.


After landing, a photo processing staff developed my film in a hurry.
We found a student officer holding up his saber with his mouth wide open.
He was identified as a student officer because a gleaming white spot was observed next to his rank badge on the collar.
The gleaming white spot was indicating us a small metal plate in the shape of star and was asked wearing until one's formal appointment as an officer. Probably, the student officer had been shouting "Fire, fire" many times. 


Bringing the photograph and the map, Sergeant-major and I visited the base commander's office to report what had happened.
Sergeant-major explained the course of event as follows logically.

1. Considering the fuel consumption, we normally flew at 15,000feet but, in order to avoid unexpected friendly misfire, we were flying lower at 3,000feet this time when we had had the attack.
(Even at this altitude, any ground soldier or officer with the binoculars could confirm the Sun markings well).


2. In case of an enemy aircraft, a single aircraft never flew at such a low altitude toward north.


3. In spite of having recognized the Sun markings at 300feet which was low enough to see even with the naked eyes from the ground, he did not order to stop the fire.


4. In consideration of aboves, it was natural for us to believe that the island commander(a student officer) might have issued his initial attack order not knowing well the aircraft was a friendly one mistakenly.


5. To the worse, issued the attack order once, he did not take it back even after the target had turned out to be a friendly plane. This action was considered he had apparently attempted intentional shooting-down to cover up his wrong decision for the misfire. 


"It's a laxity of the army regulations. I'll meet Commander at the headquarters face-to-face and state my own opinion." said Base Commander.


Later, I heard that Commander of the headquarters "Lieutenant General Lee" had met Army Minister and told him a desire to act accordingly on this incident, showing the photograph I had taken. Lieutenant General Lee was always gentle and good-natured but was said terribly getting angry then.

(*Lieutenant General Lee was a descendant of the Lee Dynasty in Korea. He was taken hostage to Japan when he was a child. He married a princess Masako of the Japanese Imperial family to be a member of them.)


As it was "Lieutenant General Lee"'s direct request with the Imperial family status, it seemed impossible for the Minister to pacify "In the future, I will try to prevent a recurrence." 


Court-martial was held.
The first reason "Under the circumstances that he was able to idnetify the aircraft even with the naked eyes, he still continued the attack. Referring to the army regulations, there should be no room for considerariton."
The second reason "It should not be allowed to have intended the shooting-down for the purpose of cover-up his misfire."
Court-martial's decision "Vilely act disturbing the army regulations. No room for leniency. Execution by firing squad."


It was said officially treated his execution as "Killed in action" though.


A lesson from this incident was - "self-defensiveness" and "Being afraid of mistake becoming a stain of one's career and a barrier for the future promotion" would not necessarily be advantageous for the military personnel.


I have honestly hesitated to write this former army's shame but, thinking it will also be useful in the modern society, dare to make public as "a story".

Incidentally, there is now Tateyama airbase of the Maritime Self-Defence Forces close to the island where we got the misfire.
It is interesting for me that the airbase has no house numbers and street addresses. (*Note by translator: I do not know well why no addresses interest him so much)


/End of Article No.35


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## Shinpachi (Jul 5, 2008)

I've forgot to attach the engine image.

Ki-45kai-c of reconnaissance version was said mounted with 'Nakajima Homare' engines, not Mitsubishi's.


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## Wayne Little (Jul 6, 2008)

Interesting again...doesn't pay to shoot at friendly aircraft!


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## Shinpachi (Jul 6, 2008)

No, utterly 

I've found a photo of Okinoshima. 
This island is connected to the Tateyama airbase of JMSDF on the beach! 

Photo link:
ttp://img.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1/38/bf/shikisai49131/folder/896670/img_896670_10283723_7?1213192121


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## Haztoys (Jul 6, 2008)

Good stuff thanks for your time it takes to do this ... Rea-con flyer's had real nerve


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## Shinpachi (Jul 6, 2008)

Thank you Haztoys for your thoughtful comment.

As article No.35 belongs to the perfect inside story, I wondered if it would interest readers in overseas.

Not bad? Thank you


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 7, 2008)

Good material Shinpachi. I always look forward to a new post on this thread for the hold my interest. Great photos also. Keep up the good work and do not worry about the time. It is well worth the wait.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 8, 2008)

Thank you Aaron for your kind words.

I must say thank you again because when I checked your last post,
I was in a serious business trouble and I thought I had NO time for the translation.

I tried to forget the trouble and concentrated on the translation.
When I had just finished the translating work, the business trouble had also be ended by itself. A great experience for me.

I'll step forward for the next.

Thank you Bigxiko too
Are you interested in Samurai?
My ancestor was Samurai too. When I was a child, I was banned to show my teeth in front of my parents, to run in the house making a sound and .... forgot. They said it was vulgar!
I can't believe it nowadays absolutely.

Good day everyone!


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## Wildcat (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks again for another interesting read Shinpachi


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## eddie_brunette (Jul 9, 2008)

Another good read, thanks.

Edd


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## Shinpachi (Jul 9, 2008)

You are welcome Wildcat, eddie.

I'll dedicate myself to the translation.
Thank you


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## Shinpachi (Jul 12, 2008)

Article No.80


Forced landing 
==============
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi



Sortie order issued,
[Kashima Nada coastal regions on the north of Cape Inubouzaki are being attacked by the allied forces naval gunfire. 
Search the scale and location of the enemy task force.] and added 
[Sergeant G's plane also to accompany.] The base commander would be knowing that Sergeant G was not fully understanding the whole covering area of our team yet.


If the attack was really by a task force, following air raid by the carrier-based aircrafts was expected. I asked Communication Sergeant to make his best efforts catching the communication of U.S.aircrafts.
Aiming at the Cape Inubouzaki, the two reconnaissance aircrafts took off.


In a few minutes later we confirmed the Cape Inubouzaki below, the attack by the naval gunfires from two submarines at about 3miles offshore was witnessed. This kind of attack was commonly called "harassing attacks".



"We attack them from the right, so request you from their back." I sent the message to Sergeant G and took altitude higher enough not to be seen from the submarines.
However, the U.S.submarines would already be on the high alert about attacks from the air because I could observe the sailors on the deck moving busily from a high distance.


We immediately dove from about 9,000feet to send a cannon volley to the bridge of a submarine.
In spite of the close air surveillance on the submarine, they were slow to find us before the attack. Following was my wonder - Such skills as one could identify if it was an enemy or a friend instantly by viewing a black spot in a point of the sky could be obtained through experiences only. It never be mastered in a short time.
Submarine's crew might be good at it in the sea but not necessarily in the air.


We could see the submarines dove rapidly toward the south well but the figures were out of sight as the depth went deeper. The other submarine Sergeant G attacked had lost the periscope. They would be forced to rely on the compass navigation only. The one my Sergeant-major attacked had left a few sailors who served bombardment in the sea, floating among the waves. As the whole story would have been observed from the coastal fishing village, they would be arrested as POWs sooner or later.


Reporting the situation to the base, I was advised by Sergeant-major
"Tell the base not to inflict injury on the sailors, to use the police telephone to tell a ban quickly to the residents through the local police and village offices."
"We have already arranged the ban before your request. It was the base commander's decision." replied the base.
We had been forestalled.


Warning came from the base.
"Emergency report. Nakajima aircraft factory in Gunma Prefecture has got an air-raid by the Grummans. Analyzing the communications among the U.S.aircrafts, their withdrawal route will be above Tochigi and Ibaragi Prefectures.
We request you to prepare for encounter." and continued 
"Each aircraft seems taking each diffrent withdrawal route. At least TWO aircrafts are flying toward your Cape Inubouzaki."


"I haven't contacted with a Grumman for a long time. I'll try my skill if it's still OK. Change radios to A3(*communication by voice)." said Sergeant-major.
Then a base translation soldier suggested on the radio,
"Shall we surprise the U.S.aircrafts a bit? We have fully caught their A3 frequency and are able to communicate with them anytime. Tell us your message and I'll translate simultaneously." 
"What are you guys thinking about?" asked Sergeant G who had no this kind of mission experience.


"We'll show you our unique performance. Please look that well." I replied but there was no answer from Sergeant G as he would be suspecting what we were going to do.


"Three Ki-84 Hayates from a hidden airfield are now tracking the Grummans." the base reported and added
"Maybe the Grumman pilots don't know our fighters tracking them yet. Two American pilots are showing off their war-results on radio each other. Judging from their intonations, they are talking as if they were already home safely though they are still above the enemy's territory." 


"Shoot them down or capture?" asked me Sergeant-major. I replied
"Here are two armed reconnaissance planes and coming three Hayates. We are to have five fighters against two target aircrafts. It will never be our honor even if we shot the two down. Having close cooperations with the Hayates, let's force them landing if possible." ....."All right."


I asked to the base
"Please ask the Hayates to change A3 frequencies to ours. Also, please tell the Grummans what we say from now by your simultaneous translation."

The leader of the Hayates cut in
"Let me know what begins from now."
"In the cooperation with your three and our two, we attack them first but are going to force them landing finally. Any opinion?"
"Interesting. In these days, all are frustrating things and I feel unwell. We have been chasing the Grummans to refresh ourselves. Let's do it." He seemed much interested.
"OK. Translate and tell the Grummans what I say from now" I asked again the translation soldier of the base.


"Five Japanese aircrafts 'Hayate' are tracking you 6miles behind. Three fighters are also waiting for you above the Cape Inubouzaki." I put pause and added
"If you have the courage of air combat, you fight. We'll opponent. Check how many bullets you have. Fight or surrender. There are two choices."
They kept silence.


Two Grummans were now visible.
They were heading for us.


Sergeant-major attracted them close enough, suddenly went up and turned a somersault to stall, then gave them a volley of machine cannons when they were surprised and tried to escape.
I asked further translation to the base
"Our skill is different from the other Japanese aircrafts' you have ever encountered. As Top Gun, we are the veterans who shot down a lot of your aircrafts. Are you still going to fight?"


Our translation soldier was speaking smoothly and added some false informations about the numbers of our fighters in order to give them a fear.
Three Hayates were surrounding the Grummans and our two planes(Ki-45kai and Ki-46) were staring at them from high above.
They were desperately trying to escape but unable to do so as the Hayates were always ahead to box them.


"They seem having no sufficient bullets to fight and now discussing surrender" advised our translation soldier.
They would have shot almost all bullets to leave few during the air-raid over Nakajima's factory.
Inexperienced young pilots were not understanding that the withdrawal route was still the battlefield.


I asked our translator
"Tell them 'Fly to the direction that I say from now at altitude 3,000feet with speed 220knots.' Never use the coordinates value the U.S.military use. Leak risk expected. Guide them with the East longitude and the north latitude values I will say."


"I have never experienced this kind of tactics before. This will be the first and last for me. We will guide them to our base. Fearing our bluff, they seem having no intention to fight any more and will never shoot me behind. I will lead the way." said the Hayate leader.


"By the way your unit belonging?" he asked,
"We are an intelligence specialist team under the direct control of the 1st Air Force but unable to tell further details as they belong to a sensitive area. I request you to understand." I replied and continued
"In addition, the tactics to cut in the Grummans' communication is our original one. If this was leaked to the U.S.military, there would be obstacles in our future operations. We request you to keep it confidential."
The leader seemed being pretty surprised at such an unprecedented tactics.


Positioning the two Grummans in the midst of our formation, we headed for the direction of Kinugawa of Tochigi Prefecture.
A streamer of the hidden airfield for the Hayates was visible.


Details of the incident would have been reported. There were a crowd of soldiers on the ground.
After landing the Hayate leader, two Grummans followed. As expected, the landing distance of the carrier-based aircraft was short and it looked as if they were dropped on the ground with a thud. 
After all fighter aircrafts landed, our two reconnaissance aircrafts circled above the airfield and swang the main wings a few times to say good-bye. 
We went home to the base.


/End of Article No.80


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## Wayne Little (Jul 14, 2008)

Now thats very interesting, the capture of 2 Hellcats, haven't heard of that before? Thanks mate!


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## Shinpachi (Jul 14, 2008)

Thank you Wayne for your post!
I thought I had been boxed up by the allies at last!

If such records comparison is really possible, it's worth while my having introduced this story.

You are welcome, my friend!


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## JugBR (Jul 14, 2008)

Shinpachi said:


> Hi　ccheese.
> A hard question has come at first!
> 
> I believe that 50percent was 'Chivalry' but the rest 50percent was Sergeant-major's judgment because their mission was reconnaissance. They had to avoid unnecessary fights.
> ...



if the aircraft was clearly unable to operate again, was a very fair decision, otherwise, would be blood for nothing.

but was also a noble act of chivalry in mine opinion, others could shot just to see what happends.

nice texts, its greatests pieces of history !


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## Shinpachi (Jul 15, 2008)

Hi, JugBR.

Thank you for your post.

... I am just merely translating line by line so that the contents can be understood as naturally and logically as possible by the readers in overseas.

I have often not understood Author's full intention well until I interpretted all the paragraphs as a stream because he some times avoids writing a thing directly and replace it with indirect expression, which is a little hard for even a Japanese to understand so soon. 

For example, in Article No.18 (Tracking the Grummans), author did not mention any responsibilities of the communication soldier of the base who was not good at catching the message. He simply mentioned what had happened scene by scene.

I did not notice that he wanted to complain about the soldier's fault until I completed all translation. This may be his Chivaly for the soldier.

Anyway, I'm glad you have taken it in a good way.
Thank you very much.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 15, 2008)

Very interesting story Shinpachi, again, well worth the wait. Keep up the good work.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 16, 2008)

Thank you Aaron for your warm comment with broad-mind!
I've been waiting for it eagerly as I found no exaggerations in the article but frankly wondered if it would be accepted.

I'll go advance.
Thank you!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 16, 2008)

Keep it coming!


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## eddie_brunette (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks again m8, do you know what happened to the Hellcats?

edd


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## Glider (Jul 16, 2008)

I wish we knew the name of the Sargeant Major, he must have been worth his weight in gold.

An excellent series of postings.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 17, 2008)

Thank you Wayne, eddie and Glider.
I appreciate your friendly comments in favor, always.


On Sergeant-Major 
=================
Name: Nobuyuki Takenaka
Age: 28 as of 1945
A graduate of Kumagaya Army Aviation School 

As a Ki-43(Hayabusa) pilot, he joined the Battle of Malaya(around 1942 maybe). Ditched on the sea and injured, he returned to Japan to join the 101st Communication Team later. Dead or alive unknown since the late June of 1945 when he joined the battle in Okinawa.


On the Captured Grummans
========================
I find quite few records about it. Here is a testimony by a grandson of a Navy(not Army) pilot for your reference.

"My grandfather was an IJN pilot and had ever flown a captured Grumman. He said that he was much scared in flight because the control stick was heavy and very hard to control."
URL quoted
ttp://www.warbirds.jp/ansq/1/A2000209.html

Nice day everybody!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 17, 2008)




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## Shinpachi (Jul 19, 2008)

Thank you Wayne for your   

Next article will be a little bit a long story.
Please keep in touch.


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## Wayne Little (Jul 19, 2008)

Waiting!


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## Shinpachi (Jul 20, 2008)

Hi Wayne!
I'm recently busy about searching the captured F6Fs too.

Here are an illustration and a photo
WINGS PALETTE - Grumman F6F Hellcat - Japan

Hope you enjoy


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## Wayne Little (Jul 20, 2008)

Have a short article about this Hellcat, Arawasi magazine Issue 6. if you want to know more?


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## Shinpachi (Jul 20, 2008)

Yes, I want to know more.
You have everything Wayne!


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## Shinpachi (Jul 21, 2008)

Article No.57

Guiding the Special Attackers(1 of 2)
=====================================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


　　　　
Order had come from the base commander,

"Naval aircrafts will carry out a special attack sortie(=suicide attack sortie) being based on the operation plan that our team creates. Create details about the guiding route and the sortie period for them by the end of tomorrow.
Seven members - Chief of Communication Room, Second Lieutenant, Sergeant-major T(my Sergeant-major), Sergeant N, Communication Sergeant, a veteran of translation and Corporal M(me) - are to participate in the plan.
Recall and make use of our earlier attack experience on Iwo-jima which had taken advantage well. Work it out so carefully and do not overlook any tiny matters. That's all."


Our responsibility was so heavy.
Beside deciding the guiding route, we had to create such tactics as it would bring the maximum war-result without failure and with the least risk. We had no sufficient time. The seven gathered to discuss immediately. 


Chief of Communication Room started saying,

"According to the information from our headquarters, target is a large task force including two or three aircraft-carriers.
It will be extremely hard for us to obtain a good result if we take a head-on attack. Success of the surprise attack on the Iwo-jima last time relied much on the factor that we could foresee the U.S.military's activities time to time precisely.
Therefore, this time also, we need to know their activities well and to make such plan that they will never foresee. "


Translation soldier said,

"By analyzing their communications time to time, we can easily know when the carrier-based aircrafts, whatever aircraft type they may be, are exercising the touch-and-go even when they are out of sortie. Before landing on the aircraft-carrier, the aircraft is always told by the carrier her location using the coordinates value. Catching the value, we can grasp their location on the map easily."


Sergeant-major's turn,

"Present location of the U.S.military task-force is estimated 138degrees east longitude, 27degrees north latitude which is equal to the U.S.coordinates value --- (about 300 miles west of Chichijima island). This is the shortest attack course to both Kanto(around Tokyo) and Kansai(around Osaka) areas. Exact location can be grasped each time by the value which Translation Soldier will capture. The touch-and-go exercises may be taken place in the night because it's more difficult for a pilot to land than the daytime. In order to intercept their communications during exercise, we need to detect the waves by the two-staffs-in-position system all through the night.

It will be easier for us to guide the Navy special attackers if we hand them our duplicated chart maps which our team has originally made and is to be newly plotted the latest coordinates value of the U.S.military then. 

However, I guess that the U.S.military who have had a bitter experience on Iwo-jima the other day will be increasing the reconnaissance aircrafts and reinforcing sea-air deployment over the network to strict surveillance. Therefore, if we should encounter any U.S.fighters on the way, as our special attackers are heavily loaded with the bombs, there will be no possibilities for us to win and to reach the target. I believe all success of this operation depends on the flight course to the target"


It was my turn,

"In the last attack on Iwo-jima, we flew down to the south along the line of 150degrees east longitude where their alert level was expected relatively low. This time, they will be expecting our next attack, if comes, from the west and focusing on around the 140degrees east longitude. Our strategy for the U.S.military had better be the same route as the last time again, that is, heading south first. They are believed to be located 30degrees north latitude with the coordinates value --- now. 

When we reach their east line, we will fly further 30miles to the south, then change direction 45degrees to the west(meaning the north-west on the map) and again change direction 45degrees to the north(meaning the north) at the point of 30miles south of the target and keep flying at ultra-low-altitude directly to the target. 

As we are to fly in the reverse airspace to which they do not pay attention so much, I believe the success possibility is high.

Even if we were found by their exercising aircraft, we can oppose to its air-combat as such aircraft will be equipped with the minimum bullets.

Expecting effective war-results, we had better carry out this operation after almost all the aircrafts on the carrier have left for escourting B29s or air-raids on our mianland. They will lose their home to be back after their mission. 

I think the key point of this operation is to grasp their communications promptly and to estimate each position of enemy planes from the passage of time accurately. Also, we need to consider where to refuel our guide aircraft after the operation."


Outline. 

Being based on the above discussion and itemizing the sortie route we suggest with reasons and the sortie period which was thought most effective etc,, Chief of Communication Room and Sergeant-major T offerred the base commander our opinion.

Next day, the base commander gathered us and told,

"Results of Operation Meeting held with the Navy staff at our headquarters are as follows.

1. Operation to be taken place resolutely being based on the plan that our team has formulated.
2. The attackers are nine carrier-borne bomber "Suisei"s(*D4Y4 Judy).
3. Sortie base is "Kisarazu".
4. The sortie period is to be determined by the Navy finally being based on the report that our team intercepts the U.S.military communications.

That's all and I have received a warm word from Commander Lee to be added here - 'It was hardships for your team to formulate a plan for only one day. I was afraid of it being a never-ending discussion but my worry was nothing. I am so glad as to pick up several members who joined the plan for the headquarters. Tell my gratitude to your soldiers. It was really hardships.'"


The plan had been decided now and it had become our major subject whether the operation could get success as well as the blueprint we had drawn.


/End of Article No.57


Story to be continued to No.58.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 21, 2008)

I have been down for over a week now trying to get my new computer up and running. Windows Vista is a disaster. I want Windows XP back. Sorry Shinpachi, had to get that off my chest. More great history, keep up the good work.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 22, 2008)

Thank you Aaron for your friendly post.

My father's generation would never foresee this kind of friendly and openly communications with the Americans and other pre-allied peoples after sixty three years.

Even I myself hesitated posting first.
Thank you for your acceptance and generousity again.

PC sometimes brings unexpected hardships!
My PC had also been infected by an spyware and I was oblidged to reinstall the 'XP' this evening. Two hours wasted.

Now everything is OK. I will continue translation.
Please look forward to next!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 22, 2008)

Good stuff Shinpachi, keep it coming....


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## Wayne Little (Jul 22, 2008)

Shinpachi said:


> Hi Wayne!
> I'm recently busy about searching the captured F6Fs too.
> 
> Here are an illustration and a photo
> ...



This Hellcat (Yo-801) in its damaged condition was photographed in Sept 1945 at Yokosuka air base in Kanagawa Prefecture.

It was an F6F-5 , Bu.No. 71441 White 29 from VF-44 aboard the USS Langley an Independence class Light Carrier.(CVL-27)

The pilot was Lt.(jg) Charles Valentine August, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and crash landed at Kobi, Taiwan on Jan.4th. 1945 during an attack on Japanese positions.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 23, 2008)

Thank you Wayne for your detailed information about the captured F6F-5.
You know anything 

In my impression, the two Grummans IJA captured were buried somewhere in Kinugawa of Tochigi Prefecture. I have ever been to Kinugawa when I was a child as it was famous for hot springs. Mountains area with few residents. Searching the Grummans may become my lifework


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## Shinpachi (Jul 23, 2008)

Article No.58

Guiding the Special Attackers(2 of 2)
============================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


Next day, for more study and discussion on the Army-Navy tie-up tactics, two Navy officers came to visit our team.


Navy Captain greeted first,

"In attacking on the Iwo-jima on the other day, having our bombers guided by your Army's aircraft appropriately, we Navy was able to have big war-results.

This time we need to catch a specific point on the vast expanse of the Pacific but the plus/minus amplitude captured by our radar survey is so large that it is hard for us to specify the location precisely. 

As you may know, the special attackers are requested to load the maximum bombs. Thereore, their fuel-bullets loads are kept the required-minimum inevitably. Accordingly, they are often unable to carry out the mission by the U.S. fighter's interception or out-of-fuel 10 or 20miles short to the target in spite of their finding the target well.

Provided a guide aircraft of your team leads us to the location of the U.S. task force not being found by the U.S. aircrats and accurately as well, I believe it is possible for us to completely fulfill the original mission."


The base commander replied,

"I am interpretting this special attack as an unavoidable extreme one on tactics for myself, while there still remains unconvinced. Under the present circumstances we are outnumbered by the enemy, no other tactics may be thinkable but I personally do not necessarily agree with such elevated tactics in the fight head-on. 

However, I would like to show my respects for your subordinates' resolution to face to the jaws of death in high spirits. I find no way but pray your mission being resulted in a complete success."


Navy Captain said,

"Thank you very much. We will do our best so that we can meet your expectations." 


We began discussion about the following points in details - concentration point soon after the sortie, altitude and cruising speed, radio fequency, blockade of radio transmission on the way and how to read our team's map which was showing the coordinates etc. 


About the concentration point, we decided our junction above offshore the Boso Peninsula around the time when we confirmed the carrier-based aircrafts left the carriers and reached the west of Aogashima of Izu Islands on the 33degrees north latitude. 


Therefore, we had to capture the communications that were exchanged between the U.S. fleet and the aircrafts accurately and never fail to take a good opportunity. 


If their carriers had been sunk or flight deck was greatly damaged, when the aircrafts was back home to the carriers after the completion of air-raid, their landing was impossible. In order to adopt the "kill two birds with one stone" tactics, grasping the passage of time firmly was our top priority.


Early next morning when it was still dim, we heard a big voice of a translation soldier,
"U.S.planes are just about to take off."
Information was immediately transferred to the headquarters through the base commander. We also prepared for takeoff and waited for the time went by. Our sortie must be done after all U.S. aircrafts left the carriers. We were waiting for it and the passage of time was felt extremely slow.


Encouraged by all soldiers of the base "Ganbare(meaning 'Do the best')", we flew toward the junction to meet the Navy planes.
All what we could do was only to carry out the operation according to the original plan and obey the fate.
While I was wondering "How are they special attackers feeling now, grasping their control stick", our plane had reached the junction. Nine "Suisei"s were waiting for us in three formations.


Sergeant-major told them on radio,
"My plane guides you. Follow me 30miles behind according to the planned course as the coordinates show."

"Understood."
Reliable voice of the leader responded.

Flying parallel with the hindmost aircraft of the formation, I saluted to the pilot. He returned his salute to me with a smile and it had shaken my soul unexpectedly. Saluting one plane by one plane for a farewell, I wondered why such promising young men around twenty years old got to be dead in a hurry. I couldn't find answer.


Liquid-cooled "Atsuta" engine was originally mounted on the carrier-borne bomber "Suisei" but it was often out of order. Therefore, the Navy requested a maker to modify "Suisei" for the air-cooled engine and adopted it as Type 33. As a result, performance had got slightly lower but utilization got improved so much that the necessary quantity of aircrafts to carry out military operations could be supplied. As a series mounted with air-cooled engine, type 43 was also manufactured. This model had no rear seat and one 800Kg bomb was loadable in the bomb bay. Abandoned the homing direction radio device and the rear turning gun turret for simplification, it was newly added bulletproof equipments to the cockpit. Therefore, Type 43 looked as if it had been designed for the purpose of special attack only.


Increasing altitude from the south of actual location of the U.S. task force, I observed a large task force through the binoculars. One Essex-class and two Yorktown-class aircraft-carriers with the cruisers for escorting and the destroyers. They were totally ten vessels at least. If they were serious about a sudden raid on the Japanese mainland now, what kind of rusults should we expect.


I contacted with the leader of the special attackers on radio,
"The coordinates value ---. We found the enemy task force. We will observe at high altitude. You may rush."


"Grateful for your guide. I wish your safe homing." replied the leader.


Adjusting our transportable radio device which was assembled by our base soldier of technology to our Navy's frequency(A3 radio phone) and also using the shortwave for the communication with our base, I reported the scale of the U.S. task force and the rush by special attackers was just about to begin. Our Naval base would be catching them too.


The leader ordered at last,
"Target. Three aircraft-carriers. All follow me."


All attackers rushed in forming a line of tandem at ultra-low-altitude.
It had to be a line to make the target smaller for the anti-aircraft cannons.


The leader was rushing aiming at the bridge of a carrier. He was going to attack the controll center of the ship. Shot to fire on the engine, he kept flying straight and crashed the bridge. Immediately after the explosion, I heard on radio his final shout "Woooh!" then "Mom!" and the rest was silence.


Next attacker had penetrated through the flight deck. Bomb fuse was specially designed to explode after the break-through. Pillar of fire and black smoke blow out. It looked as if inferno.


"Attacker No.3. Name---. Now rush."
The third pilot rushed into the rear-side of a carrier. It would be an engine room.


I heard "Emperor Forever" too but the voice "Mom" was sticky to my head.
Listening to their voice which was coming in one after another, I reported every details of the ongoing war situation and results to the base.


All young pilots who just saluted me with a smile earlier had gone.
Tears streamed along my cheek and my hitting the telegraph key tended to pause. One of the nine attackers had been downed by a volley of Pom Pom cannons regretly but three aircraft-carriers were badly damaged or crippled after all. That was our war-results.


'War is a dog-eat-dog or kill-or-be-killed but, now that we have actually witnessed the special attack in front of us, we cannot help wondering who ordered this kind of tragic attack', 'Does the person who ordered this operation have such spirit of the special attack too?' Sergeant-major and I had exchanged conversation like this later.

I never wanted to witness such a cruel and merciless scene again from the bottom of my heart. Never.


/End of Article No.58


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## comiso90 (Jul 23, 2008)

Thankyou very much Shinpachi. I need to dedicate time to read all your posts... I'm a little behind. 
I'd curious to know if there were anyway way to ID the sub that surfaced and to track down anyone who remembers the same incident..

Your work is very much appreciated!


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## Shinpachi (Jul 24, 2008)

Hi comiso90!
I'm so glad you are interested in my posts.
Thank you very much.

Yes, I want the IDs too because we can know more historical backgrounds with them. 

I'm researching action records of Gato-class submarines as I've found several subs of the class were frequently acting near the Japanese mainland in 1944-1945.

I'm also tracing testimony of the local residents around Kashimanada of Ibaragi Prefecture.

image link: ttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/USS_Mingo%3B0826106.jpg


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## timshatz (Jul 24, 2008)

Very good post. Good read.


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## Wayne Little (Jul 24, 2008)

great work again Shinpachi, thanks....


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## Shinpachi (Jul 25, 2008)

Thank you timshatz, Wayne for the warm comments.

I've also ever heard of the last word "Mom!" on a Kamikaze movie about fifty years ago when I was a little boy. 

I thought it was impossible for a grownup man - a brave military man to say such a word as if he had been a little boy.

I now, over fifity, believe twenty years old was still a boy!

Next story will be "Attack on Iwo-jima(precisely 'Attacking on the U.S. military airfields of Iwo-jima')".
It's a further longer story ranging three articles (Tears for me )

Please look forward!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 26, 2008)

looking forward to more....


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## Shinpachi (Jul 27, 2008)

Thank you Wayne for your encouragement, always.

To save my translation time and make it quicker, I am not a man who always goes straight alone and I have been testing many translation tools such as - Google, Yahoo, Alta-Vista, IBM's and our local's excite, Infoseek, @nifty, OCN etc. as many as I'm bored enough.

There is no satisfactory one at all.

Checking our very local sites recently however, I'm beginning to find some *SANE* tools! Check the translation results in comparison the attached image shows. You could know what the sentenses mean in a few boxes naturally.

Original Japanese sentenses meant - As a result, more bombs were loadable(to B29s) and, from the beginning of April 1945, long-range P51 fighters were beginning to be deployed on Iwo-jima as an escort fighter.


Let's hope in the future 

image site:
10???????????????????


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## Wayne Little (Jul 28, 2008)

Well that's an eye opener....I have tried the net to translate some japanese stuff and, for the most part was confusing to read but you could get only a general meaning.

Your example simply confirms this...


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## Shinpachi (Jul 28, 2008)

Thank you Wayne. You have kindly verified the tools.

I understand it's too early to rely on such tools entirely.

Here is my gift image for you, the sixth rib of N1K2J.

It's my work


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## Wayne Little (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks mate! good work....got a few Shiden-kai kits to build....


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 29, 2008)

Again Shinpachi, great work. It is much appreciated and very interesting.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 30, 2008)

Thank you Wayne.
You have soon understood Shiden-kai by the N1K2J 
It's Great always. No words frankly 


Thank you Aaron for your acceptance of my introduction of those articles on the thread.

There may be coming up another testimony about Kamikaze pilots which was introduced by another IJA pilot, not Mr.Miyoshi. I can't recall if it was a writen one or simply introduced on a TV program. He said that, including himself, not a few Kamikaze pilots of IJA survived because of engine trouble but it was not officially announced by the Army as they had been to die. I'm checking exact source.

Please enjoy my CG for sometime.
Thank you and Good Day


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## Wayne Little (Jul 31, 2008)

very nice!! Looks great mate!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 2, 2008)

Thanks Wayne. Here is coming new article 

********

Article No.46

Attacking the U.S. military airfields of Iwo-jima (1 of 3)
=========================================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi 


After the Battle of Iwo-jima(Feb-Mar 1945), the U.S.military had improved those old Japanese Kita(meaning the North), Motoyama and Chidori airfields and began to use them for emergency landing and refueling B29 bombers which were carrying out air-raids on the Japanese mainland. 

As a result, more bombs were loadable to them and, from early April 1945, long-range P51 fighters were also beginning to be deployed on Iwo-jima as an escort fighter.


B29s had not been able to carry out daytime raids until they were escorted by P51s. Because P51 had more powerful air combat capability than carrier-based F6F, B29 was able to concentrate on targeting better than before and had improved accuracy of bombings. On the other hand, P51s, beside escort missions, carried out their own local bombings as well as gun fires across their enemy country. The suburbs of urban areas were also not safe places for us any longer.


In early April, the base commander gathered all the members of the base.
(He always tried to let all the members, including even a private, know all necessary informations about the ongoing operation and mission). 

Outline of the order he had received from the headquarters was explained as follows.

"The Defense Forces Headquarters are to create an attack plan against the occupied airfields of Iwo-jima as a joint IJA-IJN operation. I have been ordered to join the work as a strategic planning staff by our headquarters earlier.

This was because our special efforts for early grasping the enemy flight routes and intercepting the communications of their aircrafts etc as other teams cannot carry out have been highly evaluated. This is the request by our headquarters saying 'We request you and your team to participate this operation'.

Not so many staff officers in the headquarters, except Commander and a few personnel, know our team's secret missions very well. If there is anything we need to let them understand in particular, say it now."


Sergeant-major addressed his opinion,
"We are not informed of the outline of operation plan and what type of aircraft will be used yet but I think the Navy's heavy bombers will be more suitable than our Army's. I'm afraid that our pilots are not so familiar with a guess-flight which relys on a compass on the ocean.

Also, here are two major problems.
The biggest one is our mutual code books are different.
Accordingly, under the present circumstances that we have no sufficient time to integrate them at all, we need such able telegraph operators who can send and receive as fast as a hundred twenty letters of the Morse code in raw text for a minute. 

At that speed, it will be too fast for a U.S.military radio soldier to catch them perfectly even if it is a raw text.

The other is our Army is adopting different numeric coordinates from the Navy. We must think how to solve and unify them. That's all."


In case of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force today, I heard that an excellent pilot is requested nothing but to concentrate on the superior air-combat skills. He is not being bothered with such technical differences among the forces anymore. In the former military, technical issues were not consistent. 


Chief of Communication Room suggested,
"P51s being deployed on Iwo-jima are estimated more than fifty. If we may adopt a head-on attack, our heavy bombers, even if they are escorted by their fighters, will easily fall a victim to the P51s and unable to obtain the performances we expect with no doubt.

Accordingly, if our bombers takeoff to sally shortly after the P51s takeoff for their air-raids on our mainland and we reach the airspace of 150 degrees East longitude 30 degrees North latitude where the U.S.military patrol is relatively low and also 

take the ultra-low-altitude flight, avoiding the enemy radars, toward Iwo-jima and DO carry out bombings against those targets of runways, communication facilities, fuel storage tanks plus remaining P51s under maintenance if any at once, 

Homing P51s after mission and B29s under emergency if any will be placed in the state of no landing.

Flight range of a P51 is nominally 2,100miles. Provided the round distance between Tokyo and Iwo-jima is 1,600miles and their duration of flight above our mainland is about sixty minutes, they are to fly as distant as about 1,900miles.

When they sally, they are fully armed with the maximum bullets and bombs. This means they are fuelled with the minimum gallons to cover the round course plus two hours or so flight at most.

Homing P51s will be unable not only to land the island but to fly further to Saipan or Guam which are located more than 600miles away. They will have no choice but ditch on the sea or land by the parachute abandoning the plane.

Even if all the U.S.fleets around Iwo Jima were mobilized for the rescue of those pilots, the probability they can save would be less than fifty percent.

The supplement of new aircrafts will be easy but, when we take it consideration that a military needs five years at least to train the new expert pilots, I think we can give them a big blow. 

In any case, if we do not perform the operational examination completely with the Navy in advance, this operation will be resulted in failure. That is all." Then added, "In addition, we can identify easily which the radio communication comes from, B29 or P51, when they have transmitted the wave soon after each take-off."

.........

Base Commander concluded,
"Everybody's opinions are very useful. I will try to reflect them fully in the operation meeting at the headquarters. Thanks guys. Remember we make this matter a secret treatment. That's all."


The suggestion by the chief of communication room sounded as if a thief tactics. However, if we should take the honest head-on attack against the island, only the vain damages were expected. This was a peculiar tactics but convinced us. 

By the way, when the chief had been campaigning at the southern front of the Pacific, the U.S.military had also been developing the operation like this. 

Points were to grasp the precise period when P51s took off and to judge their exact numbers from their A3 radio communications. This was extremely important. If our count on their take-offs were not close to all the aircrafts on the island, furious resistance by the U.S.fighters would be expected then there.

Another point was interception by the carrier-based fighters was also expected if enemy carriers were deployed in the neighboring waters of Iwo-jima. Our stay in the sky above the island had to be limited within forty to fifty minutes at longest. Otherwise, the carrier-based planes would chase to attack us.

Specialists at the headquarters would make up tactical details anyway but I was excited too much to sleep that night.



/End of Article No.46

Story to be continued to No.47


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## Wayne Little (Aug 3, 2008)

Good stuff!...please continue....


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 3, 2008)

Great work Shinpachi. Enjoy reading it.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 3, 2008)

Old allies enjoy a story of thief operation by one of the old axis.
Good days have come at last!

Thank you Wayne and Aaron


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## Shinpachi (Aug 8, 2008)

Article No.47

Attacking the U.S. military airfields of Iwo-jima (2 of 3)
=========================================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi 


Two days after the operation meeting had been held at the headquarters, our base commander gathered again all the members of the base.


“From now, I'll tell you all the details of our sudden attack operation on the Iwo-jima which I have explained you before. Flight crews and communication soldiers to take note.”

1. Attackers are nine Navy Type 1 land attackers (*G4M2 Betty) as bombers and they gather in the naval Kisarazu base.

2. Escort fighters are twelve Navy Type 0 fighters (*A6M5 Zeke) with external fuel tanks attached.
(Regular tanks capacity: 525litters. Additional tank: 330litters)
Each four will escort a formation of three bombers. 

3. Formation leaders of the naval bombers and fighters group will visit our team tomorrow to discuss further details and to intend the consciousness unification lest we should overlook anything on the operational accomplishment.
Therefore, Chief of Communication Room to prepare the necessary data concerning how to capture P51s. 

4. Concerning the coordinates issue, values which our team has originally developed are to be used.
Sergeant-major T to explain in details lest there should be any inconsistency.

5. Aircraft of Sergeant-major T to guide the bombers making use of your good experience about monitoring the trend of the U.S.aircrafts and to verify their war-results. 

6. Aircraft of Sergeant N to assist Sergeant-major T and to prepare for an unexpected incident.

7. To use the long-wave and the medium-wave as common radio frequencies.
To use the short-wave for communication with our base only (as it was scarcely used by the Navy).

8. Radio contacts to be carried out by the high-speed communication in raw text style.
We have no other choice because it is difficult on consistency to integrate the both forces' different telegraph codes.

Also, radio dispatchments from the naval planes are banned except the leaders or any in emergency. 
Frequent dispatchments will bring a wonder at the U.S.military side.

9. Junction with the naval aircrafts is --miles offshore the Boso Peninsula.

１０. Call-signs for Army. "Plum one" and "Plum two". Official signs never to be used.

１１. Call-signs for Navy. "Cherry one" for the leader of bombers. "Cherry two" for the leader of escort fighters.

１２. Our route for the south is along the 150degrees line of the east longitude. At the 24degrees of the north latitude, we turn to the west at ultra-low-altitude and aim at Iwo-jima directly.

１３. Exact attacking targets have already been examined by the Navy side.

１４. Aircrafts of Sergeant-major T and Sergeant N to be refuelled at a naval base of Haha-jima on the way home.

Aboves are all. Is there any question?”　


I asked,
"Studying a range of their past air-raids by the U.S.military, we can know that they are making full use of detailed tactics of bombing/attacking. Besides, on the rescue of crew, they are setting up a broad network in the sky and sea.
For our operation this time, I believe that our naval flight crews are the best of the bests selected among the Navy's. 
Then, how is our rescue plan for these precious crews in case?"


Base Commander answered,
"We had discussion about that point too. In consideration of large influence by frequent appearances of U.S. submarines in Japanese waters, we are to deploy a life boat in the south of Hachijo-jima island. In addition, it has also been decided to dispatch a patrol plane from a naval base of the Boso Peninsula in case."


Next day, two Navy officers(*leaders) came to assure the consciousness unification.
I was also permitted attendance in the form of hearing.

Lieutenant junior grade asked,
“How do you grasp the takeoff of P51s?” 

Chief of Communication Room replied,
"When they take off, they always transmit radio wave individually to adjust sensitivity. So, we capture and observe the ripple mark to estimate almost how many they are. Also, their leader issues instruction to his subordinates soon after they have united formation and reached cruising speed. By catching it, we can know their direction, route and others. Our English translation soldiers are intercepting under twenty-four-hours system."

Lieutenant junior grade asked,
“How do you judge their aircraft type?” 

Chief of Communication Room explained,
"In case of B29, letter V is attached to the head of each squadron number and they use the Morse code to adjust their radio equipments. Therefore, we can judge the other radio phone communications are belonging to fighters. 

In addition, identifying which they took off, a carrier or land, can be estimated by interpretting their communication contents."

Lieutenant junior grade asked,
"We heard that your team had solved the coordinates values the U.S.military use. How did you do it?"

Assistant Second Lieutenant for Chief of Communication Room replied,
"We searched to find the datum point for their coordinates and applied it with the actual values that they use to elucidate."

Lieutenant junior grade was convinced,
“We heard summary about your team from your base commander in advance and now fully understood that your main missions are rather intelligence activities than being called a reconnaissance team. We do request your cooperation in order to succeed this operation."

For the rest of time, we had discussed more other details so that both forces could unite efforts in the duty execution. 


My number of sortie times for patrolling and searching exceeded a hundred times since I had been assigned to this team in June 1944. But when I thought of the seriousness of the mission we were about to sally this time, I wondered if I woould be able to give a hundred percent power as expected.

I knew that this would be an opportunity for me to test myself but I had often been unable to think anything at all before the sally.

The face of a translation soldier who were intercepting the U.S. communications days and nights also looked a little cramped. 

However, the person who were becoming nervous most would be Chief of Communication Room. 
Whenever he had time, he had chats with Sergeant-major T frequently and I felt it was to quiet the surge of his heart.

Four days after we had discussion with the Navy, a translation soldier had shouted,

"P51s get ready to take off!" 


/End of Article No.47
Story to be continued to No.48


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## Wayne Little (Aug 8, 2008)




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## Shinpachi (Aug 8, 2008)

Hi Wayne. Thanks for your  
No.48 will follow soon as it's short.


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## Wayne Little (Aug 8, 2008)

Good stuff, looking forward to it!


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## Wildcat (Aug 8, 2008)

Very interesting reads mate. I look forward to the next one. Cheers.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 8, 2008)

Nice work Shinpachi. Very interesting. Keep up the good work.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 9, 2008)

Here comes Article No.48.
Thank you Wayne, Wildcat and Aaron for pushing me ahead.

**************

Article No.48

Attacking the U.S. military airfields of Iwo-jima (3 of 3)
=========================================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi 


The information was reported to the base commander from the chief of communication room.


As we had been ready for the sally anytime, two planes took off immediately aiming straight at the scheduled airspace where we were to encounter with the Navy planes.


Flying along the coast line of Uchi-boso, we had reached above the ocean.
Nine Navy Type 1 land attackers, forming three formations by the 3, and surrounding twelve Navy Type 0 fighters were visible in front of us.


I sent message to them by the high speed Morse code,
"Fifty and more P51s took off their base. Fly south targetting the coordinates --. Follow thirty miles behind us."
Instant reply had returned "dot-dash-dot(Understood)." I thought the naval radio crew aboard was good skilled.


Distance in a straight line between Tokyo and Iwo-jima was as far as 780miles but our distance would be as longer as about 810miles because we were taking a detour course from the east.


We couldn't relax even a moment for three hours to our final target.
If the P51s were heading for the north on the same route as we flew, this game would be over soon. We had to go south taking care lest we should be found by them.


I contacted with our base to ask,
"This is Plum One. How is their course?"
"We have failed to catch their first coordiantes value."
"Raise the radio volume more and catch it well." I told it in almost order-tone and waited for a while.


"It has been turned out to be the coordinates --" the base reported.
The value was meaning that they were flying about 125miles west of us. The game had not been over yet. We had succeeded in passing each other not being found.


For the rest of the course, we only had to fly lest we should be found by other enemy reconnaissance aircrafts and vessels. I telegraphed that to our Navy planes behind. Usually, it was not easy to tap the straight key by the right hand with the left hand bringing the binoculars but I felt little tiredness that time.
　　

As we had reached the coordinates-- where we were to turn to the west, I told it to our Navy planes behind and we lowered altitude down to the almost sea level in order to avoid enemy's search by the radars and accelerate the speed to the Iwo-jima straightly.


"Critical moment now begins. Take it carefully." Sergeant-Major encouraged me. Courage sprang out. Iwo-jima was visible.


"You may rush. We will observe at high altitude." I telegraphed to the Navy planes and our Army planes raised altitude to 15,000feet.


A vessel which looked like an enemy was seen to the far horizon but it didn't look an aircraft carrier at least fortunately. Our naval bombers were rushing into their respective targets as scheduled and type 0 fighters were giving volleies of gun fires against the anti-aircraft gun positions on the island. Everything was observed clearly.


Explosion of the powder magazine was not observed yet.
It was no sooner I wondered if it might be placed in the underground trench which Japanese Army had constructed than two terrible pillars of fire blew up. Bombs hit the right target. 


Holes were observed everywhere on the runways. They would not be useful for sometime. An aircraft under maintenance were burning fiercely.
It was a spectacle I had never seen before.
I reported our base every details of the ongoing situation time to time.


"All bombs hit the targets. We head for the coordinates -- from now." Navy leader told me.
As I replied "Understood", I also sent telegraph to Sergeant N,
"Withdraw. Junction Coordinates --" 


We had joined the naval group again.
I checked the number of naval planes. No missings.
I sent report to the base again immediately,
"Attack completed. Our planes all safe." and requested to report us the junction of the P51s who were currently on their air-raid mission above our mainland upon turned out.


There had been fortunately a quite large distance interval with them on our way to the island but unknown on our way back. We couldn't relax yet.


Our base reported,
"P51s junction offshore Izu peninsula. Coordinates --. Concentration time GMT----."
I checked it on the map. They seemed taking the almost same route as they had done.


I instructed our Navy planes,
"Home on the same route as you did. U.S. planes are flying down to the south offshore Izu peninsula." and added,
"Change radio to A3(*radio phone)."


I asked my Sergeant-major,
"Do you have anything to tell the Navy planes?"
"I'm OK. You tell them anything." he was shy and modest about official speech.


Voice of naval Lieutenant junior grade came in abruptly,
"This operation would not have succeeded if there had not been all of your team's support. Thank you very much on behalf of our all crews."
It had been said first. 


"It was a hardship for each other. Our two planes drop in Haha-jima island for refueling. We pray the good fortune of war in the future for you all."


It was about 14:00 we arrived at Haha-jima. 
As I had left our base at 0700 without taking a breakfast, I was so much hungry before I would say I was tired. Feeling hungry would be an evidence I relaxed at last. I asked a soldier on his cooking duty some rice-balls(*onigiri) and ate them with pickled radish(*takuan).
They were so delicious for me as not to explain in the words.

I cannot forget the taste, really.


/End of Article No.48


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## Wayne Little (Aug 9, 2008)

Another great article Shinpachi, Thanks!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 9, 2008)

You are welcome, Wayne.
I relax now to have completed the three articles translation as a story.
Thank you friend


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## Wayne Little (Aug 10, 2008)

No worries mate...take a break and relax!

Beautiful A6M5 Zero!


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## Wildcat (Aug 10, 2008)

Great article mate and nice Zero too!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 10, 2008)

Thanks friends, always


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 10, 2008)

We do not mean to push. Take your time because it is well worth the wait. Again, great material. Keep up the good work Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 11, 2008)

Thank you Aaron for your warm words again.
Yes, this story is still very interesting for me as I can see the soldiers' faces in my mind clearly.

Author was writing somewhere that Sergeant-major was tall and his physique was sturdy. He was silent and had an atmosphere that a stranger couldn't say Hello easily. Author once tried to pretend a Sergeant-major after the war. He was considered 'gone mad' to quit soon.

Please look forward to my future translations.
Nice day, friend


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## Tao-san (Aug 11, 2008)

Excellent set of articles, I've really enjoyed them.
Thank for translation Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 11, 2008)

Pleasure is mine, Tao-san 
Your words "really enjoyed" encourage me for the next translation.
Thank you for reading!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 16, 2008)

This article contains two stories - one is about aircraft engines and the other about his encounters with Lockheed P-38 for the second time. I didn't recall untill almost completed translation his first time encounter was described in No.44 which shall be translated on the other day.

Please enjoy.

*********************************

Article No.92

A U.S. military aircraft of losing his way
=============================
Author: Mr.Teruo Miyoshi


A military aircraft engine had as many as twelve to eighteen cylinders a kit generally, though the number was different by the type, and it was quite a hardship for a maintenance soldier to start it smoothly.

Type 100 headquarters reconnaissance plane(*Ki-46 Dinah) of Sergeant N(Nakatani) was equipped with an electric-inertia starter(*a self-starter) on the rear end of the engine but the compression ratio was so high(*7.0) that the crank was heavy to rotate. Then, the maintenace soldier was frequently obliged to rotate the inertia starter by his hands.

This was not unusual because the battery size was designed smaller to reduce its weight for an aircraft and had no enough capacity to cover both the starter and the other electric systems like radio equipments etc. As full activation of the starter had shortened the battery life, hand operation on the inertial starter was exclusively used.

A rolling handle called "Tenpa" was connected to the starter. Flywheel rotation inside the starter was amplified to two hundreds times in speed by the "Tenpa" rotation. When the rotation of "Tenpa" reached 100rpm, that is 20,000rpm of flywheel, the clutch was released by hand to protrude and connected but the impact was so considerable that the starter was often borken. It was broken because the starter was designed vulnerable to protect the engine. I heard so.

Therefore, in preparation for scramble, even when no sortie was expected, a maintenance soldier was to start engine to warm it every two or three hours. From our present point of view, unthinkable know-how was required.
In addition, in case of the radio equipments whose power-supply was designed to rely on the dynamo of the engine, as voltage was unstable and the electromagnetic influence of spark plugs and dynamo was large, noise was generally terrible on the radio phone above all.

"Radio phones of our military aircrafts were little useful" was writen in postwar publications but it was still possible to eliminate most of the noise by attaching 'spark-killers' to the engine and also adopting an independent battery as power supply. By the way, our team's aircrafts were improved so as not to be influenced with the electromagnetic influence. 

The upper echelons of our Japanese military would be making light of the radio as an equipment for the military aircrafts. This was true because they did not even know that YAGI antenna had been invented by a Japanese when it had already been put in practical use in Europe and America.

.....................


Now, Sergeant-major and I took off for a regular reconnaissance in early rainy morning on a spring day. Order on that day was -
"Frequent appearances of U.S. fighters on our Shonan region(*west of Tokyo) have suddenly increased recently. As a demonstration of our forces, patrol the off-coast area ranging from Izu peninsula to Irago-misaki of Atsumi peninsula(east of Nagoya). "

The radar which was newly equipped with our aircraft had captured a shadow of a flying aircraft about 60miles ahead. It was heading for the west. Judging from the fact that single plane was flying to the west, it would probably be a U.S.military plane. In addition, it was flying very slow and did not seem heading for any firm destination. If it had been our friendly plane, it should have taken a course along the coastline with the land in a pilot's vision.

I asked the base,
"Any information?"
"We have been intercepting a series of frequent callings by a radio phone for ten minutes. Sender is asking a reply to his accompanying aircraft but no response." our translation soldier reported.

I had instantly understood to hear the report,
"This aircraft shadow on the radar screen is the same one as the radio phone sender."

Raised altitude to 15,000feet, we headed for the west with the full throttle immediately. Target was visible. A P38 Lightning fighter of twin booms.
It was just turning to the east at altitude 15,000feet and approaching to us to encounter.

However, he was not shooting us.
When I was thinking doubtfully "Strange. Why not?", Sergeant-major said 
"No bullets after the air-raid on somewhere. Possibly."

In the state of gazing at each other, the two planes were circling. Then, I had happened to think one thing and took contact with our translation soldier of the base to try.

"Can you transfer what I say from now to the U.S.military aircraft by your simultaneous translation?" I asked.
"Yes, I can do it as we have ever done before. I will do it well enough not to be noticed our relay. Over."

I had begun,
"Why are you single plane hovering on the ocean like this?"

P38 pilot,
"......."

"If we had been going to shoot, you would have already been in the ocean now. I want to know why. In cases, we'll shoot or capture you. You have three minutes to think." 

Our translation soldier was speaking with a dignified voice as if an experienced senior soldier was speaking. It had brought a little effect.

"I'm searching a missing plane of my team. He didn't come up to the junction. I don't want being captured. You may shoot me now." 
replied the P38 pilot.

I imagined that he must be a formation leader.

Sergeant-major said to me,
"OK. He is good. His courage exceeds their ordinary young pilots. He worries about his boy and searching but his efforts will be resulted in vain above such a wide ocean like this. He must be an officer and one of the veterans who have fought through the air combats with the German fighters at the front in Europe. Get me your microphone." 

He had begun to talk to the pilot,
"I admire your courage. I neither capture nor shoot. Instead, please let me know your base, squadron, mission purpose today, your name, rank and service number."

The P38 pilot responded, 
"My base and squadron are confidential and I can not tell. I am Captain ---. I have led my squadron today to scout the Shonan region and inland. Other four completed mission and have returned home but the youngest pilot's plane is missing. So, I'm searching for him on radio. My guns seem having trouble on wiring." 

Judging from his intonation, he did not seem being disturbed. I felt that he deserved a squadron leader. 

Sergeant-major replied,
"I understand but cannot guide you not knowing your base. I guess your boy has been downed. The flight-range of P38 is said long but you must know that you cannot search for your boy forever on the ocean. Your base will be Iwo-jima. I'll guide you to the course for the island. I look forward to seeing you again in the sky. Follow me at altitude 15,000 with speed 250miles. Crosswind is strong around here. Take care the drift."

The P38 pilot said,
"I was taught that the Japanese soldiers were as if a devil but I know there is an open-minded one like you today. I request you to guide me to the course."

Sergeant-major asked his final question,
"I want to know one thing. Your General LeMay is adopting a strategy of scorching the Japanese mainland. Your fighters are giving gun-fires against the non-combatants who are trying to escape on the ground with no mercy. Is this tactics also ordered by LeMay? 

In the war, attacking the combatants is unavoidable but you are attacking our frightened civilians as if shooting a puppet at a shooting gallery. Do you hate the Japanese so much? Have you imagined such a scene as your parents, brothers and sisters are getting a volley of gun fires from the fighters in the sky? I am not necessarily refusing to understand your grudge against our attacks on Pearl Harbor but a communication delay inside the U.S. Government was a remote cause. What do you think?"

The P38 pilot did not reply soon,
"...... When I was fighting in Germany, I experienced a lot of air combats but ground attacks. I refrain from comments about what you said but I didn't know our fighters carry out such attacks. I have no authority to express my views but I think the war itself is responsible for all the things. I wish this war will be over soon and meeting you again without the uniforms each other somewhere in the future. You have a Japanese Samurai spirit."

Sergeant-major advised,
"Turn 90degrees to the right here. This is the 141degrees east longitude. Go straight to the south and you will reach Iwo-jima. "

"I'll never forget the conversation with you. Thank you and Good Luck." flying parallel, Captain had saluted to us.

This was an experience for me to think 'What on earth is the war?'.


[Note by Author] 
The communication by simultaneous translation with the U.S.military aircraft was taken place by way of our base. I have summarized the communication channels in diagram on my word file(*.doc file). If you are interested, please refer. 

http://ohanashi.okigunnji.com/tusinkeitou.doc


/End of Article No.92

**********************************

The diagram image is attached for your quick reference.
Shinpachi


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## Shinpachi (Aug 17, 2008)

The diagram can be read as per the image attached.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 17, 2008)

As always Shinpachi, another great article and well worth the wait. Keep up the good work. 8)


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## Shinpachi (Aug 17, 2008)

I don't know why but I'm glad to see your American flag.
Maybe I'm having Author's eyes now.

Thank you Aaron for your encouragement, always


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## Wayne Little (Aug 18, 2008)

Agree with Aaron! Thanks again Shinpachi!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 18, 2008)

Thank you Wayne for your comment always I believe his story is very educational. It's not only a historical testimony but a live operation manual for me sometimes.


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## kaigunair (Aug 18, 2008)

I"m enjoying your translations very much. Was the pilot of the US plane identified? If so, would be great to try to see if the US pilot had recorded this incident in his log/diary or told it to his family.

Would be a great research project!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 19, 2008)

Thank you kaigunair for your post. I'm glad you are fine 

I'm not sure if the US pilot was identified or not at this stage. 

I'll contact with the Author's side a.s.a.p. as this will be an unavoidable path for the future translation. "There was an incident as a fact but none were identified" will not satisfy the members' interest of this forum. 

Your question and opinion are very reasonable.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 24, 2008)

Hi, kaigunair. I have contacted with the Author's side(Publisher) today.
Let's look forward to any good reply.

*******************

The followings may concern with the incident.

USAAF Chronology:
PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA)

MONDAY, 23 APRIL 1945

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 13 B-24s from Guam Island pound positions on
Marcus Island. The 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Seventh AF,
based on Kualoa Airfield, Hawaii with F-5Es, sends a detachment to operate
from Okinawa, the first Seventh AF unit to arrive (another detachment is
operating from Saipan Island).

********************

As you may know, F-5E is a variant of P-38 with no guns


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## Shinpachi (Aug 25, 2008)

I have had a reply from the publisher by email earlier.
He was politely asking me if he may transfer my question as it is, including my private informations, to the author, Mr. Miyoshi. Of course, I replied 'Yes'.

Is he fine? I don't know but my father is older than him and still fine, very fine. Let's pray.


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## Wayne Little (Aug 25, 2008)

Fingers crossed! Hope you get a positive answer....


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## Shinpachi (Aug 25, 2008)

Hi Wayne 

Mr. Teruo Miyoshi passed away two years ago.
My action was too late. 
Only regrets  Sorry everybody!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 25, 2008)

May he rest in peace.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 26, 2008)

Thank you Aaron.
He will be enjoying reunion in the sky.

For ourselves, I would like to complete Article No.44 in which he was mentioning about his first encounters with P-38.


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## Wayne Little (Aug 26, 2008)

Sorry to hear this....


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## Shinpachi (Aug 27, 2008)

He wrote the story because he would be knowing that his days were numbered. 
He was cool

*******************

Here are some other incredible stories which I want to translate around me.
A testimony by a former OHKA(suicide rocket attacker) pilot.
_—‹•”‘à

He was ordered to rush several times but fortunately survived because of bad weather.

Mr. Bill Gordon interviewed him to introduce details on his web site.
Home Page of Bill Gordon

Sixty three years after the war look very fast.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Aug 29, 2008)

Looking forward to them.


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## Shinpachi (Aug 30, 2008)

Hi Aaron. You have kindly brought me back to this thread again. 
Thank you for it as my heart has been almost empty for a week.

Life goes on


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 1, 2008)

I hope it is nothing serious. We can wait if need be. Hope all is well.:angel:


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## Shinpachi (Sep 2, 2008)

Hi Aaron It's so much kind of you to worry about me.
It was nothing at all and I'm OK. I'm just being back.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 2, 2008)




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## Wayne Little (Sep 5, 2008)

We wait patiently, until your heart is full again!


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## Shinpachi (Sep 6, 2008)

Hi Wayne I'm just translating No.44 to complete soon.
Thank you.


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## Shinpachi (Sep 11, 2008)

Article No.44

Lockheed P38 Lightning Fighter
==============================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


The B29s who had completed their most important mission - bombing - had to endure a long-range flight again back home to the Mariana islands over the vast Pacific Ocean. However, they were sometimes damaged by the flaks or Japanese fighters' assaults and obliged emergency landings on the Iwo-jima island in case they were still flyable or ditched on the ocean. 

Anticipating such an incident, the U.S. military was arranging rescue vessels, submarines and another B29 for rescue called 'Super Dumbo' equipped with a life raft in preparation for emergency. Super Dumbo was standing by in a certain airspace until an operation was completed.

The life raft of Super Dumbo was provided with foods, radio equipment and other survival stuff. She was circling on the Pacific for standby until all aircrafts on sortie went back to their base safely. When drifting crew were found, she dropped those rescue supplies and contacted with a rescue vessel or a submarine nearby to save them. About thirty minutes for Super Dumbo, about three hours for a rescue vessel were said enough to arrive at the rescue point.

According to action records of the U.S side, throughout the total air-raid missions over the mainland Japan carried out from the Mariana islands, 596 crew were rescued from 83 B29s. However, those crew who had ditched too near offshore the Japanese mainland were rescued by a submarine who had been standby underwater.

Beside the statistics, I have learned from my recent research that very detailed tactics were condensed for an operation.
Their first principle of respect for human life would be making up such development of tactics.
In old Japanese Army, I feel I may say that they had no consideration for minimizing the risk in withdrawals at all. After the fall of Iwo-jima, the alert airspace of the U.S. military extended further to the north and therefore the standby operation by Super Dumbo became possible. As a result, our patrol area had been overlapped with theirs. We had to be extremely wary in our regular reconnaissance missions.


It was a fine day with the blue sky spreading around our plane and wind was gentle. My partner Sergeant-major T instructed me with his calm voice,
"Two black dots are visible. Check them." I understood his words as "Check the type of U.S. aircrafts."

Observing through the binoculars, I could identify one as B29 with no doubt. The other seemed a fighter but it looked as if two planes were sticking together. I told it to him.
"Two planes couldn't fly sticking together. It will be an Lockheed being controlled by a well experienced pilot transferred from the battle line in Europe. We'll get closer." saying so, he raised the speed.

Since the battle in Europe was about to close, those well experienced pilots were being transferred to the Pacific Theater one after another but, on the contrary, our forces were losing such good pilots one after another. Also, we were suffering from the absolute shortage of necessary number of the military aircrafts. Our interception against them was not enough.

Now the smaller plane was clearly visible.
The type of twin booms.
I had ever seen it on the photograph but never encountered with a real one before.

The Lockheed P38 Lightning fighter of twin-booms with high speed and heavily-armed was also designed for bombing and reconnaissance missions. As its flight range was long, it was able to fly longer to carry out missions.

(Note) URL for the photo and specifications of P38 shall be introduced in the last.

One of their famous war-results to be stated in particular would be 347th Fighter Group based on the Guadalcanal island intercepted and downed our Navy Type 1 Land Attacker(*G4M1 Betty of 705th Air Squadron) in which the commander in chief of the Combined Fleet of the Japanese Navy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was on board. 

I hear there has been a conflict at the other side recently saying the pilot who shot down Yamamoto is "Me" and "Me". I wonder if old military men still want to show off their achievements ever.


The P38's role seemed an escort for the B29. It kept flying closely to the bomber. When we approached about 1.25miles to them, our base advised that they had intercepted the communication between the U.S. plane and her base. Their conversation was 'We have encountered with an enemy aircraft alike a patrol plane. How should we do?'. Answer was 'Watch it'.

As they had their own original missions, they would be refraining from a positive action.

Our plane had entered the shooting range but my Sergeant-major was maintaining his calm as if nothing happened and not trying to shoot. B29 gunners would be targetting us. P38 was circling but kept staying between the B29 and us.

I felt the four or five minutes very long and worried a bit how the results were going to be. The P38 pilot was not trying to shoot us, either. He would be a veteran who experienced a lot of battles. 

In case of the duel style air-combat, the fear often urged a pilot shooting first but we both were only circling each other with a certain distance interval as if master swordsmen were gazing at each other.

"They have just been ordered 'Rescue mission is over. Return to the base'" our base advised.

When they were just trying to withdraw, Sergeant-major positioned our plane behind the P38 but the opponent did not even turn his head as if he were ignoring us. I wondered if he did not feel any thirst for blood from us. He would have already detected what we were going to do.

"Sergeant-major." I happened to call him.
"I don't shoot. I've just checked his courage." he said with a smile.

I thought the U.S. pilot this time was much different on the skills and courage from the another one of Grumman who was hysterically shooting us on the other day. He might be a veteran of veteran who had fought through many battles with the Messerschmitts(a leading fighter of German Airforce) in the European front.

"This is ---. The two of rescue standby gone home. We home. Present coordinates ---." I reported to the base and our plane turned. However, if I may say it again, I really admired the courage of the U.S. military pilot of the P38 that day...


The photo and specifications of P38 Lightning fighter are posted here.
ttp://chie.okigunnji.com/f/P38/P-38.htm


/End of Article No.44


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 11, 2008)

Very interesting Shinpachi, I enjoyed the article, and again it was well worth the wait. Keep up the great work.


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## Shinpachi (Sep 11, 2008)

Thank you Aaron. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

The story was so simple that I translated word by word very carefully.
Please look forward to next soon.


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## Wayne Little (Sep 12, 2008)

Nice read once again, Shinpachi! 

Thanks mate!


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## kaigunair (Sep 12, 2008)

thanks and great work shinpachi. well worth the wait.


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## timshatz (Sep 12, 2008)

Yeah Shin, great thread.


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## Shinpachi (Sep 13, 2008)

Thank You Wayne, kaigunair AND timshatz 
Your posts always encourge me!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 28, 2008)

Hope all is well Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Sep 29, 2008)

Thank you Aaron. I'm OK but recent schedule is so tight that my translation gets very slow...it's slow but going ahead for sure. Please look forward to articel no.13 in which air combat with Grummans coming up.
I am now a fan of American aircrafts!

Thank you again Aaron for your care.
I'm always wishing happiness for you.
It's sure too


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 29, 2008)

Glad everything is OK. Take your time, just hadn't seen a post in a couple of weeks. Understand about being busy. We will wait patiently.Thank you for the translations and your time.


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## Shinpachi (Sep 30, 2008)

Thank you Aaron for your kind words for myself.
I'll be back soon.
I like translation as well as making CG. It is sure.


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## Wayne Little (Oct 1, 2008)

Yep, with Aaron......waiting patiently.....


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## Shinpachi (Oct 1, 2008)

Oh, Wayne. I have to make another image "Encourgement from Australia" 
Thank you for your warm words!
Thank you.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 5, 2008)

Article No.13


Air Combat with Grumman
==================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi




In was an early morining when I heard a vigil's "Wake up" and tried to leave the bed praying safety for the day. Then, another "Gather!" surprised me to run. Order was "Our radars captured enemy planes a few hundred miles offshore of Ensyu-nada. They seem circling. Confirm it." We lost chance to take the breakfast. Brought aviation rations(emergency foods) with us, we took off to Ensyu-nada.
Another reconnaisance plane flew toward the offshore of Boso Peninsula for the security.


In those days, as "GPS or INS-Inertial Navigation System"service was not available like today yet, American military aircrafts that headed for the Japanese mainland to bomb used the Mt. Fuji as a target and took the two routes to Tokyo Bay through Izu Peninsula and Boso Peninsula.


Soon after the takeoff, my stomach growled. Sergeant-major noticed to say "Open the aviation rations.". I opened it with expectation because I had never seen the contents in it before and was surprised. There were chocolate(products of M company), Kanpan(dried bread of a eraser size with two holes), biscuits, Konpeito (comfeitto of star shape which I had never seen before) and so on. They were all luxurious article and not available for the general public at that time under the war. They were enough to surprise me.


Biting the chocolate, I was told 
"What's that? Look it well." and watched it carefully. 
Something was spreading wide and shining brilliantly in the far above sky.
Through the binoculars, metal pieces were floating ranging a few kilometers and didn't fall getting on the updraft. I anyway reported what we saw to our base. As a matter of fact, they were a dummy object made of thin aluminum foils to disturb our radar network. As it was the first time for me to witness actual one, circling around them several times, I forgot to check our location and was about to put myself in panic but I managed to catch it because Mt. Fuji was seen far above the clouds. Well, I agreed with American's idea Mt.Fuji as a target. 


"OK. We support our other plane on the offshore Boso for the security. " saying so, Sergeant-major turned our plane to the east. He did not need my navigation at all. This ultra-eight-years-veteran pilot would have been capturing Mt.Fuji as a target even while we were circling. 
The sky over the sea that day was clear with no clouds and it was a comfortable flight for us.


When I was checking 360degrees around us with chocolate pieces in my mouth, I found far ahead two planes like enemy heading for the south. They were possibly Grummans homing to their aircraft-carrier after air raids on the Keihin(Tokyo&Yokohama) district. They were approaching to us rapidly and trying to attack from our nose and tail separately.


I thought "It's a pinch!", then a strong voice "Leave your fate to me" came. Even if I said "No", I could't get off there. After a while, one of them behind us began shooting fiercely. No sooner bullets hit our plane and I heard strange sounds than I suddenly had a severe pain on my right elbow as if current ran. Straight key knob(made of ebonite) was blown off. Reporting the ongoing situation was obliged to cut and I was unable to even reply to the urge from our base. My right arm was numb and unable to tap the key.


The other Grumman rushing in from our front did not begin shooting. Just when I thought "Strange", shooting from the back also stopped.
That was because all three planes, including ours, were flying on the same straight line. They two could shoot and hit each other if bullets failed to hit our plane.


Time of less than a second passed. The front plane was still approaching closer to us. The acrobatic skill of passing each other with a slight altitude difference which is shown at air show today is the most dangerous performance. Error of altimeter or misreading the gauge brings head-on collision instantly.

(Incidentally, present famous acrobat teams are "Blue Angels" of U.S. Navy, "Thunderbirds" of U.S. Air Force and our "Blue Impulse". The "Blue Impulse" is a nickname for the 11th Flight Squadron of the 4th Air Wing staying at Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture. Aircraft has been changed to Japanese original third generation T-4 from T-2. There was F-86F before T-2.)



The Grumman of our front was thrusting in but Sergeant-major did not move his control stick even an inch. I closed my eyes unintentionally as I was a lump of the fear.


It was the limit of patience. When the enemy plane raised altitude slightly and his belly was in our sight, we shot immediately. Possibly hit the fuel tank, the Grumman exploded just above our heads. Blast and fragments blew away our canopy and I was blind with my stained goggles.
Soon after the great impact, another great sound followed. I took off my goggles and looked back to see well. The exploded plane was a fireball and the other Grumman behind us had crashed it to spin and fall with no right wing.


My tremble did not stop at the occurrence of a moment.
I guessed that the plane behind us would have been busy to target us and have mistaken his instant judgement.
By the way, how did Sergeant-major train his stunt skill and strong mental power?

I had ever heard that he learned Aikido(an old martial art) since his elementary school and was teaching it as a special instructor when he was an aviation school student. He had explained me what Aiki is before -　

"Aiki(*direct meaning is 'to adjust minds') is not the art of fighting and defeating an enemy. It is a training of your mind and heart so that you can abandon yourself and place your spirit in the state of a simultaneous hits when you faced the opponent "
He was a grade holder.

 
This is a by-talk. A Hollywood's action star Steven Seagal once visited Japan to master Aikido. He married a Japaense girl and opened his own dojo(gym) at Juso in Osaka. After eight years, he divorced and returned to US to be a movie actor. The dojo is now being managed by his ex-wife and holding about as many as one thousand members. This has been introduced on a TV program before.


"We encountered two Grummans --Km offshore Izu Peninsula and shot them down. We home now." I tapped telegraph with my paralyzed right hand. 


The scar remains in my right elbow but fortunately the bone is normal. After the war, longing for Aikido martial art, I entered a dojo(gym) but I was so urgent about quick progress that I suffered from dislocation of the arm joint twice to quit.

I tend to long for something at once and quit soon.


/End of Article No.13

************************************************
Thank you Aaron and everybody for waiting


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## Wayne Little (Oct 5, 2008)

great article, once again Shinpachi! 

Wonder if the double victory can be traced to official records..?


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## Shinpachi (Oct 5, 2008)

HI, Wayne Thank you for your quick comment.

War results of the 101st Communication Team would be burnt or erased or altered. Testimony by Author is everything.

I remember one thing.
He wrote the coordinates chart they had made was brought out by a 2nd Lt. when the war was over. He rejected to burn it because, he said, even if it was burnt, the allies would recover it from the ash...


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 6, 2008)

Great article Shinpachi. Again, well worth the wait!


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## Shinpachi (Oct 6, 2008)

Hi, Aaron 

I don't want to translate such a bloody scene but translation is translation.
Thank you very much for your cool reading and warm words.

For the next translation, I'm thinking 'Reconnaissance on Iwo-Jima' or, jumping ahead a bit, 'VJ Day' or around that. Aaron or everybody, if any request, please let me know, anytime.

Thank you.


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## kaigunair (Oct 7, 2008)

excellent!

my vote is for iwo jima


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## Shinpachi (Oct 7, 2008)

OK. I'll translate 'Reconnaissance on Iwo-Jima' first.
Thanks for your vote, kaigunair


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## Wayne Little (Oct 7, 2008)

Yep, Iwo Jima sound good to me too!


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## Shinpachi (Oct 7, 2008)

Understood, Wayne


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 13, 2008)

Shinpachi,I have been gone for a week. Have been taking care of a house for some friends while they went on vacation. I'll read any of these stories that you post. It is extremely interesting to me seeing the Japanese perspective from someone who was actually there. Again, thank you for your time and effort.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 24, 2008)

Thank you Aaron for your unchanged friendship.
I'm coming home late recently and no time even to open the internet.
I want to translate them all eagerly to tell our father's generation's message to the rest of the world.

I'll manage to take time sooner or later.
You may look forward to them.
Please keep in touch.
Thank you.


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## Wayne Little (Oct 25, 2008)

When time permits Shinpachi, when time permits.....getting free time can be difficult sometimes....


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 25, 2008)




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## Shinpachi (Oct 26, 2008)

Thank you Wayne and Aaron for your kind encouragement.
I've found a couple of free hours today, so please let me post our latest local news on Iwo-Jima.

JSDF Officer Dies at Iwo-Jima
======================

The Ground Self Defense Force Fuji school (Oyama-cho, Shizuoka) announced that one of their school instructors, a male Major (45), was found fell in the underground shelter of Iwo-jima (Ogasawara village, Tokyo)and died in the night of October 24. 

According to the school public relations office, he may have suffered from heatstroke. Announcement says, on October 23 he arrived at Iwo-Jima with other six instructors to prepare for a war history class scheduled on November 10 for the students. 
They checked safety of the ladders etc in the Senda shelter which is an underground shelter of the old Japanese Army. He did not appear at a gathering place after finishing the work and was discovered fell down in the shelter around 6:50 pm. 
He was transported to the hospital of Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture by a Self-Defense Force aircraft but died at 8:45 p.m. next day. The public relations office says the cause of his death is still under investigation but the temperature in the shelter was as high as 45 to 50'C(113 to 122'F) with also the high humiditiy.

News source: ASAHI.COM


Senda shelter photo from other source:
ttp://officers.hp.infoseek.co.jp/22ikou/ikou-iwojima027.jpg


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## Wayne Little (Oct 27, 2008)

Sad news.... 

On a happier note, something from our Model Comp on the weekend, thought of you Shinpachi...


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry to hear about the instructor Shinpachi. My condolences to his family. Great photos Wayne.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 27, 2008)

Thank you Wayne for the great photos.
It's so fantastic and sure an artwork more than a scale model! 
I feel a lyric much from the scene.

Thanks Aaron for your condolences for his family.
His death has reminded us of the fact that both nations fought on a volcano.
He didn't have to die in a peace time though. Very regret.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Nov 17, 2008)

Hope all is well. Have not heard from you in a while.


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Nov 18, 2008)

Hi Shinpachi, took awhile to catch up on your thread. I must say, this is fantastic! I'm really impressed with your translation, hell of a lot better then me trying to translate with my spanglish skills. I like how this is told from the Japanese point of view.


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## Shinpachi (Nov 21, 2008)

No one wants to die but they were taught to die for the nation.
30% at most of Kamikaze pilots survived because of engine trouble or bad weather. They should have been happy to survive but their hardships in postwar was that they could not follow other 70% as a brave warrior.
Almost survivors had shut their mouths.

My translation will continue but I have no time to sit to the PC at the moment.

Thank you Aaron and Vassili Zaitzev for your posts!
I'll be back soon!


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## Wayne Little (Nov 22, 2008)

Sooner rather than later my friend!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Nov 26, 2008)

Take your time. We just had not heard from you in a while and were curious. Thanks again for the great thread.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 10, 2008)

Article No.63

Reconnaissance on Iwo-Jima
=====================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


When we were relaxing after dinner, Communication Liutenant came and asked us to come to his communication room in a hurry. Being afraid of any unexpected incident, Sergeant-major and I entered the room. English sentences like a communication text were streaming out from the speaker and one of our translation soldiers was struggling with the typewriter to record but, standing aside him, I couldn't read them well.

Transmittance ceased after a while and he translated and explained us the contents but they did not look unusual.

He urged our attention 
"Please take a look at this telegram. It says ' Water purifier was out of order. Remaining water in the tank is for two or three days only. Urgent arrangement is requested' but the similar telegram was exchanged yesterday too. I don't know who sent and who received but I guess it any kind of code."


Chief of Communication Room said
"Sergeant-major. I can't help thinking that this communication indicates something. It says merely a water purifier trouble but I suspect any other messages are hidden there. What do you think?"

Sergeant-major seemed thinking about it folding his arms for a while.

He opened his mouth
"If I may tell the conclusion of my guess first, the place of telegram dispatchment will be Iwo-jima. When I confirmed the recovery condition of the runway soon after our Navy bombers’attack last time, many heavy vehicles for construction were working. Clouds of dust were raising and it was hard for me to catch the ground view from the sky, that is, to grasp the recovered condition perfectly. 

Judging from this, the current Iwo Jima is in the dry season. As only the rainwater storage and filtration is not enough, they rely on sea-water purification equipment but it is out of order and immediate repair is necessary. Therefore this message should be understood as a kind of SOS. I don't know who is receiving the message but to rely the water supply on the nearby vessels would be limited. I believe this communication should be read about the water supply.


If Sergeant-major's guess was correct, we should know that they, the U.S. military, were preparing the island as a front line base for future landing operation onto the Japanese mainland.

Please let me explain the weather condition of Iwo-Jima.
The island which is located in Ogasawara Village of Metropolis Tokyo belongs to subtropical zone with average temperature of 23 degrees centigrade(--F) and has less rainfall of about eighty days a year. From the topography view of the seafloor, it is located on the top of a mountain of 25miles in diameter and 4,500 to 6,000feet in height. The volcano is active and crustal movements are violent. Environment is so bad as many faults and blowholes lie scattered. No fresh water comes up even if we dig the ground for wells.

It was once placed under the U.S. military occupation after the war but returned to Japan by courtesy in June, 1968.
However, former residents are not permitted to return yet(*The island is regarded as a huge graveyard).
Currently, there are JSDF base on the trace of old Motoyama airfield along with the U.S. military weather team and LORAN-C transmitter base nearyby(*the U.S. Coast Guard's Iwo Jima LORAN-C transmitter facility was transferred to Japan in 1993: Wikipedia).

NLP (Night Landing Practice = Touch-and-Go) has almost moved to Iwo-Jima from Atsugi base. 
Landing practice of JSDF's C130 transport aircrafts was also taken place here before they were dispatched to Iraq on the other day.

Now-

Chief of Communication Room explained Base Commander what we had talked about the communication contents.
Base Commander said
"Such hidden information as this cannot be handled by other organizations but us.
I think Sergeant-major's estimated theory is probably correct but, in order to fly and confirm the U.S. military aircrafts status on the island, we must know that interception by their fighters and attack from the ground are unavoidable unlike the past twice sorties on Iwo-Jima." and added "I will consider what is the best way this evening. You all also consider and let me hear your operation plan by 2400."


"If it is ---, how should we do?"
"If we may encounter ---, how should we do?"
"If we are placed under --- situation, how should we response to it?"
I was murmuring listing up every possibilities I could imagine.

"Stop it." Sergeant-major said.
"If you start to imagine those IFs, it will expand endless like the circular-constant and you will be collapsed when you encounter unexpected incident. You state what you think best now."

"In the past missions, we approached the island from the east twice. So, I think the U.S. military would be lining up their warning network extending to near the Minami(meaning South)-Torishima island. Therefore, to defeat their plan, we had better fly straightly south from the Sea of Enshu(*West of Mt.Fuji) and approach to Iwo-Jima from its south hiding Mt.Suribachi at ultra-low-altitude." I suggested.

Sergeant-major commented
"You are always good at defeating other's plan. Good. I will offer it to Base Commander."


It was just around 2200 in the night. I requested a ground crew leader "You may reduce the cannonballs but load fully 12.7mm bullets. Wait for us starting engine with the full fuel too."

Base Commander told us his order
"Bear it in your mind that the sortie purpose this time is, unlike previous ones, to grasp their concentration status of the enemy planes. Pay attention to confirming the situation and reporting it more precisely than ever. Never use reckless tactics. Make much of your lives. Sortie time is 0200 tomorrow morning. Take a rest till then. This decision for the sortie shall be reported to the headquarters by myself later. That is all."


'Take a rest' was helpful but we had only three hours or so.
I told Chief of Communication Room our sortie time and asked him to transfer all U.S. military communications to us on the way.

All staff of the communication room was waking up.
The ground crew leader told us our plane was ready for take-off. Engine oil was also exchanged with new one.
That was better.

A weather forecast soldier came to report the latest weather condition. In addition, soldiers of the cipher room were found in the communication room.

Past 0100 in the midnight, we were told that our Base Commander had already asked Navy for refuelling assistance for our homing. All what we had to do next was only to take off and arrive at the island before dawn.


At 0150, Base Commander came and said "Do it well." In response, I held my saber in my hand tightly and saluted him saying "We now make a sortie, sir." I also saluted other staff in the room. This was the moment that we were tensed up most.

As I had been very nervous since the last evening, I forgot to bring the aviation ration with me.
It was too late for me to say "I forgot" and our plane took off on schedule.

We were flying in the complete darkness.
As long as we were looking at Southern Cross, unless there was strong drift wind, we would not take wrong course.

We had to be careful all the time as we were flying through the U.S. military monitoring network.
As fuel consumption was high with full engine throttle, we kept flying at altitude 15,000feet with cruise speed 250knots/h.
Three hours had passed.

I told Sergeant-major "We will be at the turning point in twenty minutes."
"We'll turn at 6miles farther south."


"Why?" Looking down vaguely, I found many enemy vessels on the sea surface.

Sergeant-major's decision was correct.
The plane heading for the south would be out of their alert.

We kept flying close to the sea surface. It was almost fifteen feet above the surface. Splash which was raised up by the propeller's wind pressure beat the canopy. No pilots could make this kind of good performance with no sufficient combat experiences.

For the first time, I contacted with our base by sending telegraph "3-S-50" and wondered if they understood the S for South.
Reply R(for Ryokai=Understood) was returned to relieve me.

Our plane had suddenly appeared on the Iwo-jima island behind Mt.Suribachi and passed through above old Chidori airfield, old Motoyama airfield and old Kita(=North) airfield one after another at ninety feet altitude. I had taken photographs.

When I was sending telegraphs in high spped raw-text style to report the type and number of the U.S. aircrafts on the ground, several people were observed running on the runway. Scramble order would have been issued. They looked just waken up and terribly in a hurry.

Approximately a hundred fighters on three airfields. Sergeant-major's prediction hit the right answer.

A pilot was running with no parachute.
Even if he started the engine immediately, thinking the time for warm-up and take-off, it would take two or three minutes no matter how fast he might manage.
Our plane was heading north with full throttle at altitude 15,000feet.

"To the base. Mission is over. We head for refuelling."
I had never imagined that the mission went so well.
I was concerned with the interceptor but it would be hard for him to shorten the distance of two or three minutes.

Now, the sun was rising from the eastern horizon.
I was enjoying a refreshing morning.


/End of Article No.63


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## Wayne Little (Dec 10, 2008)

Glad you have found time for some more translation Shinpachi, welcome back!......another great read!


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## timshatz (Dec 10, 2008)

Lucky and good that day!


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Dec 10, 2008)

Great translation Shinpachi!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Dec 10, 2008)

Great work Shinpachi, as always. Thank you.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 11, 2008)

Oh, how many mistypes I have made!
I give up to correct them this time. Take apology 

Wayne, timshatz, Vassili Zaitzev and Aaron.
Thank you for your long waiting and warm comments again 
You may look forward to my future translations too.

Thank you all!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Dec 25, 2008)

Merry Christmas Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Dec 26, 2008)

Thank You Aaron and everyone for 2008.
Merry Christmas A Happy New Year!!!


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## Wayne Little (Dec 26, 2008)

Yep, Merry Christmas Shinpachi...from the land of OZ..


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Dec 26, 2008)

Merry Christmas Shinpachi! 

Is that an F-16?


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## Shinpachi (Dec 27, 2008)

Hi, Wayne! A Happy New Year!
I envy you are enjoying the summer in Australia.
I am almost freezing here...


Hi, Vassili! Yes, it's a F-16. I'm glad you have understood it soon. Thanks.
My skill seems no so bad 
I was going to make F-2, a variant of F-16, but there were less information about the mechanism. 
F-2 may follow in the future, though.

My next translation for this thread will be Article No.17 in which a Grumman carrys out emergency landing on an IJA airfield. Please look forward. 

A Happy New Year for ALL.


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## Wayne Little (Dec 28, 2008)

Looking forward to it!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 1, 2009)

We Japanese traditionally say the seasonal greeting when the new year has come. A Happy New Year to All!

***********************************

Article No.17


A Second National Soldier
====================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi 

It was early January of 1945. Chief of Communication Room came to visit our standby room with a new Private soldier.
"Today, First Class Private A(name) has been assigned to our communication team. Please take care of him well." Chief of Communication Room introduced him. The new comer stated his formal greeting and we encouraged him saying "Do your best." However, in my frank impression, I was surprised at his age of late 30s or early 40s which was not necessarily young for the rank of Private that was given soon after the draft. I wondered if the young soldiers were getting so few in Japan as to summon such an old man at last.


As our team was adopting Elitism and proud of our staff who were all experts of any specific field with each exceeding skills, I was very suspicious about what kind of role Chief of Communication Room was going to give him. Then I tried to ask
"What is the new comer to take charge, sir?"
"For his first draft medical checkup in the past, Private A had been disqualified because he was suffering from infiltration of the lungs, but for his second checkup this time, he has passed it to be summoned here as a Second National Soldier. There is no worry about his disease any longer. For some time, he takes charge of delivering communication texts between the communication room and the cipher room along with some relating jobs."


There was no explanation about what he was in Shaba.
(In the Army, outer free society was called 'Shaba’ which is originally a Buddhistic term)
Therefore, I did not know at all then that I was to have a big shame later.


Several days later. A warning of alert was issued. When I was helping to move the aircrafts which were under maintenance into hangars and covering the runway approach lights to camouflage, Grummans suddenly appeared from the top of the cedar forest with the altitude of about 150 feet and started shooting us fiercely with big sounds.

(We camouflaged the runway approach lights because it took a few days to recover the electrical wirings once they were damaged.)

It was not unusual for me to be shot during flights but the sound of rushing bullets was not heard as the engine sound was bigger. It was very eerie to hear it on the ground sounding zing, zing.


Despite there was no official issue of the warning of air-raid alert, we were attacked by surprise. When I was murmuring “Catch it better, our radar boys”, a ground crew beside me groaned “Wu” abruptly.
“What's the matter?” I ran up to him. 
He was crouching down with his right chest and back tinted in red.
Encouraging him "The bullet has passed through. It's OK." I called a medical soldier.


Two Grummans were flying.
Our base should have been secret but had been found by the U.S. military. I was impressed with their reconnaissance ability.
Two Grummans were persist in shooting us.
Our gunner was also hard to shoot them with his anti-aircraft gun when one of the Grummans blew black smoke and tried to go up but the engine sound was strange.
The plane was struggling but unable to gain altitude as the engine rotation did not increase.
When I thought it impossible for the pilot to bail out at such a low altitude, he turned his plane and took a bold attitude of emergency landing.


Our gunner was harder to shoot as it was his chance.
Then, no sooner shouted “Don't shoot!”, my Sergenat-major rushed the gunner to push him aside.
When I thought about what he had done well, if the plane had fallen from such a low altitude keeping its landing attitude, it would have crashed in the middle of the runway to explode. We would be obliged to recover the runway wasting two days at least, which would give us a serious influence on our own take-off/landing operations.
I admired Sergeant-major's cool judgment.


The other Grumman immediately turned its head to fly far away.
The damaged one hit big bounces three or four times on the runway and had stood on the nose with the tail wings raising high to stop. A pilot was coming out with his hands raised.
Just before landing, the engine was completely in the state of halt. We should praise his good skill to control such a plane of less buoyancy.
The pilot was handed over to the military police later.


Damage details of our equipments.
Aircrafts were safe as they were evacuated into concrete hangars but radio equipments - three transmitters, two spare transmitters, three receivers and three spare receivers had big holes on them and were totally out of service.
Regular contacts with other troops would be unavailable.
While we were worrying how it was going to be, Chief of Communication Room was ordering something to the second national soler. To collect usable parts from the shot junk and to repair the radios was his order.


“Is he all right, sir?” I asked Chief.
“You ask me so because you don't know this Private A's career. In Shaba(*outer free society), he is the chief of staff who is engaged in production development at a leading communication equipments maker B(name) in Tokyo. They are manufacturing these radio equipments."
I checked a plate on the radio. Yes, there was the company name he said along with model number.
I had lost my words. It was nothing but 'the right man in the right place'.
Another professional had been born in our team.


It was my shame that I made light of him thinking what on earth this old man could do when he came to our team for the first time.


The Private examined broken radios carefully and said
“Almost vacuum tubes are unusable. So are capacitors possibly. When the circuit is damaged, high-voltage current flows through the point where the insulation is bad to cause capacitor puncture. Resistance parts must be checked by tester. If the measured value fulfills the provided OHM, it is OK. Wirings are cut everywhere. All must be redone.”
If we had asked alternative radio equipments to the far depot, except the hand-carry portable type, as we had no cranes like today, it would have taken two or three days for such hi-powered fixed type of radio to disassemble, transport and reassemble.



“I can manage to repair. However, are the spare vacuum tubes available?”
Private started listing up orally names of necessary vacuum tubes quickly and smoothly. Lance Corporal who was in charge of technology staggered.
Private began soldering to assemble a radio being based on a less damaged frame with no circuit diagrams quickly.
I had to take my hat off to his swift good skills.
Technology soldier did not know what to do and had no way but obeyed Private's instruction to find necessary parts busily.
It was evidently Private's win.



After a little over a half day, he completed one set of transmitter of a wardrobe size together with one set of receiver. It would be impossible for a soldier to master this kind of skills in the military. A reliable staff had come. "People should not be judged on appearance." I had fully understood this old proverb to be sorry for what I thought about him.


By the way, the ground crew who was shot in the right chest recovered faster than expected as the bullet passed through below the clavicle fortunately. He left the army hospital in two weeks or so. 


/End of Article No.17


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Jan 1, 2009)

Cool, thanks for the post Shinpachi!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 2, 2009)

You are welcome, Vassili Zaitzev.
Thanks for reading!


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## Wayne Little (Jan 2, 2009)

Another great read, thanks Shinpachi..


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 2, 2009)

Another great translation Shinpachi, Thank you.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 3, 2009)

You are welcome, Wayne and Aaron.
Thank you for your reading again!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 10, 2009)

Will you watch my CG work too?
A landing gear of F-16. A wooden image.

My next translation will be article no.28 in which four Grummans try attacks on Sergeant-major. Please look forward to it. Thank You


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## Wayne Little (Jan 10, 2009)

Bring it on!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 12, 2009)

Anxiously waiting, but also patiently waiting.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 13, 2009)

Thank you, Wayne and Aaron for your waiting.
More than one third completed (only 1/3! sorry). It's coming up soon!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 21, 2009)

Article No.28(1/2)

Simultaneous Translation
====================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


Our team was neighboring Oume City of Tokyo and, as the city name means ‘green plum’, there were many plum trees. In late March of 1945, seeing the plum blossoms in all glory near the runway, I was being overcome by my own deep emotion that made me wonder if I would be fine and able to see these flowers tomorrow too.


“The mind for attack and the mind for protection are two sides of the same coin but never try to escape from the scene. The way to go is found.” As Sergeant-major taught me so, I was singing loud a military song as if shaking off my cowardice. Then, a guess had come to my mind ‘How do they young pilots who are training themselves as a special attacker feel?’
They were hard to train everyday to learn how to rush into enemy vessels, that is, they were hard to learn how to die in exchange for a war-result.


Upon finished the training, death was waiting for them. 
That was just same as they were declared an end-stage cancer.
It was said that a young special attacker had left a poem before his sortie “Falling Cherry blossoms. So are the remaining blossoms (*meaning ‘All are to die after all’ ).” I knew how he had felt as much as my own pain.


Then, a voice had brought me back to the reality “Chief of Communication Room is calling you”.
I found a Lance Corporal who looked younger than twenty years old standing on attention in Chief’s room.
“Corporal M(*Author) has come. May I help you, sir?”
“Today, Lance Corporal C(*name) has been assigned to our team. He is a special candidate for the army officer staying at Kakogawa education unit of the army aviation communication school in Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is not necessarily my intention to ask you instruction every time but this is Base Commander’s order ‘Take care of him’. Instruct him well.”


I had been ordered instructor again.
“Please instruct me well, sir.” The Lance Corporal said keeping his attention.
Mmmmm…..Chief would be knowing my unrefusable personality when asked.
“How is your communication experience in Shaba(*outer free society)?” I asked the new comer.
“I was interested in radio when I was the first grade of junior high school. As a senior of mine then was enjoying amateur radio, I also learned a little bit. ”
“Unlike other communication units, skill-first is our team’s motto. Be devoted to the pursuit of your skill. If you should give up, I’ll never forgive you. Bear it in your mind well. ”
I had said too much as if I were his elder brother.


By the way, the institution for the special cadreman candidates was founded as Royal Decree No.922 dated December 14, 1943 saying “to train noncommissioned tactical and technical officers who are to be engaged in aviation or maritime matters based on the temporary special exemption law for supplementation and service of army officers on active service.”
The volunteers of 16 to 19 years old were the target.


Though this has nothing to do with the subject, the Kakogawa education unit became a training center of a leading telecommunications company for which I was working in the post war. I have ever been there for a while as a teletype instructor in early 1956 when the teletype was introduced and the Morse code was abandoned.

The buildings were renovated old wooden barracks - a heritage of the former army. I now recall that I was harassed with the wind which blew in through the panel gaps of the dormitory.


Now -
I was abruptly ordered “Prepare for sortie” by my Sergeant-major.
Told to Chief “Please let me consult with you about how to do in the future after homing” and arranged necessary information about the weather etc in a hurry, I went to the standby room.


Order was “A formation of B29s is heading north. Judging from a series of V-code dispatch, the total number is estimated more than fifty. However, which their destination is, the east(Tokyo-Yokohama region) or the west(Osaka direction) is unknown at this stage. Therefore, grasp and report the path of the enemy aircrafts as much as possible. Besides, their escort fighters do not seem taking off yet. Check their number too. For your security, the encounter point with the fighters is believed around the coordinate xxx(*value). Avoid air combats as much as possible. That is all.”


“I have a couple of requests, sir” I raised my hand.
“What’s that? Say it.”
“It is about the relationship between what the enemy leader transmits instructions about their flight course along with the target to the accompanying planes by A3(*radio phone) and what we launch radio jamming. Our plane will also be affected by the jamming. So, I request you to make the noise-output weak shortly after they dispatch radio. One more thing is to please tell us their communication contents immediately they are turned out.

It is hard for me to hear their communication in our plane not only because of the engine roar but our own jamming influence as the antennas mounted on our aircraft would not be relevant to all wavelengths.
As the antennas of our base adapt to almost wavelength, I believe that the base can capture the enemy leader’s instruction by radio well. After captured message contents, I request the base to raise the jamming output and contact with me by our own frequency immediately.
If you inform me of their message contents in the form of simultaneous translation for my reference as much as possible, I will be able to search their trends."


“OK, I understand. Chief of Communication Room, carry out your mission bearing what he said in your mind well. I believe it useful to know the correlation between our interception of the enemy communication and our jamming influence. Operate precisely based on these matters. ”


Two planes, including ours, headed for the southern ocean straightly.


.....To be continued.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 21, 2009)

Article No.28(2/2)


.....Two planes, including ours, headed for the southern ocean straightly.
At our altitude 15,000 feet, an echelon of B29s heading north calmly at their altitude 30,000 feet was confirmed far beyond. They seemed aiming at Mt. Fuji.
Then, we received a radio contact from our base “The first formation seems for the west but we can’t listen about the rest well.”

Judging from the angle they took for the left, they would be airming at the Osaka-Kobe area crossing over the Kii Peninsula or at Nagoya direction. If they kept flying west to the offshore Cape Shiono-misaki, their target should be Osaka-Kobe area crossing over the Kii Channel. It was hard for us to tell which at that moment when they were still flying far south but I reported their direction to the base anyway.


From the base “The second formation seems for Sendai direction, not for around Tokyo.” 
Their right-turn was so considerable that they did not look aiming at the Boso Peninsula but if they should have failed to catch the coast line of the peninsula, passing over even Sendai, they would have reached the far northern Chishima Islands(*Russian name: Kuril Islands).
Our other plane tracked them.
I heard later that they were searching for Sendai but, because of the relationship with their flight range, could not help carrying out the incendiary bomb attack on a small city to withdraw. Sendai City had a big air raid in July of the year.


When we were tracking the other formation for the west, their carrier-based fighters were rushing us.
“OK. Come on, lads.” Saying so, Sergeant-major re-sat on his sheet. 
Four Grummans. “The plum blossoms I saw this morning was a last look as I guessed.” When I was resigned so, radio from the base entered “Sortie order has been issued to both Hamamatsu and Suzuka air units. We hope you to endure till they arrive.” However, the Grummans were approaching to us very quickly.
“Sergeant-major” I had happened to call him meaninglessly to be scolded “Don’t be upset.”
Turned and positioned our plane behind one of them, he gave it a volley of bullets. The right wing blew off and it crashed in the state of rolling.
“Sergeant-major. Our behind.” I said to be scolded again “I know. Shut up your mouth to keep contacts with the base.”
I asked the base each frequency of the Hamamatsu’s and the Suzuka’s to inform them of our latest coordinate.


Confirmed their arrival would be in ten minutes, I told it to Sergeant-major but no reply from him.
He was struggling to adjust the right-left throttles of twin engines to minimize the circling angle(*radius) so that he could position our plane behind the Grumman.


Incidentally, in a movie titled ‘Top Gun’ starring Tom Cruise, there was a scene that he turned down one throttle and turned up the other one of twin jet engines in order to gain the minimum circling angle. I had an impression that the film director studied such details well.
In case of Japanese movies, maybe they are thinking amateurs do not know such a thing, there are not a few tricks.


In October last year(*around 2003), a film location for “Last Samurai(American movie starring Tom Cruise) was taken place at a temple of Mt.Syosyayama in Himeji(*located between Hiroshima and Kobe)”. I heard that the seasonal backgrounds had been changed from the full cherry blossoms springtime to the full snow winter world overnight.
Thinking the camera angles are limited, I don’t think it necessary for them to redecorate all. I also heard that they had as many as 200 staff for it. American scale is totally different from ours. Tom is said commuted to the location in Himeji by a helicopter from a hotel in Kobe.
In the United States, Ninja was once popular. Recently, the Japanese Bushido is said being interested there. I’m looking forward to the road show “Last Samurai” in end of this year.


Now -
Just at the moment I thought we were successful to take a position behind the opponent, it blew out flame from the engine and climbed steeply. Our bullets probably hit the pilot’s back to let him bend backward holding his control stick. That would have brought his pulling the stick hard to rise the plane sharply.
“OK, lads. Don’t hesitate. Come!” My Sergeant-major was totally different from his usual character. He was a devil then.
Next one came.
It was coming from our front. Sergeant-major did nothing but flew straight to apply his acrobat tactics until the opponent showed us his belly. Bullets were sent there. It was his win. The belly is a weak point for an aircraft. The opponent burst into flames and was crashing into the sea of Ensyu-nada.


The last opponent tried to turn his plane to escape but Sergeant-major that day did not admit it.
He would be getting angry about as many as four advantageous fighters tried attacks on one fighter.
“Keep fighting to the end or don’t attack from the beginning.” he said and gave the enemy plane his final fierce shots. But no flame blew out from the opponent. Sergeant-major seemed having shot aiming at the top of canopy. That was enough. The enemy pilot raised his hands.
Through the binoculars, the pilot looked too young to experience a real combat. Training new pilots in the U.S. military would not be in time for the production of new aircrafts, either.


Aircrafts with the Sun-markings were seen. They looked interceptor from Hamamatsu air unit. A formation of a dozen of fighters were approaching to us.
“Thank you for your coming.” I said. “Sorry for our late arrival.” reply returned.
There should be more enemy escort fighters. Looking around, I found a dozen of them far above but they did not try to approach to us as they had been watching our combat earlier.
“Such young pilots who have no courage and skill to fight up one-on-one air combat are unable to serve escorting B29.” When Sergeant-major was murmuring, another dozen of interceptors from Suzuka base appeared.
“Thank you for your coming. Combat is over here. Please chase the B29s immediately.”
“I understand. Are you two and aircraft OK?”
“Yes, we are all right.”


United team of Hamamatsu and Suzuka chased the B29s but it was out of our service. We were to home but the left engine was not so good. Sergeant-major noticed it immediately.
Nose bent toward the left. “As I have cut the fuel supply, there will be no fire. Single engine is enough for homing.” I was relieved to hear his voice of full confidence.
“Sergeant-major. I want to drink a toast together with translation soldiers after homing.”
“Don’t be silly. Drinking is illegal for your age.”
“Yes, it is. I was just forgetting that fact though I have self-confidence to be a man”
Sergeant-major and I were all laughter.


By the way, we were able to get a result about our interception and simultaneous translation of the enemy communication along with our jamming influence.
On the other hand, however, we learned a lesson that if the timing was wrong, we would lose everything too. I reported these details to the base commander after homing.


/ End of Article No.28


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 21, 2009)

Thank you Shinpachi. Looks like you worked long and hard on this one. Well done. Much appreciated.


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Jan 21, 2009)

Excellent translation Shinpachi!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 22, 2009)

Thank you Aaron and Austin for your reading again 

I have been hesitating translation this article for a long time because it's too bloody. I hope you had no wrong feeling about the contents.

To have read this article again, I think there should be one more sentence which refers to how the last Grumman was treated after his surrender.

"The last Grumman flew away."

No other possibilities8)


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## proton45 (Jan 22, 2009)

Thanks Shinpachi, a rare treat to read these...


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## Shinpachi (Jan 22, 2009)

You are welcome sir, proton45


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## Wayne Little (Jan 22, 2009)

Excellent Shinpachi, please continue!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 23, 2009)

Thanks for your encouragement, Wayne8) 

Yes, I will continue translation though I don't like any bloody scene myself.
But I always try to translate as precise as possible.
Please enjoy.

Thank you for your reading again!


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## kaigunair (Jan 23, 2009)

Shinpachi, great job! I've been busy for a while, but when I looked up this forum, was so glad to read all your new articles. What you're doing is so important and great. Thanks so much!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 24, 2009)

Thank you kaigunair for your reading again 
I'm glad you are fine!

A hardship in translation is the difference of military system betweem the east and the west or the past and the present.
For example, when the author writes "Sergeant-major. Our behind", I want to translate "Sergeant-major. Six o'clock" but it is not precise because our former army did not have such 'o'clock' system.

The "Kamikaze" was, as you may know, not our original calling for the special attacker though the almost Japanese use this calling nowadays.
"Special attacker" or "Tokko(*special attack)" or "Tokko-tai(*special attacker team)" was our original calling.

I believe the "Kamikaze" came from "Shinpu(*Devine wind) special attacker team" which was a formal saying. The Chinese character for Kamikaze and Shinpu is same as you may know well.

Please enjoy.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks for the school Shinpachi. I can better understand what you are dealing with as to the translation delema. Trying to keep it original but also understandable for us in the English speaking world. Thank you!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 25, 2009)

Roger(*Roger for R. R for Received), Aaron!
I'll translate carefully remembering what you said in my mind.
Thank you for your good reading, always 
Thank you again!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 11, 2009)

Article No.24


Over selfconfidence
=============== 
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


For the preparation of regular reconnaissance, not of the special mission, I was checking my radio equipment on the plane but no sound came out from the ear receiver at all. I tapped the chassis a little harder several times but it responded nothing (Mechanical troubles were often recovered by tapping the chassis when I was young).

I asked a ground crew Lance Corporal to call Private A(*name) who was in charge of technology but, if it was a serious trouble, I had to consider replacement of the set.

The current communication equipments are so simple with the printed circuit boards that it is easy to repair by replacing the boards but, in the past, circuit wirings were so complicated that it was not easy to repair. The vibrations of the plane and the impact of landing, above all, were so large that the vacuum tube filaments were often cut to place us in trouble.

As Private A was an expert of that field, he was so quick to find out the cause of trouble that it was very helpful for us. 
He was tapping the vacuum tubes to diagnose “Vacuum tubes have no problem. I guess a capacitor has been punctured.”
I asked the ground crew leader “When you were checking the electrical system, wasn’t there any short circuit?”. “My screwdriver’s head accidentally touched an uncovered part.” he assumed.
A punctured capacitor by overload seemed the cause of trouble.

It was the trouble that would require a big surgery.
As my radio equipment was modified so that it was able to catch the long wave too, there was no spare set. When I was holding my head in my hands, Private A said confidently “Let’s check the troubled part and connect new capacitor through the bypass route.” 

Prepared a couple of leads which had clips on each end to connect a capacitor, he checked the conductivity. Two capacitors sweated. It was a punk by overcurrent of electricity.

Replacement of capacitors were usually soldered to the circuit but, as we had no time, he temporarily connected the leads of capacitors with clips and managed to work.

“In case of the remarkable trouble like this today, it is easy to repair but, in case of the unremarkable trouble which only happens some times, it is hard to find the cause. Such repair requests us ten-year experience.”
Years later, I have ever experienced such a trouble on my TV set. It worked well when a technical service man fixed but soon went wrong after he left.

Our partner reconnaissance plane had already taken off.
When any accident happened before sortie, things did not go well without any trouble on the way.

When we were patrolling our airspace and sea in charge minding that matter, English conversation entered my long-wave radio. I was unable to understand what they were talking but it sounded a happy mood with occasional laugh.

There was no alarm before our sortie. Where did they intrude from? They probably had attacked somewhere in Tokyo-Yokohama area without being captured by our radars. Judging from the state of conversation, they seemed just withdrawing after attack.

"OK, we raise the altitude." Sergeant-major said to wait for them at 15,000feet.

Five or six minutes passed. Three planes were observed, like tiny beans, one after another with no formation style far away.
"Keep your eye on them well."
Enemy planes were approaching to us at ease. Carrier-based Grummans. They seemed being on their way home.
It was impossible for the Japanese pilots to relax and enjoy chats on radio because unnecessary radio despatch was risky until landing home.

Then, I heard a couple of English words in a little exciting tone "It attacks".
They seemed to have discovered our plane. Combat would be one versus three. I told it to my Sergeant-major loudly 
"Three enemy planes are flying toward us!"
"Basic rule for air-combat is one versus one. Otherwise they may shoot their friend. Look at how I do. Let them cut my skin to cut their flesh. Let them cut my flesh to cut their bone."
I was deeply impressed by his courage though it was not unusual.
Advantageous opponents of three were approaching to us with no hurry.

"I believe they have attacked somewhere so madly as to forget the rest of their ammunition. Chatting is an evidence they make light of things. If we can buy time by making fun of them, they will crash by themselves with no fuel."

One of them started shooting us from the right-ahead-above(* two o'clock high). Bullets hit somewhere on our plane to scream strange sound.
Our plane rose sharply, looped, took position above the opponents and sent a volley of shots. Bullets hit one of them.

The opponent who was shot had lost both horizontal and veretical tail wings to fall into the state of Dutch roll.
The Dutch roll is a state of flight as if a duck waddles swinging its tail. Aircraft is placed totally out of control.
The word now reminds me of a crash accident of a jumbo jet of Japan Air Lines a couple of decades ago that the cabin air pressure broke the aged rear bulkhead to blow off the rudder and made the plane out of control to crash. 

The other two were not shooting us but only circling.
They probably pressed their shooting buttons hard to know all bullets ran out.
Only circling would also run out the fuel sooner or later and be resulted crash into the sea. To have seen the first plane placed in Dutch roll, they might be in a cold sweat.

I believed that they had been driven by youthful ardor so much as to spend all bullets with no cool judgment. "You are in a battlefield until you land" my Sergeant-major once taught me so. If they did not know that basic rule, they might lose their lives as a result.

"Sergeant-major. Don't you shoot?"
"I fight out the enemy who is coming toward but don't shoot unarmed opponents as it's unfair." and he added his murmuring 
"Premature kids like you will be killed in action sooner or later. Next time you come, fill up your fuel and bullets to fight. I'll be your opponet then. That's enough today. Go home right away."
I wanted to tell his message to the opponents on radio, if possible.
For Sergeant-major who was confident of his skill and courage, they might have looked nothing but a puppy barking in his feet. In fact, I have ever heard that not a few U.S. fighters crashed from fuel shortage on the verge of landing their mother ships. I think that was because pilot training was not enough and they excited too much on the ground attack to think about later withdrawal.

The pilot of the Dutch roll plane bailed out but whether he was rescued by their submarine fortunately or not was unknown.
All three planes had fallen into their over-selfconfidence. As a result, two escaped crash but I wondered if they were able to return home well. Also, the bailout pilot might have been beaten on the sea surface to lose his life because the altitude was low.

If the falling speed was faster, the pilot would be beaten on the sea and might lose consciousness to be drowned.
Unless he hit the water from his foot, he would have a fracture. In my experience of parachute training, I had the impact as strong as jumping from the roof of the second floor. Therefore, to avoid a fracture, I learned to fall down at the moment my foot hit the ground.

Parachute design for the skydiving today is square unlike the round one of old days. It is so easy to control going forward, circling and halt that you can do a soft landing. It is also much advanced with AAD(Automatic Activation Device) that makes sub-parachute open when the falling speed exceeds at a pre-set altitude and sensor detects it. 

In case of air-combat, a shooter's target was normally the cockpit. The fact Sergeant-major aimed at the tail wings was the evidence that he had no intention to kill them. For Sergeant-major of 10-year-career as a fighter pilot, I guess, they were too young to be his opponents.
Sending telegraph to the base "This is xx(*code name). Killed 1 Grumman. We home now. Coordinate xx(*value)", I was impressed with Sergeant-major's courage that he dared to let the two go.



/End of Article No.24


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## proton45 (Feb 12, 2009)

Thanks for the translations...I love history.

Most of my family that can read "old" Japanese are to emotional about the subject to help with translations (like these)...this is indeed a treat for me. Thanks...


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## Shinpachi (Feb 12, 2009)

You are welcome, proton45 and Thank You for reading my translations.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am too old to be emotional about our history and what I wish is to have these stories known in the world.

Thanks again for your good post8)


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 12, 2009)

Another excellent read Shinpachi. Thank you for your hard work and time.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 12, 2009)

Thanks Aaron for your post.
I am often afraid of my translation making your people unhappy.

Thank you very much


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## Wayne Little (Feb 13, 2009)

Aaron Brooks Wolters said:


> Another excellent read Shinpachi. Thank you for your hard work and time.



Great work Shinpachi, thanks again!


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## kaigunair (Feb 13, 2009)

another great translation. thanks shinpachi!


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## proton45 (Feb 13, 2009)

Shinpachi said:


> You are welcome, proton45 and Thank You for reading my translations.
> 
> Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am too old to be emotional about our history and what I wish is to have these stories known in the world.
> 
> Thanks again for your good post8)



For my family, I don't think its emotion over history...I think its a matter of being reminded of unpleasant things. Little details of history bring back bad memories like a flood...people who died, family that never returned, ect...

But thank you from me... 

p.s. [edit] Nice picture...very nice work.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 13, 2009)

Shinpachi said:


> Thanks Aaron for your post.
> I am often afraid of my translation making your people unhappy.
> 
> Thank you very much



I am of the opinion that as long as it is true and part of history there is no reason for any animosity towards a person of another country especially when it happened 60 years ago. I do not believe that you yourself can be held accountable for what happened in World War II. I cannot speak for anyone else but myself on this sight when I say you will not offend me by translating this peace of history. I enjoy it very much and I appreciate and commend your time and work. Thank you again.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 13, 2009)

Hi, Aaron,

I am much impressed with your perfect comment about my translation.
It is filled with not only your cool rational way of thinking but warm generousity. 
I appreciate it very much.

You may look forward to my future translations. 
They are always messages from the past.
Thanks


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## Shinpachi (Feb 14, 2009)

Thanks Wayne, kaigunair for your reading again!

Thanks proton45 for your opinion about history.
That has reminded me of a testimony about the Battle of Shumushu (northern part of Kuril Islands) on August 18, 1945 when the war was over but the island received sudden attacks by the former Soviet Union.

As this will be a long story, I would like to introduce it on another occasion but, if I may introduce it in a word here, the battle scene reminded me of that of Iwo-Jima!


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## Wayne Little (Feb 14, 2009)

Aaron Brooks Wolters said:


> I am of the opinion that as long as it is true and part of history there is no reason for any animosity towards a person of another country especially when it happened 60 years ago. I do not believe that you yourself can be held accountable for what happened in World War II. I cannot speak for anyone else but myself on this sight when I say you will not offend me by translating this peace of history. I enjoy it very much and I appreciate and commend your time and work. Thank you again.



Well said Aaron...well said


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## proton45 (Feb 15, 2009)

Shinpachi said:


> Thanks Wayne, kaigunair for your reading again!
> 
> Thanks proton45 for your opinion about history.
> That has reminded me of a testimony about the Battle of Shumushu (northern part of Kuril Islands) on August 18, 1945 when the war was over but the island received sudden attacks by the former Soviet Union.
> ...



The "Battle of Shumushu"...wow, looking forward to reading this.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 15, 2009)

Roger, proton45. That shall be handled on another thread8) 
Thanks!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 17, 2009)

Sergeant-major Nobuyuki Takenaka was a graduate of Kumagaya Army Aviation School which was established in 1935 and located in Saitama Prefecture, north to Tokyo.

I have found some photos of the school on Yahoo auction.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 17, 2009)

Very interesting Shinpachi, thank you.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 18, 2009)

You are welcome, Aaron.
Thanks for your friendly post as usual. 

My next translation will be article no. 79 in which Lt. Masato Yokota explains the performances of the U.S. military aircrafts and how to fight with them based on his combat experience in the southern fronts. Please look forward to it


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 18, 2009)

As always!


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## Wayne Little (Feb 21, 2009)

looking forward to it!

like your Shiden Kai too!! working on one sort of on and off at the moment...


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## Shinpachi (Feb 21, 2009)

Hai, Shiden Kai mo yarana kereba ikemasenshi...
(*Yes, I must also do the Shiden-kai beside...)

Oh, Wayne. Can you speak Japanese too??? 
Thanks for your thorough checking!


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## Wayne Little (Feb 25, 2009)

Shinpachi said:


> Hai, Shiden Kai mo yarana kereba ikemasenshi...
> (*Yes, I must also do the Shiden-kai beside...)
> 
> Oh, Wayne. Can you speak Japanese too???
> Thanks for your thorough checking!



Nah...mate, know a few words but thats about it...and then I get them mixed up......Domo arigato!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 25, 2009)

Wayne Little said:


> ....Domo arigato!



Wow


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## Wayne Little (Feb 25, 2009)

Now don't get too excited there's not much more....


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## Shinpachi (Mar 3, 2009)

OK. Here comes...


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## Shinpachi (Mar 3, 2009)

Article No.79


Performances of the U.S. fighters
=========================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi 


The weather was so bad with heavy rains from the morning that it was hard for me to expect air-raid by the U.S. planes on that day but I prepared for sortie before going to the standby room.
"We are just about to have a lecture by Lieutenant Y(*Masato Yokota) on the air-combat tactics from now. Why don't you have it together? It would be any useful for you too." Sergeant-major suggested me.

I had experienced Sergeant-major's fearless air-combats many times but I knew that he was acknowledging Lieutenant's superiority with respect and I myself had been longing for hearing his talks some time, including his combat experience too. I answered "Yes, please."


Lieutenant commenced-

"Each military aircraft has advantage and disadvantage by the model. Unless you learn those performances of U.S. military aircrafts by the model sufficiently to fight, you have no chance to win. It is most important that you daily grasp their performances well so that you don't fight relying on your guts only. Then, you will be prepared enough not to be panicked anytime you may be attacked by them abruptly. At the same time you train the spirit of 'Know the enemy to know yourself', it is most important that you have such mental attitude that you are ready to act cool anytime. That is the turningpoint of life and death. I explain their performances by the model."


1. Grumman carrier-borne fighter F6F-3 Hellcat(U.S.Navy)
This aircraft is sturdy and simple. Another masterpiece of so-called "Grumman Ironworks".
Hellcat is what Wildcat is resized bigger and improved faster. A huge radial engine of 18-cylinder with 2000hp which exceeds that of Mitsubishi Zero Fighter is mounted. Combined with the performance and the sturdiness, it was regarded as a top level fighter in the Pacific front. 


[Advantages]
a. Sturdy Grumman structure.
b. Easy to maneuver.
c. Speed and activation are excellent.
d. Equipped with very heavy armament.
e. Bullet-proof facilities are sturdy.

[Disadvantages] 
a. Not the fastest U.S. fighter.
b. Not necessarily so agile as Zero fighter.


[Hints for air-combat]
As Hellcat is agile and equipped with the powerful engine, combat at altitude 18,000 to 21,000feet is risky.
Therefore, it is also a sort of tactics for you to bring the opponent into the low altitude combat.
When attacked, wrap against the enemy and attack from its front making use of your firearms as much as possible.
Showing your tail is risky. Also, as Hellcat pilots think their teamwork tactics as an insurance, once the team is broken into 1 v 1 fight, it is unexpectedly easy for you to fight but you must study how to break the formation first.


2. Lockheed P-38F Lightning Fighter(U.S.Army)
When I encountered this fighter for the first time, I was impressed very much with its unique appearance that one can never forget and high performance. Equipped with twin liquid-cooled Allison V12 engines, long range flight on the ocean is possible. As torque effect is counteracted by the propellers that rotate in opposite directions each other, flight is smooth.

This is also popular with their pilots because of its heavy armament which is mounted on the nose altogether with the nose-wheel to compose a favorable 3-wheel landing gear system. Superior diving to other fighters is possible but the high speed in diving often causes vibration on its twin booms and the tail wings could be broken to crash unless the vibration is well controlled. In addition, this fighter is not so agile in circling as other fighters because of its size and weight but, combining with its high engine power, excellent sudden rising is possible.


[Advantages]
a. Hi-speed, sufficient rate of climb and good diving characteristics.
b. heavy armament which is concentrated on the nose.
c. The reverse rotation propellers counteract the torque effect.
d. Long range flight is possible with the twin engines. Twin is safer than single.

[Disadvantages]
a. Not so maneuverable as a lightweight single engine fighter.
b. In hard diving from extremely high altitude, vibration is generated by the compression property of air and there is a possibility of aerial disintegration. This is particular to Type F.
c. Allison engine of turbo charger type has a risk of injury under the cold weather.
d. Air combat at lower altitude with slower speed is not advantageous for this fighter.


3. Vought F4U Corsair Fighter(U.S.Navy Marine Corps)
Corsair has adopted the inverted gull wing for the shorter leg to prevent the large propeller from cutting the flight deck of aircraft carrier when landing.　At early stage of operation, we heard that oleo was so hard and bouncy that there was an accident the plane jumped over the cable for arrestor hook.
Because of this disadvantage, its operational adtivities were limited within the land till April 1944 but was to return to dominate the Pacific together with Grumman F6F as Navy and Marines began to use them from carrier and land.

But, because of long nose, foreward visibility is so bad that final landing approach to the carrier was difficult.
Corsair is, however, a completed fighter with the top class performances of acceleration, speed and maneuverability.
I had several air-combats with it. A tough opponent.
One of my comrades at the time called Corsair "Whistling Death" because, I think, the sound the large oil coolers in the wing cut the wind in diving was characteristic.


[Advantages]
a. High speed and superior maneuverability.
b. Heavy armament that no other fighters have.

[Disadvantages]
a. Risk for take-off and landing is higher than any other carrier-based aircrafts because the foreward visibility is limited.
b. Careless spin is often risky as it has a tendency of nose-down to spin wildly.

There are other U.S. fighters I have encountered but the fighters to be mentioned in particular are these three.
We are not a fighting unit when our primary mission is search and reconnaissance. But thinking about the present circumstances that they have the command of the air over the Pacific Ocean, such situation that we can't avoid not only the enemy planes but following air-combat with them will happen several times. Know the opponent's performances first and know their disadvantages in details by the model. I wish you all a good fight."


By the way, Lieutenant's bullet injury on his leg was said given by a Corsair during air-combat.
Giving a temporary hemostasis, he flew about 60 miles to home.
Much bleeding brought him into a state of dim consciousness and he woke up to find himself on a bed of the field hospital.

What he remembered was a thud when his plane(*Ki-43 Oscar) landed and a couple of bounces before he lost his consciousness.
His opponent Corsair exploded in mid-air to crash. What I was impressed with Lieutenant's personality was he was never proud of his war-result but kept telling us his story with no exaggerations.


/End of Article No.79


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## kaigunair (Mar 3, 2009)

thanks again shinpachi!
in view of the latest post, here are some interesting photos:


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## kaigunair (Mar 3, 2009)




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## kaigunair (Mar 3, 2009)




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## Wayne Little (Mar 3, 2009)

Excellent Shinpachi, thanks once again! 

Where have I seen those pics before?


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## Shinpachi (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks kaigunair, Wayne for your reading again.

Photos seem coming from a personal album.
Very nice photos


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## proton45 (Mar 3, 2009)

Now I'm curious what the "whistling death" sound of the wing/oil coolers sounds like...anybody got an mp3?


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## kaigunair (Mar 3, 2009)

picked them up last year - I recently posted them to figure out what the planes were in the background. The uniforms were really bugging me, as they didn't seem japanese. 

Turns out, these are early Japanese self defense force pictures!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Mar 3, 2009)

Another excellent read Shinpachi. Interesting to know what they thought of their opposition. Enjoyed it immensely.


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## proton45 (Mar 4, 2009)

kaigunair said:


> picked them up last year - I recently posted them to figure out what the planes were in the background. The uniforms were really bugging me, as they didn't seem japanese.
> 
> Turns out, these are early Japanese self defense force pictures!




I wish we could figure out who the pilot was (is)...his expression and attitude is "pure fighter pilot". I wonder if he was a WW2 pilot?


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## Shinpachi (Mar 4, 2009)

Hi, Aaron! Thanks again for your reading.
I'm so happy you have enjoyed my translation very much!

********

Hi, proton45.
Thanks for your reading too.
The photos kaigunair posted are certainly of JMSDF as he points out.
I have looked details up to some web sites -

JMSDF borrowed 1 each of Grumman JRF-4 and 5 on October 18, 1955 and more 2 JRF-5s on November 25 totally 4 from the United States. All were called JRF-5 and used as a rescue float plane at 91st air squadron of Omura aviation unit of JMSDF. They were all replaced with UF-2 in 1961 to resign.

The pilot on the photos is still unknown.

Image link: JMSDF Shimousa on Hikoki-kumo


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## kaigunair (Mar 27, 2009)

just thought I'd btt. can't wait for the next translation!


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## Shinpachi (Mar 27, 2009)

Oh Sorry, kaigunair!
My next translation will be article no.27 with the title "Jamming".

Enjoying a range of Aaron's beautiful photographs on this forum, I've forgot my time passing. It was a "Jamming" for me 

Thanks kaigunair for pulling me back8)


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## Wayne Little (Mar 28, 2009)

C'mon Shinpachi back to translation school!


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## Shinpachi (Mar 28, 2009)

Thanks Wayne for your request too.

OK, till my next translation comes up, please enjoy my artwork gallery in here:
Picasaweb.google/Shinpachi


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Mar 29, 2009)

Very nice work Shinpachi! Thank you for sharing.


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## Shinpachi (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks Aaron for checking my gallery 
It does not reach to your excellent photographic skills though


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## Wayne Little (Mar 30, 2009)

Great site Shinpachi, excellent CGI and photo's!


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## Shinpachi (Mar 30, 2009)

You are welcome, Wayne.
I believe you are lucky to see my site8)


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Mar 30, 2009)

Shinpachi said:


> Thanks Aaron for checking my gallery
> It does not reach to your excellent photographic skills though



To be honest, I really do not know what I'm doing, I just keep shooting on different settings and get lucky from time to time.


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## Shinpachi (May 15, 2009)

Hi Aaron and my dear friends, here has come article no. 27 at last.
Sorry for my slow work.

Article No.27

Jamming
=======
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi

From midnight of March 9 to early dawn of March 10 in 1945, Tokyo had a big air-raid by B-29s with enormous damage by the incendiary bombs over Johto district (present Sumida-ku and Kohto-ku).
In order to detect the trend of B-29s activities from Saipan direction, our army special intelligence study group located in Tanashi City of Tokyo was capturing the radio despatched from B-29s with 24-hour-system but they were unable to crack the code well.

(* The cities of Tanashi and Hoya were combined to Nishi-Tokyo City on January 21, 2001.)

At such time, our Base Commander ordered us to gather. Those who were called were Chief of Communication Room, Senior Sergeant of Communication Room, 1st Private of Technology, Sergeant Major and me. Seeing the members, it was hard for me to understand what our Commander thought about. 

He told us -
“As you know well, B-29s despatch V-codes to adjust sensitivity of radio repeatedly soon after their take-off. Now, don’t you have any good idea how to detect the frequency and disturb their radio communication by despatching powerful noise at the same frequency? After take-off, order and instruction to each ship by their leader is taken place by the radio only. So, If their contact is once disturbed, their command system will be confused with no doubt. If it’s nighttime and bad weather, influence on their flight course is considered immense above all. 

To use such a makeshift tactics is not necessarily my true intention but when the situation is like this today, I believe we have no other choice but carry it out. There will be objection from the special intelligence devision and its following counterespionage sections, saying jamming interfere their mission, as they are making daily efforts for explication of codes. But I think it is effective as a method for our whole military to carry out such tactics precisely and promptly that disturbs enemy’s flight plan and leads our interception system advantageously. Therefore, in order to negotiate with the aviation headquarters, I request you to make up our basic plan within two days. Chief of Communication Room is a leader for the maneuvers summary and Sergeant-major is another leader for the technical side. This matter is treated as confidential and all responsibility belongs to myself. That is all.”

The reason why Sergeant-major was appointed as a leader for the technical matter was he was a graduate of electricity class of a certain industrial high school.
I thought Base Commander’s idea was theoretically effective but when we thought about the serious influence on our army radio communication by unexpected mistake, we were not only requested detailed perfect plan but never allowed any inconsistency on technical aspect. Also, I felt much responsibility about the fact that such a young boy like me was chosen as a member.

As we had no enough time to gather and discuss so often, using a KJ-method( KJ-Method - Mycoted ) which was once popular with our businessmen in the postwar, each member made up his own idea first to discuss together two days later. Our suggestion as a team was summarized generally as follows.

1. We shall order the crystal oscillator of the same frequency the U.S. planes use to a maker.
Delivery is requested as soon as possible. Order origin shall be the aviation headquarters.
(The approximate frequency was grasped by us then.)
(Note: When a piece of crystal is loaded a certain voltage, it generates coherent frequency. The quartz chronometer applies this principle.)

2. Timing for Jamming
We capture their V-codes plane by plane first during they are despatching them to adjust sensitivity and, when we have almost specified the total number of B-29s, we shall launch jamming.

3. For the counterespionage sections, the aviation headquarters explain the purposes of this operation well and ask their good understanding and cooperation. 　　　

4. Not awaiting the final approval from the headquarters, We shall begin remodeling the ongoing transmitter for this operation purpose immediately. In case of no approval after all, we stop the work at that point.

5. We newly order 2 sets of transmitter of high output. Until they are deployed, we shall use the remodeled equipment.

6. We shall send Senior Sergeant of Communication Room and 1st Private of Technology to a maker for 2 days to study and investigate the development. (The maker shall be the one 1st Private of Technology came from.)

7. The aviation headquarters shall place order for the maker with the special specification.

8. To execute this operation, when there is any complaint or opinion etc from the other communication or non-communication troops or any, they shall be requested to contact with the aviation headquarters.
Individual correspondence shall be prohibited.　

9. This operation shall be handled as military secret and apply the penal regulations for the leak of secret.

10. The highest commander for this operation shall be our Base Commander.
The execution commander shall be our Chief of Communication Room and he decides the timing for jamming when it is thought necessary.

In the afternoon of the second day, we suggested our basic plan to our Base Commander.
"Good. I will check contents to add and correct within today. Prepare necessary copies by 10:00 tomorrow. It was a hardship."
Senior Sergeant of Communication Room, 1st Private of Technology and I scratched the stencil paper with an iron pen for Mimeograph to print the maneuvers summary. We worked hard almost through the night and handed copies to Base Commander through Chief of Communication Room next day. Base Commander soon went to the aviation headquarters in the afternoon.
He was young and always handled work so promptly that his adjutant would be very busy everyday.

By the way, Commander of the aviation headquarters at that time was Lieutenant General Lee. He is introduced on my article number 11.

In the evening of three days later, Base Commander gathered all staff in the base and explained the purpose of this operation along with its execution summary and the fact that this was the official order by the headquarters.

Some formations of B-29s which left Saipan and Tinian heading north for the mainland of Japan were interfered their communication about the flight course by our jamming. They lost direction above far offshore Enshu-nada(*far southern open sea from Nagoya) and, when they were circling there, our army fighter Toryus(*Ki-45 Nick) intercepted to achieve a great war-result. This was what I heard later.

Peaceful today, the islands of Saipan and Tinian are popular as a sightseeing spot but I don't think that so many of young generation are interested in the islands as a historical place of decisive battles during the war. Tinian, above all, is the island where the B-29s for Hiroshima and Nagasaki took off.

Though this is an additonal talk, I recently heard that an illegal religious organization in China“Ho-Lin-Ko(Japanese reading)” launches jamming from Taiwan against a Chinese communications satellite to disturb CCTV(Chinese Central Television) program. This communications satellite was launched by“long march 3” in 1998.　

In addition too, it was largely reported on TV and newspapers etc about the guard relations for the World Cup in Japan last year but not so much about the jamming for communications.　In May, 2002, the General Affairs Ministry established a security section that corresponds the radio interference and disturbance.

Recently, such an equipment that disturbs the communication by mobile phones is being sold in Tokyo and Osaka for twenty to sixty thousand JP-yen. This makes phone communication within three meters impossible. As this is also illegal, the General Affairs Ministry is said trying to grasp information.


/End of Article No.27


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## kaigunair (May 15, 2009)

thanks shinpachi! again, great information about the jpn side during the war. =D>


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (May 15, 2009)

Thank you Shinpachi. It was well worth the wait.


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## Shinpachi (May 15, 2009)

You are welcome, kaigunair and Aaron.
Thanks for your reading.

Checking my posting dates, I am surprised it took more than one month to translate this time.
Thanks again for your waiting and good patience!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (May 15, 2009)

It is not a problem waiting. We understand that life can leave little time for the the fun things we like to do.8)


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## Shinpachi (May 17, 2009)

A fun thing for me will be to share information with the people who can understand it.
Thank you very much, Aaron, for your generous mind, always.
I appreciate it.

Attached image: A colorful temple in my neighborhood


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (May 17, 2009)




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## Wildcat (May 17, 2009)

Well done mate. Now if you ever get bored you could always translate more of those floatplane articles! hint hint


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## Shinpachi (May 17, 2009)

Good advice. Thanks mate


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## Wayne Little (May 22, 2009)

Running a bit late on reading the next installment, well done again Shinpachi, Domo Arigato my friend!


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## Shinpachi (May 22, 2009)

Dou itashi mashite, Wayne Little san!
You are welcome, Wayne. Thank you for reading!


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## kaigunair (Sep 4, 2009)

hope alls well with shinpachi. can't wait to read the next article.


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## Shinpachi (Sep 29, 2009)

Sorry kaigunair for my late posting but thanks for your waiting! Here is -


Article No.93

Ambush at the Uraga Channel
==================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


On March 17, 1945 when the farewell telegram was sent from the head of army corps, Lieutenant-general Tadamichi Kuribayashi to our general headquarters in mainland Japan, organized resistance by Ogasawara Army Corps came to the end and our Iwo-jima had been fallen.

Soon after the occupation, the U.S. military proceeded re-construction of such ex-Japanese airfields as "Motoyma" and "Kita" quickly to build up the larger 2,600 meters runways to deploy the long-ranged P-51 Mustangs along with P-38 Lightnings in early April. A large advance base for attacking the Japanese mainland was being constructed on the Iwo-jima for the large fighter group which held exceeding 100 P-51 Mustangs and P-38 Lightnings.

Fighters frequently took off the island not only to escort B-29s who carried out the indiscriminated incendiary air raids in nighttime but to carry out their own attacks onto our mainland air bases as well as reconnaissance on our military facilities in daytime.
We were busily occupied to the adequate grasp of the collection and analysis of information, the trend of the American aircrafts and reports to the headquarters days and nights. 

During our patrol mission, we were basically using the code(cipher) for communication but, in case we had to report promptly or we happened to be involved in air combat, we used the high speed communication with raw text or the radio phone as we had no time for using the code.
In that case, the word and sentense should be favorable as short as possible but if it had not been a term which your partner could understand, communication could not have been established.

When we talk about the word JPEG or MPEG of the data compression method for the personal computer, it reminds us of a top IT technology but remember we have already been using the "compression of words" for hundreds of years. For example, we have "Unadon" for "Unagi-donburi(Bowl of rice topped with broiled eel)" or "Tendon" for "Tenpura-donburi(Bowl of rice topped with fried fish and vegetables)". Above all, there are many compressed words for Katakana letters like "Carnavi" for "Car-navigation", "Apli" for "Application". "Degicame" for "Degital-camera" is generalized recently.
Listening to the conversation among young people, I am often unable to understand what kind of Japanese they use.

Now -
The purpose of communication is to deliver message as briefly as possible with no errors.
I wondered if there should be any much better compressed words for emergency communication than the code. So, I proposed Chief of Communication Room and Sergeant-major(Takenaka) to study "Compression of the word" together.

We had a meeting after dinner to list up the words we daily frequently used and suggested each other the relevant compressed words but did not reach the good conclusion. We were to have a meeting, with new idea, again on the next day. As I was a proposer, thinking how about this, how about that, I couldn't fall asleep easily though we had a sortie schedule with 3 patrol planes at 0500 tomorrow morning.

In early next morning, we 3 planes took off one after another. The plane of Sergeant-major and I flew along the Izu Peninsula(*loacated nearby Mt.Fuji) to south.
"Any news, let us know immediately." I asked our base as I could not help feeling something wrong might happen on that day.

I told it to Sergeant-major. He advised -
"Yes, some times, such presentiment comes true but when you are ready enough to cope with it calmly, you don't have to worry even if any unusual thing may happen. If you can't cope with it appropriately, death will be waiting for you. Bear it in your mind well."

"3 P-51s circling above our base. They do not seem attacking us. They seem contacting with their base. Maybe telling 'No suspicious aircrafts. Only barns. Was the information correct?' We are trying to catch their radio frequency." our base advised.

To hear that, Sergeant-major requested Chief of Communication Room,
"I request you to order the base staff not to go out in the uniform and not to shoot them till they begin to shoot."
"We have been ordered by Sub-commander Yokota to shelter into the air-raid shelter in the coppice and all already completed." Chief confirmed.

I thought the circling 3 P-51s were possibly taking photos repeatedly. I did not know how they had obtained the information about our base but there could have been any anti-Japanese agent who informed it to the US side saying "There is a suspicious facility to doubt a secret aviation unit".

"They seem completed mission. We have caught their communication. Junction is offshore Tsurugizaki of Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. We judge it from the coordinate value the US aircrafts told." our Chief advised.

To hear that, Sergeant-major looked unusual. On radio phone, he instructed our other 2 patrol planes flown by Sergeant Goto and Sergeant Nakatani as follows -
"As you have just heard, the US aircrafts are thought taken photos of our base and its surroundings. I guess that they have already informed their base of what they observed but we can't allow them to bring back the film. We only shoot them down. Gather above Johga-shima Island at altitude 6,000 (abt. 18,000 feet). We head for their junction. Here is my advice again. The opponents are not good at the air combat of 1-vs-1 and of the low altitude. Bearing it in mind, attack them."

Image of the Miura Peninsula came up on my radar screen but no US aircraft (*The author's plane had benn renewed to the latest model of Ki-45c equipped with the radar device. This is introduced in Article No.90 which is not translated yet). I estimated that they were flying above the countryside separately to avoid attack from the ground. Altitude would not be higher than 1,000 meters (abt.3,000 feet) at highest.

According to the information from our base afterwards, they seemed came in our mainland from the cape Inubo-saki which is located at the east end of Kanto Plains and turned to west at the northern part of Tokyo to access our base. This fact indicated that our inland information were grasped in details by the US military. When they flew lower altitude, the speed looked so fast that it was harder for us on the ground to identify them whether they were friend or enemy. That was why they could invade easily.

One of them appeared on my radar screen.
It might have been overlapped with the ground image earlier.
Sergeant-major instructed both sergeants Goto and Nakatani to gather 10 km(abt.6 miles) offshore the cape Tsurugi-zaki and we 3 planes ambushed them with a certain interval each other.
I was also able to catch the rest 2 on the screen.
I was impressed with the superiority of the radar. It could catch the target even at such a long distance that targets were invisible by the human eye.

Sergeant-major sent instructions to both sergeants one after another,
"I take the first one", "Sergeant Goto, you take the second", "Sergeant Nakatani, you take the last", "They are not visible yet but fly toward the direction xx(*value), the coordinate xx" and he added his murmuring "It's impossible for me to allow them to enter our capital from the backdoor and go out from the front door with no greeting".

The first one was visible. The pilot did not seem noticed us.
He was flying to the south at altitude about 1,000 meters (3,000 feet). It would be hard for him to discover us when there was the altitude difference as many as 5,000 meters (abt.15,000 feet) and, at his low altitude, he was busy about paying his full attention to the horizontal direction and his enemy vessels on the sea.

Sergeant-major dove with the full throttle.
Speed was accelerated faster than the maximum for the level flight, exceeding 600 km(abt.330 knots)/hour.
Aiming at a little forward of the target nose, Sergeant-major sent his full volley of bullets and cannons.
It was an instant game.
The target burst into flames to disappear into the Uraga Channel.

How were Sergeants Goto and Nakatani?
They reported that the other two targets had failed to climb from their low altitude and crashed into the offshore Miura Peninsula.

Informing of the war-result to the base, I thought that our team would have to move as soon as possible, otherwise, there would be no more security that we would have no more attack. 

Also, how long Japan was going to hang in....


/End of Article No.93


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## GrauGeist (Sep 29, 2009)

Many thanks for the latest translation, Shinpachi!


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## Shinpachi (Sep 29, 2009)

You are welcome, GrauGeist
Thanks for reading!


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## Wayne Little (Sep 29, 2009)

Good stuff Shinpachi, glad to read another installment!


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## kaigunair (Sep 29, 2009)

thanks shinpachi! another wonderful article.

I wonder if someone is able to identify the US pilots in this article that were shot down. Losing 3 planes at this stage of the war would probably have been noted somewhere. Was there a date of this incident in the article?

thanks for translating these!
:BIG:


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## Shinpachi (Sep 29, 2009)

Thanks Wayne for reading!

I'm just rendering my trial short movie for the first time this year.
Please look forward to it too


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## Shinpachi (Sep 29, 2009)

kaigunair said:


> thanks shinpachi! another wonderful article.
> 
> I wonder if someone is able to identify the US pilots in this article that were shot down. Losing 3 planes at this stage of the war would probably have been noted somewhere. Was there a date of this incident in the article?
> 
> ...



You are welcome, kaigunair
I'm glad if you enjoyed my translation.

Yes, I believe the author had any clue, like the incident date and IDs, to identify his opponents.
No one courld write such a detailed story as this without memo. This incident is thought happened in April to May 1945 at least.

To research more details, I need concentration but have no time to do at the moment.
Sorry but I believe I will be sure to have an opportunity in the future.
Please enjoy my translation for the time being.

Thanks!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 29, 2009)

That was well worth the wait Shinpachi !!      Thank you for taking the time to translate and post article 93. I am looking forward to the movie.


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## vikingBerserker (Sep 29, 2009)

That was excellent Shinpachi. I really appreciate you taking the time to translate this for us!


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## Shinpachi (Sep 29, 2009)

You are welcome, Aaron and vikingBerserker!
I'm so happy you enjoyed my post again.
Thanks for reading my poor translation

PS: According to his story article no.90, the small radar was an experimental one and had been proved effective in no.93.


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## vikingBerserker (Sep 29, 2009)

Poor translation??? Your english is better then mine!


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## Wayne Little (Sep 30, 2009)

Shinpachi said:


> Thanks Wayne for reading!
> 
> I'm just rendering my trial short movie for the first time this year.
> Please look forward to it too



Oh!...I'm looking forward to it!


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## Shinpachi (Sep 30, 2009)

It's so kind of you vikingBerserker, Aaron and Wayne to encourage but -
Nothing is easy

My story will be like this -
1. B-29s take off Saipan. Target Nakajima aircraft in the west of Tokyo
2. They encounter Japanese fighters above Hamamatsu nearby Mitsubishi, Nagoya
3. A sq 22 Haley's Comet of 73rd BG gets flak hit on bomb-bay to fire
4. She abandons bombs but one bomb stays in the bay to let the doors keep open
5. Fighters judge she is damaged and begin fierce attack
6. Jack rush from her front, Tony from above, Zeke from below and Nick from the rear to ram
7. Nick crashed
8. At altitude 24,000 ft above Chiba Prefecture(east to Tokyo), crews bail out before her explosion

This is a true story happened on January 27, 1945 but story seems too long.
I have no such good skills as complete all story.....this is the problem....

I have a lot of problems but please let me try once
Thanks.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Sep 30, 2009)

Take your time Shinpachi. We will wait patiently, won't we guys?


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## Wayne Little (Oct 1, 2009)

Aaron Brooks Wolters said:


> Take your time Shinpachi. We will wait patiently, won't we guys?



You Bet we will!

What's this about poor translation.... much harder to read if it was still in Japanese.....we appreciate your time and effort to bring us these articles Shinpachi-san.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 1, 2009)

Thanks Aaron. I'm beginning to enjoy making the movie.
At first, I have replaced my last GIF image with the smaller but better one with the blur effect.
Also, another small sample attached here
It's OK now. I will take time.
Thanks for your good advice.

HI, Wayne
Thanks for your so friendly encouragement, too.
You often speak some good Japanese with good timing
It's natural. You have good talent for the language too8)

Thanks guys!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 1, 2009)




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## Wayne Little (Oct 3, 2009)

Agree with Aaron!


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## vikingBerserker (Oct 3, 2009)

WOW!


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## Shinpachi (Oct 3, 2009)

My experimental movie for only 5 seconds but with engine SOUND

I have chose this Taic model as it has all necessary parts and settings for movie at the moment.
Hope you to enjoy.
Thanks!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 3, 2009)




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## kaigunair (Jan 12, 2010)

bumping...hope there are more stories shinpachi!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 13, 2010)

Ok, I try it again kaigunair. Thanks.


Article No.22

Voice of America
==========
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


We were on our way home to the base as completed a patrol flight over the far southern sea from Ensyu-nada(a sea near Nagoya) . When I was sending telegraph "This is aircraft xx(name). Now homing. Direction xx(value)" to a radar base, my partner Sergeant-major said "Catch VOA" (Voice of America in Japanese language).

Connecting his receiver to the radio, I tuned to the frequency. Fluent Japanese started streaming out. At the time, it was strictly prohibited for not only the soldiers but the civillians to listen to VOA. The military police and the special police were watching the soldiers and the civillians respectively to check. Once found, arrested. 

For reference, amateur-radio as a hobby was prohibited completely in 1941. 331 shortwave receivers in the country were closed.


..... This story continues


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## Wayne Little (Jan 13, 2010)

We have been waiting patiently my friend....


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## Shinpachi (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks Wayne for your favorable words too.
Sorry for my devided posts of a translation but I wonder if it might be better than no post or a post altogether at a time much much later. Anyway, here it continues -

Please enjoy, kaigunair, too!

.....................................

For reference, amateur-radio as a hobby was prohibited completely in 1941. 331 shortwave receivers in the country were closed.

Therefore, we were also prohibited in the base but, in the sky, we listened to it because there were no others but us two. 

We were guessing that there were less reliability in the official announcements issued by our General Headquarters(*Dai Hon Ei). It might have been their consideration not to disappoint the people that they exaggerated the war-result with underestimation of the actual damage but, thinking the war situation, it was hard for us to wipe off the impression of impending crisis.

"This is VOA, Voice of America broadcasting to Japanese listeners. Today, we must inform you of a bad news for the listeners. On March 17, your Iwo-jima was fallen and the Japanese army defense corps was regretly destroyed totally. We pray their souls may rest in peace and express condolences from the bottom of our heart for their families. We wish you all the Japanese people to awake immediately to stop this useless war." 

After a while, Sergeant-major asked
"Do you think we can win this war?" I could not answer soon.
"A rolling stone goes to the end with no stop but remember the courage to go backward is a truer courage than to go forward."

I awaited his next word but no word came. We kept silence each other for a while.

To hear his word "Cut VOA", I returned to myself.
I recalled there was such an incident sometime ago that a radio crew of another patrol plane had forgot to cut his radio switch and a mass of groundcrews gathered around it to listen to VOA. As a sergeant who was a maintenance leader kindly disregarded it, no one was blamed fortunately.


...... This story still continues.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 13, 2010)

(The last paragraphs)



..............................As a sergeant who was a maintenance leader kindly disregarded it, no one was blamed fortunately.

Japan was also launching a propaganda radio program.
The program was intended to break the fighting spirit of the US soldiers by stirring up their homesickness.

The female DJ was called "Tokyo Rose" and she was popular with our team members, too.
Her age was estimated around from late 20s to mid 30s. She would have made us homesickness with her sexy voice and intonation before our enemy was made boneless.

As it was broadcasted in English, of course, I was unable to understand what she said but her fluent intonation fascinated me. A communication corporal who happened to be in our team and had been born/grown up in the US but forced repatriation after Pearl Harbor kindly volunteered his translation for me.

"Your girlfriend, wife, father, mother and lovely children are waiting for your coming home. Their irreplaceable one in the world. Yes, it is you..."

Although it is superfluous to say so, I once happened to have a chance in my business to contact with a US soldier of occupation forces in Japan. I asked him if any about the Tokyo Rose. He admitted they were also stirred up their homesickness.

After homing, I would like to tell my colleague the latest news about Iwo-jima but gave up as our listening to VOA would be known.

Note: Voice of America

　　Japan Standard Time /　　　　　Frequencies
　　　06:00～07:00 /　　　　　9670,11870,15185,17735,17820 kHz
　　　20:00～24:00 /　　　　　6110,9645,9760,11705,15425 kHz


/End of Article No.22


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 13, 2010)

WELL WORTH THE WAIT Shinpachi!!!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks Aaron for your reading and sorry for my long absence from this thread.

I must appreciate kaigunair again for his kick me up.

I have found out my translation for the partial posts like this time is very quick to finish all.
It gave me the least stress unlike before.

Please look forward to the future one.
Thanks!


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## Glider (Jan 14, 2010)

I promise you we will look forward to the next one


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## Wayne Little (Jan 14, 2010)

Keep 'em coming Good Sir!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 14, 2010)

It's kind of you, Glider and Wayne to have read my posts again.

This kind of topic is very familiar to me as I was also listening to VOA and FEN - Far East Network of American Forces Radio Television Service in Japan when I was a highschool boy.

Also, my father was an electric/radio engineer.
His career was very alike the author's.

Thanks!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 14, 2010)

Again, we will wait patiently.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 15, 2010)

Next will be sooner. Thanks Aaron


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## otftch (Jan 15, 2010)

Wonderful stuff.
Ed


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## Shinpachi (Jan 15, 2010)

Thanks Ed


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## kaigunair (Jan 25, 2010)

thanks shinpachi! I'm always grateful for your postings!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 26, 2010)

Thanks kaigunair for your always strong encouragements.

My next translation will be the one relating to a B-29 which dropped a new type bomb on Hiroshima.
Author's team was capturing 3 (not 2) B-29s flying for Hiroshima on the day. Their flight looked strange because.....


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## Wayne Little (Jan 27, 2010)

Bring it on Shinpachi san..


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## Shinpachi (Jan 27, 2010)

Sorry Wayne for my obscure way of writing. It will be coming soon.

At the moment, I am drawing Stuka(Yes, JU-87) main spar as this is requested by a restorer in Belgium.
This will be completed in a couple of weeks at latest. So, please kindly be patient for a while.
Thank you very much for looking forward to my translation.
Domo arigato.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 27, 2010)

Excellent work sir!!! Work on, we shall wait patiently.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks Aaron for your kindest care.
Article Nos. 110-113 cover a story about the new type bomb on Hiroshima.


Article No.110

Manhattan Project
===========
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi

It was the afternoon of hot summer sunshine on August 5, 1945.
2nd Lt. Hiraoka, Sergeant Fujita and I visited our commander's room as we had a message "I have a special message for you three" from Commander Morita.

Commander commenced
"In the early morning today, an operation meeting was held at the headquarters. I tell you what was discussed there and our future mission.

The planes we named "mysterious planes" are to be called "special mission planes" from now on.

Our Central Special Intelligence Division of Army captured a news from a foreign news agency that a new weapon experiment was carried out in New Mexico in the US on July 16.

Based on this news and our own reseach about the "Mysterious B-29s" which has been being taken place since early July, the destructive power of the new type weapon is thought much more advanced one than the conventional ones.

In addition, we must pay attention to the facts that these B-29s have had their training flights to access to our mainland several times before and the squadron numbers of V600s for B-29s deployed on the Mariana islands are handled as missing ones from the beginning.

That is, it is evident that the squadrons of V600s are charged with a special mission from the beginning.

Our headquarters commander's order is - Central Special Intelligence Division of Army and other comunication intelligence teams, radar bases are to keep watch on their actitivities of the 'special mission planes' without relaxing at any moment and to make our best efforts for our homeland defence with atmost attention.

That is all."


......this story continues.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 28, 2010)

So the Japanese Military knew we had something going on. Very interesting Shinpachi. You keep coming up with exceptional pieces of history that I have not read or heard of.   Don't let this get in the way of your work.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks Aaron. Yes, it seems that they knew something about the project in advance.
Here it continues....

*************************************
...... Our headquarters commander's order is - Central Special Intelligence Division of Army and other comunication intelligence teams, radar bases are to keep watch on their actitivities of the 'special mission planes' without relaxing at any moment and to make our best efforts for our homeland defence with atmost attention.

That is all."


I did not know why but I couldn't sleep well that night. The date had turned to August 6. At around 02:00, Sergeant Fujita talked to me "Wake up. We captured the V-codes from B-29s."

2nd Lt. Hiraoka, 1st Privates Iwaki and Matsumura together with 3 translation privates were already standing by in the communication room.

The staff who captured the V-codes was 1st Private Tada.
He was very good at capturing the radio frequency as he had sufficient experiences as a wireless communication engineer with many sea vessels at a coast radio station before he was enlisted.

He said the number would be 5 or 6 judging form the V-codes situation.
(* The V-code was dispatched by each B-29 to adjust her radio transmitter soon after her take-off.)

Changed the line to a speaker so that all could listen, we awaited for their next dispatch of the codes but nothing came in except noises.

At around 03:00, a translation soldier said
"One of the B-29s sent a short coded telegram to Washington DC."


....... this story continues.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 29, 2010)

Very interesting Shinpachi. Thank you very much.


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## vikingBerserker (Jan 29, 2010)

Wow, I'd never heard of that either. Thanks Spinpachi for the information!


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## Wayne Little (Jan 30, 2010)

Great stuff Shinpachi ...and your Stuka work is awesome too!!


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## Shinpachi (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks Aaron, vB and Wayne for reading my scattered translation patiently.
Here it goes...

*******************************************

..... At around 03:00, a translation soldier said
"One of the B-29s sent a short coded telegram to Washington DC."


We were unable to know what the telegram said as it was unknown code to us but I presumed that the fact they sent telegram to Washington, and what for, would be the key point to understand.

Past 04:00, the translation soldier reported us again
"One of the B-29s is having contact with Iwo-jima on their radio phone.
The message content is 'We are flying to the target'."

Where on earth is the target?

Adding to the telegram matter for Washington, why did they dare to report Iwo-jima their 'flying' just when they were passing over the island?

Thinking these things generally and comparing with their conventional air-raid missions, we found there were too many questions to answer.

At that hour, another communication team in the headquarters and the Central Special Intelligence Division of Army were also on their duty. 2nd Lt. Hiraoka was very busy for exchanging informations with them.

The translation soldier again reported
"The B-29s separated into two groups. According to my calculation based on their coordinates, though I don't know how many planes each group has, one is heading for Bungo Channel (Northern Kyusyu, far west of Hiroshima) and the other for Kii Peninsula (South of Osaka, leading to Hiroshima)."

Big tension stirred up among us.

...... this story continues.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 30, 2010)

Thank you again Shinpachi.


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## proton45 (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks Shinpachi, that is some really interesting research...I might even say it is valuable information.


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## Wayne Little (Jan 31, 2010)




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## Shinpachi (Jan 31, 2010)

Thanks Aaron, proton45 and Wayne Stuka would be a long term project...

***********************************

...... Big tension stirred up among us.

Listening to the English sentences which were streaming out from the speaker, the translation soldier translated the contents for us -
"I have captured their communication. It says 'Sky is clear above the target. Visual attack is possible. We are heading to east for Harima-nada (*a sea between Hiroshima and Osaka)' but their communication partner is unknown."

Our team was vaguely perceiving the group for Bungo Channel would not be the main because if it had been a guide, there should have always been another formaion behind the guide but there was no sign at all. However, our Central Special Intelligence Division persisted to the phenomenon that B-29s appeared on Bungo Channel and had sent warning to the headquarters of 6th Air Force which was covering Kyusyu/Okinawa area then.

We had no idea where the other group who could have received the message "Visual attack is possible" was standing by but it had soon been turned out that they invaded flying above our less defended area and was circling waiting for the weather information from the leading group.

According to my flight experience with my former partner Warrant officer Takenaka (ex-Sergeant-major Takenaka - a Ki-45 pilot) that we flew over that area tailing B-29s who were invading to bomb Osaka-Kobe, the route from the middle point between Shingu City of Wakayama Prefecture and Owashi City of Mie Prefecture to Kawachi-nagano City of Osaka Prefecture by way of Kumano-kodo, Mt.Kohya, River Kinokawa and Hashimoto City of Wakayama Prefecture was presumed.

Also, according to 2nd Lt. Hiraoka's guess, the positon the other group was standing by would be within a radius of 200 to 300km (125 to 187miles) from the target point. Then, it might be above Lake Biwa(*north of Kyoto) but we had no evidence about our presumption.



/End of Article No.110 but this story continues.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 31, 2010)

Thank you again Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Jan 31, 2010)

You are welcome, Aaron.
I am enjoying presuming where they were too


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## Shinpachi (Feb 2, 2010)

Article No.111

A Long Day of August 6
==============
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


We, the communication intelligence unit which happened to be organized temporarily by the Central Special Intelligence Division of Army, the naval communication unit and our communication team who had been chasing the US "special mission planes" since around 02:00 midnight of August 6 together were all hard to capture the radio frequencies of the US planes with the full concentration. 

But -
It seemed for me that our General Headquarters not only ignored the information by our team - "the B-29s has separated into two groups above the offshore of Kii Peninsula to take different action each other" which had been analysed based on their radio communication, but had been preoccupied with a few B-29s of the leading group heading for Bungo Channel to issue the interception order to our air-defence units in the relevant region.

This would have been because they did not doubt the conventional B-29 tactics that where there was a guide who was missioned to search for our defence system and weather conditon, there was always a formation behind.

This time, however, it was easy for our team to know their trend because we had already grasped their exact bombing route for Nagoya (* located between Osaka and Tokyo). When the target was Nagoya or its nearby, they flew targetting the mountains of Kii Peninsula to enter and went out to Ensyu-nada(*a sea offshore Nagoya). This time, it was evidently shifted to the west from their Nagoya route.

Then, is their target Osaka or Kobe?
No, it was impossible for us to expect them such a rough air-raid on Osaka-Kobe(*highly defended area) with no escort fighters.


..... to be continued.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 2, 2010)

Nice work Shinpachi!! Thank you.


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## Wayne Little (Feb 3, 2010)

Keep it coming Shinpachi, should be interesting to read of what comes next when the target is realised and they find out the result....


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## Shinpachi (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks Aaron and Wayne for your reading again.
I think this kind of hidden story many exist in our present business world too...and people say "Forget the past. It is no use crying over the spilt milk. See the future."

It may look correct but what if there was a big mistake...
********************************

....... Then, is their target Osaka or Kobe?
No, it was impossible for us to expect them such a rough air-raid on Osaka-Kobe(*highly defended area) with no escort fighters.


Therefore, one of my senior staff Sergeant-major Fujita was indignant
"I am not necessarily confident with our informaion always correct but what an incredible treatment it is that the General Headquarters has ignored our report without doing their follow-up survey!"

At around 07:09, as 2nd Lt. Hiraoka had been measuring something with a pair of compasses on his map on which the coordinate values were remarked since we had captured the communication by the B-29s 'Sky is clear above the target. Visual attack is possible', I asked him why.

"I presume that one of the B-29s of the leading group who invaded into Setonai-kai(* an inland sea) would have sent the message from somewhere in the inland sea. The place where many military facilities exist in there is 'Hiroshima'. So, I presume the target for the special mission planes must be 'Hiroshima'.

It is impossible for me to think that they send such an information which involves the weather condition to the other planes if they are within a radius of 10 to 20km (* 6.25 to 12.5 miles).

Then, I guess their communication partner will be the US planes flying within 200 to 300km(* 125 to 187.5 miles) radius from Hiroshima. I'm thinking their location would be 'above a coast of the Sea of Japan' where our defence is relatively low. So, being based on this estimated target and the cruise speed of a B-29, I am presuming where they are standing by."

Our Commander Morita reported this to the headquarters.


...... to be continued.


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## vikingBerserker (Feb 3, 2010)

Great stuff, thanks Shinpachi!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 3, 2010)

Even knowing the outcome it is still suspenseful. Great work Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 4, 2010)

Thanks vB and Aaron.
This story is long enough to know what was going on inside the IJA.
Please enjoy.

********************************

...... Our Commander Morita reported this to the headquarters.


Time was passing minute by minute and it was a few minutes to 08:00 in my memory.

I wondered if they had closed their radio as no frequency was captured since the last but, judging from time progress, I knew that they would be starting their 'bombing run'.

The 08:15 of the fate passed away.
At the moment, Hiroshima became the first city that had been dropped the atomic bomb in history .

Past 09:00, we received the first report from the headquarters that a B-29 dropped a new type bomb on Hiroshima. Details were said under investigation.

Since the US had been taking place training flights not a few times since July, it was remarkable for us that the bomb was not a conventional one. When we heard the first report, we all chagrined deeply but everything was too late.

According to a subsequent report afterwards, the number of planes heading for Hiroshima was 3. 
Only one of them reached the sky above Hiroshima to drop the new type bomb and the rest were said flying above the inland sea nearby, about 8 km(* 5 miles) apart from Hiroshima, as 'war-result observation planes' . Judging from this, it was evident that the US was recognising 'The impact of the explosion will extend widely'.

On the next day, August 7, our General Headquarters announced
1. On the last 6th of August, the city of Hiroshima received an attack by a few B-29s. The damage is considerable.
2. The enemy seems used a new type bomb but details are under investigation.

President of Intelligence Agency Hiroshi Shimomura announced his comment
"Our war situation is in the worst state."

Also, Minister of Army Anami gave his instruction to the army
"I believe there is always a chance even in the hopeless situation. All commanders, officers and soldiers must embody the Nanko spirit(* an indomitable spirit presented by General Masashige Kusunoki in the 14th century)."

To hear these announcements, our 2nd Lt. Hiraoka shouted beating the desk with his sword hard
"What are they talking about in their sleep! It was them who were managing their insufficient and stupid system for the information analysis in the General Headquarters to be cheated by the 'fake' formation. How are they going to take their responsibility for the disaster!"

All agreed with him.

Judging from the fact there had been not a few training flights before, we estimated that 2nd and 3rd drops of the new type bomb on the cities somewhere in our islands would be sure to come.

Incidentally, our General Headquarters did not know what the new type bomb was until they captured the news dated August 7 later that President Truman made his official announcemnt about the use of atomic bomb.



/End of Article No. 111

....... this story continues.


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## magnu (Feb 4, 2010)

A fascinating read


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## Shinpachi (Feb 4, 2010)

Thanks for your enjoying, magnu


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## otftch (Feb 4, 2010)

A different point of view.Thank you.
Ed


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 4, 2010)

Excellent work Shinpachi!!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 4, 2010)

You are welcome, otftch and thanks for reading.

Author would have been happy to hear your words if he had been still alive as almost Japanese pay little attention to the incident nowadays. Almost veterans had passed away without talking about their own experience during the war.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 4, 2010)

Thanks Aaron for your reading too


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## Shinpachi (Feb 4, 2010)

In addition, as far as I recall, the civillians did blame what the US did on Hiroshima and Nagasaki but the veterans except those who were responsible for the war. This is my very private opinion, though.


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## Wayne Little (Feb 5, 2010)

Interesting.....Thanks for these continuing articles Shinpachi!


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## vikingBerserker (Feb 5, 2010)

otftch said:


> A different point of view.Thank you.
> Ed



I agree, and one that I do not know as well as some of the other nations involved.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 6, 2010)

You are welcome Wayne and thanks for the comment vB.

As said, this story is very long. Article nos. 110-113 covers Hiroshima only.
Nagasaki is covered in nos. 114-115 and a part of 116. From 116 to the rest covers the declation of war by the Soviet Union and toward the end of war. Please look forward to them though it may take a few months to complete.

Thanks.


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## Wayne Little (Feb 6, 2010)

No problem Shinpachi, when time permits....we are a patient lot!!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 6, 2010)

With Wayne Shinpachi, we will wait patiently sir.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 7, 2010)

I appreciate for your generosity, Wayne and Aaron. Thanks.
Here it continues.

***********************************************

Article No.112

Anguish on August 6
============
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


At around 22:00 of August 6 - a day of a nightmare.
We, except the communication soldiers on duty, received order "Gather immediately" from Commander Morita.

Since before the noon on the day, he and 2nd Lt. Hiraoka together had been absent to the headquarters located in Ichigaya(* Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal was to be held here after the war), bringing the record of communication exchanges, to explain how we elucidated the flight route of the B-29s who carried out the attack on Hiroshima with their atomic bomb during the midnight to the early morning of August 6 in details.

2nd Lt. Hiraoka was a graduate of Preliminary Military Academy but originally enlisted when he had been a university student. He had also been an athlete and was a hot-blooded man. So, I felt some anxiety about how he would behave in the headquarters because, to hear the tragedy of Hiroshima, he showed his strong anger to their so optimistic judgment and blame to the General Headquarters with his sword.

Before they left, Commander told Sergeant-major Fujita
"Anticipating our downgrades in the case, we are going to negotiate with the headquarters. You manage the base while we are absent well."

I found a pathetic expression on his face.


...... to be continued.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 7, 2010)

Thank you again Shinpachi.


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## B-17engineer (Feb 7, 2010)

Wow! Awesome work!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 7, 2010)

Thanks Aaron and Harrison

This is the old headquarters building at Ichigaya.
It was the central nerve of IJA till 1945 and of present JSDF till 1994.
You can see some exit holes on the cliff wall for the underground shelter.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 7, 2010)

Very interesting link Shinpachi!! Thank you for sharing.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks Aaron. Here it continues ...

****************************************

..... I found a pathetic expression on his face.


In the afternoon on the day, we were receiving telegrams one after another from our squadrons which belonged to the 1st Air Force. 
Contents were all same
"What was the headquarters doing"

Sergeant-major Fujita instructed us
"Don't answer by your own judgment. Answer only 'Wait till official instruction comes from the headquarters'."

Unexpected to me, his instruction sounded very careful unlike his usual frank character.
He would have been feeling heavy responsibility as Commander was absent.

Commander and 2nd Lieutenant returned.
They looked exhausted with bloodshot eyes but, in front of us, maintained the calm attitude like an officer.

Commander Morita commenced
"What I tell you from now is never particular about our team's face but is concerned about the future war situation. Bear this matter in your mind first well.

Now, we joined the staff conference at the headquarters to explain how our team tackled the information analysis relating to the attack on Hiroshima in details. Then, we raised several problems.

1. Why has the headquarters limited the B-29s' invasion route to Bungo Channel
in spite of our team having reported that they were separated into two groups in advance.

2. Judging from their communications, it is evident that their leader belonged to the group for Kii Peninsula.
This can be identified from their beep and the waveform of frequency.
It is generally impossible for us to imagine such an operation as the leader plays a guide for the fake formation.

3. Our military has permitted the leader to invade into the airspace of Hiroshima through the blind spot of our air defense.
This is mostly because our military ignored the leader's trend.

4. Our 2nd Lt. Hiraoka has never failed to presume the flight route of B-29s before.

5. Therefore, our team did request the headquarters the follow-up survey for the B-29s who invaded into the inland from Kii Peninsula repeatedly.

6. We believe that the headquarters well recognise that it is not enough only to say 'The mistake this time was a failure of strategies' but we assume that the 2nd and 3rd Hiroshima which influence our future war situation largely will come again soon.
This has a cause in our country having ignored 'The Potsdam Declaration'."


...... to be continued.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 8, 2010)

Nice work Shinpachi. Thank you again for taking the time to entertain us with history.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 8, 2010)

Thank you very much Aaron for your encouragement, always.

The young people always grow up blaming what the old people do but, when they have got old, it is their turn to be blamed by the younger generation. On the way to Pearl Harbor, there were two Coup d'etats by the young officers/soldiers of IJA. In my translation, it is no wonder that they use those straight blaming words against their seniors as the IJA itself had such a temperament.......

Everything was too late, though.
Thanks.


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## GrauGeist (Feb 8, 2010)

Amazing insight you are providing, Shinpachi, to a part of the war that is rarely covered. Intelligence operations (regardless of the 'side') is always a shadowy subject and often overlooked.

Thanks again for taking the time to make the translations!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 8, 2010)

You are welcome, GrauGeist. Thanks for enjoying my posts.
I am enjoying the translation too.
Please look forward to the next and next ones.... a long story


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 8, 2010)




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## Shinpachi (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks Aaron.
This is a very educational story for me as I have to check the IJA history to translate

*****************************************

..... This has a cause in our country having ignored 'The Potsdam Declaration'."

Commander continued
"Comment by Chief of Staff xx (*name - possibly Major General Harada) of the headquarters was -
'Your problem submission which may also be Commander Morita's opinion is quite reasonable.
We are reflecting enough as the headquarters. We ever neither escape from the responsibility nor make an excuse as the headquarters.

Everytime we received your report, we immediately informed *Air General Forces (of Army) about the movements of the B-29s.

However, Air General Forces was limitting to the Bungo Channel only which is one of the conventional invasion courses.

This is because a radar base has caught the B-29s that was flying aiming at the Mizunoko lighthouse located in the southeast of Kyushu.

I hear that this is the reason why the interception order was issued to the 6th Air Force (* their jurisdiction was Kyushu).

Although this is not what should be said on this seat, the General Headquarters are appealing for "National Unity" and "100-million Total Honorable Death" like a golden rule but the actual condition is that the military organization itself is still formed on the multiple independent "territories" inside.

It is the most important rule for us military men to obey the seniors' order but it is 'Hiroshima' that we have experienced the rule depends on the circumstances. 

Therefore, it is necessary that the upper echelon of the army not only recognizes that our 1st Air Force is not a group of the worthless well but decides and executes the defense plan to prevent the second Hiroshima immediately. 

In addition, I am to visit the Air General Forces with Lt. Colonel Suhara (*my ex-commander) who has sufficient experiences about the trend of the US planes in order to state our view and opinion about it in details there.

I have obtained the honourable Commander's consent already (*meaning 'I have had appointment with him already').

I appreciate for your precious opinion' 


That is all what we discussed at the headquarters.
I cannot wipe off the impression 'We have been treated well' but nothing would be solved even if we blamed him further and, above all, it is impossible for us to think that we have time to quarrel each other at the moment.

Therefore, it is inevitable that the duty of our team will increase more and more in the future.
Bearing how serious the war situation is in your mind well, make your efforts for the duty accomplishment.

That is all."

It was a calm talk word by word but 2nd Lt. Hiraoka told me privately later that -

1. Our Commander blamed the headquarters' over-optimism much more than we heard.
2. Lt. Colonel Suhara at the headquarters told him that opinion is devided inside General Headquarters whether Japan should accept the Potsdam Declaration or not.
3. Discussion point is the term 'unconditional surrender' of Japan which is concerned with 'the continuation of the Emperor system' and 'the maintenance of national constitution' based on the Emperor system.

To know the time has come at last, I could not sleep that night.

***********************

*Air General Forces of Army(Kohku-sohgun aka 'Sui') was established in April, 1945 to control the army air forces. There were also two ground General Forces(1st and 2nd) in the east and the west of Japan to provide for the future landing of the allies, established in March, 1945. The headquarters of the west(2nd General Forces) was placed in Hiroshima though it is not certain whether the allies knew it or not.


/End of Article No. 112
This story continues.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 9, 2010)

A movie has ever introduced the last day of old Japan in chaos.

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4TELOISlGA_

Author Mr. Teruo Miyoshi could have experienced the same.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 9, 2010)

Excellent work again Shinpachi!!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks Aaron.
Nagasaki will be coming soon.


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## Wayne Little (Feb 10, 2010)

Keep it coming my friend!


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## proton45 (Feb 10, 2010)

Endlessly fascinating...thanks


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## Shinpachi (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks Wayne and proton45.

Actually, this story looks endless for me too.
It is my surprise and looks strange that some IJA officers easily show his cased sword in front of people.
My family was also Samurai till mid-19th century but I heard such manner was vulgar and impolite if he was a true Samurai.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 10, 2010)

Article No.113

General Headquarters Announcement
=======================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


On August 8, from early morning, a number of telegrams from our aviation squadrons for asking situation or condemning the headquarters were beginning to rush in and it had made us out of control.

Obtained permission from Commander, 2nd Lt. Hiraoka reported the headquarters those contents in detail but their answer was
"Information concerning the new type bomb drop on Hiroshima is as the General Headquarters announced."

Commanders of our squadrons could not have been satisfied with such an abstract answer.
Before long, telegram communications among the squadrons, including rumours and guesses, were beginning to exchange at will.

As it was almost impossible for us to control them any more, our Commander Morita requested the headquarters
"If we leave the situation as it is, our military rule will be collapsed soon. General Headquarters needs to let the entire forces know what the truth was by their announcement again immediately."

By the way, the shrill voice of our NHK announcers of those days sounded same as that of North Korean TV announcers today, as if a twins.


..... to be continued.


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## B-17engineer (Feb 10, 2010)

Wonderful Shinpachi! I appreciate it!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 10, 2010)

You are welcome, Harrison


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 10, 2010)

Having heard most of the story from my countries perspective it is very interesting to get the story from the opposite side.  Nice work Shinpachi!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks Aaron for your cool understanding.

It seems having taken sixty five years or more to tell what had happened inside the IJA.
Now, the story continues.....

*********************************************

..... By the way, the shrill voice of our NHK announcers of those days sounded same as that of North Korean TV announcers today, as if a twins.


Before noon on the day(* August 8 ), we were ordered to gather by Commander Morita.
"I tell you the headquarters' instruction. As all contents are handled as confidential, your letters addressed to your families and others are to be censored from now on.

1. It will be fact that the Japanese people have also become to be suspicious about the truth of the "General Headquarters Announcement" about the current battles and war-results.

2. About our defeat in the Battle of Midway, it is true that the details were not told to the people at all.
Since such a rumor that the Japanese aircraft-carriers had been totally destroyed began prevailing, the General Headquarters have kept announcing, with no hesitation, the invincible war-results which are thought forged evidently.

3. As you all know well, the US ground forces are coming closer to our mainland by their stepping-stone tactics gradually.

4. Provided all of the General Headquarters' announcements should have been true, there could not have been any total honorable deaths at those islands of Attu, Saipan, Guam, Tinian and Iwo-jima. In addition, on June 23, Lt. General Ushijima of the 32nd Force in Okinawa committed suicide to end our organized resistance there.

5. These tragedies had happened because the General Headquarters and other senior commanders were recognising only the regional battles as a war.

6. It was our General Headquarters that did not tell the people the right and precise information because they were so ignorant about the importance of information and paid no attention to it at all.

7. On July 28, Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki announced "We ignore the Potsdam Declaration" but it is said that the government has asked the Soviet Union 'Mediation of peace'.

8. To acknowledge the present seriousness and the necessity of telling the truth to his subsidiary squadrons, our Commander Lee of the headquarters has instructed us to take the immediate measure to notify all necessary informations to the squadrons by radio under the specific frequency which is different from the regular one.

9. Therefore, the specific frequency is xx(*value) khz.
This frequency has already been known to the squadrons by the communication team in the headquarters.

10. We are to transfer the information, which is coming to us by telephone from the headquarters, in the broadcasting style at 12:00 everyday. It is no problem even if it may be captured by the US military as long as the information is telling the fact.

11. However, this measure is based on arbitrary judgment of Commander of the headquarters and other forces of our military may not welcome it. Therefore, we do not dare to use the ciphertext but the high-speed(more than abt.120 letters per minute) Japanese text transmission instead.

12. We start it from 12:00 today.

In addition, we are permitted to listen to VOA - Voice of America with a set of radio.

These are the headquarters' instruction.
From now on, do your best to carry out your own duty faithfully without being confused by rumors.

Thai is all."

I felt I was just witnessing not only the General Headquarters whose supreme proposition was 'Keep fighting' but our own spiritual support 'Never be defeated' were about to be collapsed.



/End of Article No. 113
This story continues.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 11, 2010)

Very intreguing Shinpachi. Thank you again for your hard work.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 12, 2010)

You are welcome and thanks for your encouragement again, Aaron.

For your knowledge, his Commander Lt. General Lee of 1st Air Force of Army was a member of Korean Lee dynasty at the time.

I hear a lot of IJA soldiers came from Korea and they contributed their military foundation in the postwar.
They are very good at diplomatic negotiation as they have hundreds of war experiences with China in their long history. If they may have any weak point, it would be 'conciliation'.


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## GrauGeist (Feb 12, 2010)

That's a good looking Katana in the photo you posted, Shinpachi, is that one belonging to your family?


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## Shinpachi (Feb 12, 2010)

GrauGeist said:


> That's a good looking Katana in the photo you posted, Shinpachi, is that one belonging to your family?



The 'Katana' looks very cute but regretly does not belong to my family.
My family's were once burnt in around 1890 by a house fire and now rusted as if an old long kitchen knife


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## Wayne Little (Feb 12, 2010)

Doing great Shipachi, I second Aaron's comment..thanks for your hard work my friend!


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## magnu (Feb 12, 2010)

And a big thank you and thumbs up from me


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## Shinpachi (Feb 12, 2010)

You are welcome Wayne and magnu.

The phrase "General Headquarters Announcement ('Dai-hon-ei happyou' in Japanese)" is used as a metaphor of the lie in Japan today like -
"Ah, Sore wa 'Dai-hon-ei happyou' desuka? (Ah, Is it a lie?)'"8)


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## Shinpachi (Feb 13, 2010)

Article No. 114


Preparing for the Final Battles on the Mainland
============================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


From 12:00 of August 8, we were to inform our squadrons of the war situation by the telegram broadcast under the judgment of the 1st Air Force headquarters, not awaiting for the General Headquarters Announcement.

The contents were not coded but sent by high speed telegram of raw text.
However, as the informations from the headquarters were coming one after another and it made no sense if we did not transfer them immediately, we kept tapping the straight key having no rest.

Some elder First Class Privates who had been in charge of their regular transmission duty were not so familiar with this high speed tapping that we three newcomers Iwaki, Tada and I took charge by shift.

Reading the contents to tap the key, I wondered first why these were so much different from those announced by the General Headquarters before and then dumfounded to have noticed that we had been being cheated. According to the truth -

The first report about the drop of new type bomb on Hiroshima was told Air General Forces in Tokyo by 12th Flight Division of Army in Takahagi of Yamaguchi Prefecture at around 15:00 on August 7, next day of the attack because the damage of our forces in Hiroshima was so serious that the report had been transferred through the 12th Flight Division located about 100km(62.5miles) to the west from Hiroshima to delay one day.

I was astonished to read 'Most of all military facilities and factories were destroyed. The damage of the headquarters of 2nd General Forces are also serious.'

Incidentally, the headquarters of 2nd General Forces were holding about 400 officers and soldiers to control the west area of Japan. Half of them were said killed instantly by the bomb.

The second report on next day, August 8, said
'The damage of Army is serious. About 30% killed. About 30% wounded.'

Tapping the key, I felt unspeakable fear to the power of the bomb that only one B-29 had dropped.


..... to be continued.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 13, 2010)

Thank you again Shinpachi. Again, very interesting.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 14, 2010)

Thanks Aaron. Now, the story is going into Nagasaki.


**************************************


..... Tapping the key, I felt unspeakable fear to the power of the bomb that only one B-29 had dropped.


Commander Morita gave us his instruction
"We have no clue where the 2nd Hiroshima would be but do the best to capture their ID transmission of the V600s from Tinian with the thoroughgoing system."

His instruction sounded reasonable but it would not make sense unless the upper echelon judged our flight course information of B-29s appropriately to take an effective action. We could not mention it as we were knowing that Commander himself understood it very well but, I remember, 2nd Lt. Hiraoka was enduring his uncontrollable anger with his lips closed tightly.

To prepare for the final battles on the mainland, 
The General Heardquarters was to move to Matsushiro City of Nagano Prefecture and the shelter construction for it was going on there.

Also, another construction of the underground fortress facilities was going on for Air General Forces at Donzurubo of Kashiba City in Nara Prefecture which was located near the border of Nara and Osaka prefectures. There had been a lot of military facilities, so the new headquarters was to integrate them to prepare for the mainland battles though the war has been over before its completion.

Watching a NHK documentary about the place, Donzurubo, on TV recently, I have recalled my coded telegram communication with old Taisho airfield of army in Osaka to tell Lt. General Lee, accompanying General Kawabe and his several staff of Air General Forces, would fly there with escort fighters to inspect the construction progress at Donzurubo.


/End of Article No. 114
This story continues.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 14, 2010)

Wow! Interesting diagrams and photo. Excellent work again sir. Much appreciated. Thank you.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 15, 2010)

Thanks, Aaron. I'm translating it with my brains back to 1945

*******************************

Article No. 115


Prevent the 2nd Hiroshima
================
Author: Mr. Teruo Miyoshi


I think the war is the means that chose a military solution to gain national interest and is equivalent with the diplomacy. Conversely, the diplomacy is a war that doesn't take military solution. 

In case of Japan, however, there was a 'military solution' only from the beginning.
Originally, it could be very political to achieve something as a nation but there was no such view in our General Headquarters at the time. They thought the military affairs had nothing to do with the politics and only the military part was going ahead out of political control.

Also, concerning how to handle information, it was their tradition for the Imperial Japanese Army to make light of it because they seemed thinking it was an act without a belief for them to change operations depending on information time to time.

"Keep fighting" also seemed the supremacy proposition for the General Headquarters in the Pacific War.
Why did not they tell the people the fact 'An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima' more promptly?
That would have been because 'If told the truth, the people will receive an extreme shock to lose their fighting spirit'. Such situation should not be favorable for the leaders.

In addition, the army and the navy were announcing the brilliant war-results only during the war but, when they had no such brilliant ones, they had to forge a good news for the people to announce. Even the Emperor was not exception to be told.

Now, the strict order "prevent the 2nd Hiroshima" was issued from the Air General Forces through the 1st Air Force headquarters to us. Commander Morita was encouraged by Lt. Colonel Suhara of the headquarters on the phone
"I believe they, the staff of Air General Forces, have understood the importance of judging information appropriately to take an effective action well. According to the Special Intelligence Division of Army, we are already in such situation that the movement of the Soviet Union must be watched carefully too.

The climax would be coming within a couple of days. So, this might be the last chance for you to show your best skills to analyse the flight trend of U.S. planes. Do your best lest there should be any overlookings and regrets."


..... to be continued.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 15, 2010)

Excellent work Shinpachi.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 16, 2010)

Thanks again Aaron. Here it goes.

*****************************************************

.....The climax would be coming within a couple of days. So, this might be the last chance for you to show your best skills to analyse the flight trend of U.S. planes. Do your best lest there should be any overlookings and regrets."


In the night of August 8, we all took all-night duties to search for the trend of B-29s with the 3 sets of radio to tune to the US plane's frequencies. We did not know if they might use the frequencies we guessed but kept tuning patiently. 

At around 02:00, 1st Class Private Tada reported
"Just captured a V-code." All of us vigored.
No more signals came in after that but if the first one was aiming for our mainland, it must be a weather plane as a guide.

If so, another B-29 would follow soon and it could be the leader.
When we felt the time progress slow after notifying it to the headquarters, a translation soldier reported
"A US plane took off."

It was before 03:00.

This might be the leader.
After a while, he told us "One more took off."
They took off separately and would join somewhere.
They seemed having closed their radio communication soon, which made us difficult to capture their current position, but 2nd Lt. Hiraoka was hard to imagine and draw their flight routes in his brains.

Then, we captured their communication.
It indicated their location near North latitude 30 degrees with East longitudes 130 degrees.
That was near Yakushima Island, located to the south from Kyusyu.
Their communication was telling us they had joined. Time was before 08:00.

To judge from these flight procedures, it was evident that they were aiming at the 2nd Hiroshima.


..... to be continued.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 16, 2010)




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## Shinpachi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hi, Aaron. The Hiroshima/Nagasaki story ends here.
Thanks for reading. Thanks every one too.

*******************************************************

..... To judge from these flight procedures, it was evident that they were aiming at the 2nd Hiroshima.


Reporting the headquarters what we had known immediately, Commander Morita asked them to tell Air General Forces not to repeat the last bitter experience for Hiroshima.

We heard later that the radar bases of 6th Air Force tried search by their full mobilization but unable to capture the sight of the US planes on the screen.

At the time, the Special Intelligence Division of Army was grasping the following matters
1. Target Committee was established in the U.S.
2. Their target cities were decided.
3. Target city was in order of "Hiroshima", "Kokura", "Niigata" and "Nagasaki". 

Therefore, Air General Forces was thinking the next target would be 'Kokura (*located in the northern part of Kyusyu, about 120km=75miles east from Nagasaki)' if a group of B-29s was belonging to the 509th Composite Group in Tinian.'


We captured a radio communication from the first B-29. 
It said "Clear sky can be expected above 'Kokura'" for sure.
It was the same tactics for Hiroshima with no doubt.
Problem was the leader's flight route still unknown.

We reported the headquarters
"Kokura is in danger."

According to the analogy by 2nd Lt. Hiraoka
"The leader was waiting for the weather information from the first one and, now, is going into the bombing run aiming at Kokura."

It was reported later that the fighters and the anti-aircraft cannons of 6th Air Force intercepted and opened fire respectively but they failed to find their target. The opponent would have been so well about their flight skill and tactics.

Air-raid alarm was issued over the city of Nagasaki once because a US plane was coming closer but changed to a lower level warning as it had flown away to the east. Then, after a while, the plane suddenly returned to Nagasaki to drop an atomic bomb on the city.
Time was 11:02.

A large amount of smoke generated by the air-raid of the previous night on Yahata City was said flowed in the sky over Kokura to prevent the city from attacking. 


/End of Article No. 115


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 17, 2010)

Thank you Shinpachi. This has been a great read and is much appreciated.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 17, 2010)

You are welcome, Aaron. 
Without your encouragement post by post, I could not finish it so fast.
Thank you very much.


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## vikingBerserker (Feb 17, 2010)

Very cool, thanks!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 17, 2010)

You are welcome too, vB.
I'm glad if you have enjoyed it.

They simply fought their fights.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 17, 2010)

A scene of IGHQ communication room at Ichigaya from the movie "Japan's longest day".


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 18, 2010)




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## Shinpachi (Feb 18, 2010)

Thanks Aaron.
My translation will continue for the rest of articles but someone might be interested in the following information from the author's memo.

Two Betty Bombers Peace Envoy painted in white with green cross markings.

Call sign: 
JBACY 
JBACZ

Radio frequency: 
6970khz for the communication by radio phone with the allies 
8915khz for the communication by telegram with Manila airfield


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## Wayne Little (Feb 19, 2010)

..Missed the last couple of days....caught up now, Thanks again for your fine translation work....domo Arigato, once again Shinpachi san !


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## Shinpachi (Feb 19, 2010)

Doh Itashi Mashite, Wayne-san!

You are welcome, Wayne and thank you very much for your reading that always encourage me for my next step.


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## Wayne Little (Feb 20, 2010)

Shinpachi said:


> Doh Itashi Mashite, Wayne-san!
> 
> You are welcome, Wayne and thank you very much for your reading that always encourage me for my next step.



I am pleased to support you, my friend!


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## Glider (Feb 20, 2010)

The whole thread has been very special, many thanks from all of us


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## Shinpachi (Feb 21, 2010)

You are welcome again, Wayne and Glider.

These may look special because almost records during the war had been destroyed when the war was over.
I heard many rising smokes to burn the documents were observed here and there for 2-3 days at the time.
However, not a few officers, soldiers and engineers took memorandum beside their own memory.
This is now helpful to know what happened then.

Recently, I have found out another testimony by a former scientist.
He refers to the Japanese development of nuclear(more comprehensively than atomic) weapons and a SF-look 'Murder Ray(not laser but an artificial thunder)' etc. Taking opportunity, I would like to introduce them too.

Please look forward to my future translation.
Thanks.


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## Wayne Little (Feb 21, 2010)

Look forward to it!


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## Shinpachi (Feb 21, 2010)

The death ray development project of Japanese army 

[Prologue]
[Chapter 1 Motive of Death Ray Development] 
[Chapter 2 Account of Militant Nation Science Boy Hard Struggle Which Yearned after the herculean strength light]
2-1 United States Also Wanted Manchuria?
2-2 Aunt Came from United States!
2-3 You Should Not Know. -- Mystery of 2.26 Coup d'etat 
2-4 Large Miscalculation of General of Far East Nazis Chiang Kaishek 
2-5 Ear is to World! Shortwave Receiver Completion 
2-6 Big Japan-Soviet Union small war NOMONHAN 
2-7 The Second Europe Great War is Very Strange! 
2-8 Imperial year 2600! -- Science vs Myth 
2-9 New Arms! Humanity Arms Study Group Inauguration 
2-10 Footstep of Pacific War Which Came Near -- 
2-11 Japan-U.S. Outbreak of War! Pearl Harbor is Attacked by Surprise. 
2-12 Mystery of Phantom Battleship HIRANUMA! 
2-13 It is Reform of the Educational System! Learn to (Hitler's)Jugend. 
2-14 Turning Point Which was not Told to People 
2-15 It Started at Last! Student War Mobilization 
2-16 Carrier-based bomber Tenzan we made 
2-17 Cultivation of War Scientific Study Staff Begins
2-18 It is Death Ray! To Army Noborito Research Institute 
2-19 Unit 731, Nakano School, and Noborito Research Institute 
2-20 Fear of Special New Type Bomb Which Comes Closer
2-21 Ghost was Seen in a Town like Ghost.

Scientists' point of view is often funny because there are some who don't care who dies or alive or his nation win or lose.
I have ever heard that a professor of a local university who lived in the suburbs of Tokyo did not know when the Pacific War broke out and ended.

Having read above articles, however, I can say contents are true as I did not feel any sense of incongruity for the contents.
I'm going to launch another thread.
Thanks.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 21, 2010)

Very interesting Shinpachi. I will wait patiently for new thread. I did sea a television show a year or so ago that talked about a hi-energy microwave weapon that was being developed and was quite far along at wars end. The intent was to use it against the invading soldiers. It worked just like a microwave oven and from what they said on the show it was very close to being operational from what the U.S. army found of it.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks for your interesting news, Aaron.

He writes,
".....Because all scientists in the Noborito research institute(official name: 9th Technology Research Institute of Army) had feared the prosecution as a war criminal, all research facilities and data were completely destroyed by themselves.

....The destroyed facilities were 1) High voltage generator, 2) High powered ultraviolet rays irradiation device and 3) Micro wave oscillator" 

It would have been the distinguished services by the U.S. military that they had clarified the micro wave device after the war.


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## B-17engineer (Feb 21, 2010)

Very cool!


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 21, 2010)

That sounds like what they were describing in the show that I saw Shinpachi. They said the generating facility was extremely large.


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## Shinpachi (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks Harrison and Aaron.
It seems that I had better launch a new thread soon


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 21, 2010)

Don't let it get in the way of work. I think I speak for the rest of us when I say take your time we will be patient.


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## kaigunair (Mar 5, 2010)

hi shinpachi. thank you so much for those translations. I just had time to read them. this is an incredible thread and has been very enjoyable to read. could you let me know the name of the japanese book/publication that was putting these out? I'd like to see if I can purchase a copy for my archives.

doomo arigatoo gozaimasu, shinpachi-san.


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## Shinpachi (Mar 5, 2010)

On the commercial base, it is selling as "ebook: Author's Self-choice 13 Stories(ある通信兵のおはなし　～著者自薦集全１３話～)" 

These 130 stories in total were originally introduced as an email magazine(a news letter) for the internet subscribers during 2002-2005. Thanks for your interest, kaigunair.


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## Shinpachi (Oct 25, 2018)

A former Imperial GHQ staff Eizou Hori(1913-1995) describes the secret intelligence team in his book like this.





pp 275-277
"Intelligence War by an Imperial GHQ staff"
Eizou Hori (published by Bungei Shunju in 1996)


7. IJA Special Intelligence Unit went underground

In July 1949, I was interrogated by the Allied GHQ about the Japanese-side possibility of decrypting the US-side cipher to read communication during the war. Even in November 1985, I received an abrupt visit of a US historian, Mr C. As the US-side seems to be still interested in this matter, I have to explain a bit more.

As I already mentioned, the unit for decryption was the IJA Special Intelligence Unit (特情部 = Tokujohbu). At the period of ending the war, the main force of this unit was evacuated to a nursing home building "Yokuhu-en" in Takaido district from Tanashi district of Tokyo City. We were intercepting radio broadcasting from enemies and neutral countries days and nights, so we had the chance to know "Japan decided to accept the Potsdam Declaration" in the broadcast from Sydney on August 11 instantaneously. As this broadcast was also captured by our headquarters in Tokyo and one of our branch offices in Niigata, we understood that the time had come at last.

Unit Director Toshio Nishimura immediately gathered executives to show how we should cope with it. From the evening on the day, huge volume of data and records as well as machines for decryption were begun to be destroyed at all offices throughout the country for days before disbanding the 'Tokujohbu' unit. According to memorandum written by Lt Col Yukio Yokoyama who was in charge of planning and operation as Manager of section no.1, details were like this -

"All data for decrypting were incinerated without leaving any piece of paper and the black smoke covered the sky of Takaido district for 3 days. Machines were destroyed into pieces. A part of the cryptogram was buried in the deep ground. These were done so that the coming occupation forces were unable to clarify the role and work of Tokujohbu unit no matter how hard they might try to persue it. Furthermore, in anticipation of the future tracking investigation by the US military, not only the name of Tokujohbu itself was deleted from the organization table of IJA but also main staff names were deleted from the personnel list of the Army Ministry.

Completed all necessary treatments on August 15, Director Nishimura and most of staffs gathered in the backyard of Yokuhu-en building to listen to Emperor's speech on the radio. No sooner had it ended than Nishimura declared disband and all staffs left the building in order to go underground as previously scheduled."

Hereupon, the IJA Special Intelligence Unit, Japan's sole unit after many transitions, for the decryption and cryptography creation which was organized in 1921 as a joint study team of codes by the army, the navy, the ministry of foreing affairs and the ministry of communications had disappeared together with the Emperor's speech as if an Inca Empire without leaving a piece of paper. It was only 25 years history since its establishment.

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## special ed (Feb 11, 2019)

Shinpachi-san, I discovered this thread of yours just a few days ago and found it most interesting. I give you great thanks for the time you spent in translation. This is the kind of history I like to see before it is gone. I just read the last pages while eating at the computer. The story was almost at the close and although I knew the end, I could not stop reading. All through the story, I felt as if I was there, watching. I will look for more of your history accounts and your excellent images. Thank you for your time.

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## Shinpachi (Feb 12, 2019)

Thanks, ed.
The army men were honest as not only some of them had been executed as class-A war criminals but left such testimonies about the secret intelligence team/unit like this while the navy men survived almost intact and told nothing.


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## zavety (Jun 5, 2019)

Странно, что в такой интересной теме,промежуток в 8 лет.
*

 Shinpachi
Спасибо за интересное повествование.*

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## fubar57 (Jun 5, 2019)

zavety said:


> Странно, что в такой интересной теме,промежуток в 8 лет.
> *
> 
> Shinpachi
> Спасибо за интересное повествование.*



To speed everyone up..."It is strange that in such an interesting topic, an interval of 8 years. 

 Shinpachi
Thank you for the interesting story."

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