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IJA Secret Intelligence Team at Chofu
- Thread starter Shinpachi
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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...
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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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
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
Haztoys
Senior Airman
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...
Good to have you and hope you stay...
- Thread starter
- #25
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)
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)
Attachments
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
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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- #27
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
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
Haztoys
Senior Airman
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 ... ...)
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 ...
...)- Thread starter
- #29
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!
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!
- Thread starter
- #30
eddie_brunette
Senior Airman
Antoher good story, thanks alot.
Were they still flying the Ki45/46 when they dove through the 50 P51's?
edd
Were they still flying the Ki45/46 when they dove through the 50 P51's?
edd
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- #32
eddie_brunette
Senior Airman
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
edd
- Thread starter
- #34
Wildcat
Major
Very interesting posts Shinpachi, thanks again mate.
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- #36
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.
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.
Attachments
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- #37
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
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
eddie_brunette
Senior Airman
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
"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
- Thread starter
- #39
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—ŽÒFŽO—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!
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—ŽÒFŽO—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!
