Japanese Bomber Aircraft- Bomb Targeting Compass Site Instrument Information Request

Here are some more photos for anyone who is interested in the Type 2 Bombsite. I believe that I mentioned the glass on the compass is cracked, although the compass itself works fine. It's a shame, since overall the Type 2 is in excellent condition.

Thanks desertsky for your so many awesome photos.
I have tried translation three pics of them and am going to complete the rest lists in the weekend.

Tokyo Keiki's formal name was Tokyo Keiki Mfg Co Ltd during the war.
It was same for the Type 92 Bombsight.

Your translation is awesome, Shinpachi. We are all looking forward to reading the rest of the translation.

Thank you for all the time you put in.

A few more comparison prints. Some differences appear cosmetic while others are a total departure.

I have not found anything on the Type 2 sight in all my searching for info on the 92-2. If anybody has some info on these sights, picture of an aircraft interior with a sight in use, or other sights, that would be major.

Here are the rests of translation, desertsky.
I hope you enjoy them.

I will try translation of krugster's Type 92 again soon.

Shinpachi, you did an incredible job of Translating! Thank you so much! All the work you did is really appreciated.

The chart you made of the TEST REPORT showing the altitude and airspeed is fantastic. It's hard to imagine that at the time they were only using 4kg 30kg bombs, and at such a low altitude of 1000m. And, the planes would fly at such slow speeds during a bombing run. Amazing!

I also think it's interesting that you had to be careful handling the magnetic rods so they wouldn't touch each other. I guess it would mess up the reading on the compass.

Your translation really brings everything to life.

Now, I just need to figure out what the best thing to do with it will be.

Thank you again for all the help you've been.

Your collection is perfect, desertsky, with the test report.
If you should publish a book about the Type 2 bombsight with photos and drawings, it would worth tens of thousand dollars.

Hi Shinpachi,

Thank you again for all of your help and enthusiasm with my Type 2.

I would be very interested in considering what you are suggesting and make a book, but I guess I am not quite sure what a book about the Type 2 would look like.

Who would be interested in buying a book about it? Are there any similar books you have in mind that I could look at to get an idea of the type of book you think I should publish?

I think that you are saying to do a large picture book that would have professional photographs taken of every part of the Type 2 and the accessories that are in the box, and also have someone do detailed drawings or schematics as well? Is that what you are thinking?

I would be grateful if you could give me a better understanding about the book idea to see if it would be possible.

Here are translations, Krugster, for the Type 92 Mk 2 Bombsight.

As long as I have checked the rental tag for Soryu which was introduced in your another thread, Type 92 bombsight was mounted on the Type 94 Carrier Bomber D1A. I believe that the bombsight was returned to a division of munitions in Kure when the bomber was abandoned by early 1942, before Midway.

Shinpachi,
Can't say enough good things about your help. I checked out some of your other post and was very impressed at your skills and knowledge. A true scholar of history.

I was looking at the sight and trying to figure where those magnetic rods would be used. After reading your translation, I felt they would be used to set the compass. I took a screw out of the side of the compass to see if they might be inserted there. Nope. Maybe underneath the dial. No easy way to get into that unit. Then i was looking at the very bottom of the sight directly in the center of the compass and noticed a round base with 2 slotted screws. When holding the sides of this base I rotated a sleeve and 2 hole, 90 degrees to each other with one above the other appeared. I retrieved a rod and it fit perfectly. Rotate the sleeve and it is secure. May be the same on the Type 2. Determining which rod(s) to use would require a manual. I read that there was a translation done in english of a Betty bomber manual for this sight. More work to do.

I have been looking for info on the Type 2. Early sights like these are refered to in articles about the British sights but never with the name of the sight. I did find a Type 2 Army sight at the Smithsonian but it is quite different and not pictured on their sight. My photo came from the Mikesh Japanese Aircraft Equipment book.

I found your reference to the D1A Susie interesting. It was designated as a dive bomber. I'll do some checking to see if I can find any further links to the 92-2 being used on it. I have concerns on how it would be mounted and provide clear vision of the sight and target. Sure could use some pictures.

Since Kure was a naval port, this may explain where the U.S. Navy Lt. Henry C Vermaut obtained it. The sight also has a U.S. Military intelligence declassification tag with it. It was inspected and cleared. He was incharge of disarming a number of Japanese warships. The Tokiwa being one of them. A picture of a conference in Ominato Honshu along with a copy of orders and a few other pictures is on an ancestry.com websight. I hope to have get access to his post-war pics and someday post them.

As desertsky and I continue to acquire information, you are correct that we should publish a picture and information study about these sights. I'm hoping more of the people who read these post can offer facts, photos and opinions that lead to more info.

I recently tracked down a bombsight for a Betty bomber. I was able to find a picture of it and it turned out to be what I believe is an optical Navy Type 1 sight. It was located in the CAF Museum in Camarillo, CA and now is at a air museum in Santi Monica, CA. I also read of a person who saw one at the Smithsonian in Washington. I haven't found one on their inventory. I still have not found an example of a Type 92-2. Again, if anybody knows of one, I'd like to know.

Again, thanks for the help and I'll keep you informed.

krugster

Great information!

Finally, I actually found a picture of a Type 92-2 bombsight that was attributed to being from a Betty bomber. Wac Private Betty Jones is shown holding the sight. It was part of an exibit "Shot from the Sky" of captured enemy equipment. El Paso Herald Post, Feb 10, 1945.

The translation came from Isamu on j.aircraft and adds more info on the 92-2.

Translation from Model Art 655 Aviator Uniforms and Equipment of IJN, pp. 70-71:

----- Start Translation -----
Mechanical Bombsight (Type 92 Bombsight)
When mounted in the Type 93 Reconnaissance Float Plane this bombsight was offset 30mm from the centerline. After the Boykow bombsight was adopted, however, it was rarely used in frontline units, and mainly used for training. However, it is said that this was mounted in Type 1 Model 11 and 22 Rikko together with Type 90 bombsights. This sight did not use optics, rather it used crosshairs, so that if the target could be seen it could be bombed. Therefore, this bombsight was used until the end of the war because it could be used for twilight attacks. Made my Tokyo Keiki.
----- End Translation -----

This info came from ww2aircraft.

"Yokosuka K5Y/Navy Type 93 Intermidiate Trainer (Willow)
The aircraft was based on the Yokosuka Navy Type 91 Intermidiate Trainer, but stability problems led to a redesign by Kawanishi in 1933. It entered service in 1934 as Navy Type 93 Intermidiate Trainer K5Y1 with fixed tail-skid landing gear, and remained in use throughout the war. Floatplane types K5Y2 and K5Y3 were also produced. After the initial 60 examples by Kawanishi, manufacture was continued by Watanabe (556 aircraft built), Mitsubishi (60), Hitachi (1,393), First Naval Air Technical Arsenal (75), Nakajima (24), Nippon (2,733), and Fuji (896), for a total of 5,770. These aircraft were the mainstay of Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service's flight training, and as intermediate trainers, they were capable of performing demanding aerobatic maneuvers. Two further land-based versions, the K5Y4 with a 358 kW (480 hp) Amakaze 21A engine and the K5Y5 with a 384 kW (515 hp) Amakaze 15, were projected but never built."

I also found information that the Willow could carry up to 220# of bombs on external racks. As a mainstay trainer for the Navy it would make sense the 92-2 would be used on this plane. I have not found out if the plane actually was deployed in combat or if the K5Y2 and K5Y3 seaplane version were able to drop a bomb/s. They would have to clear the floats. A center fuselage mount seems possible.

It is beginning to appear that this sight could have been used on many different planes.