Japanese to English translation of a Senshi Sosho table?

[mack8]

I hope this is the right place to post this, i'm very interested in a rough translation of a table so that i can make sense of it, or even a small part of it, from Senshi Sosho concerning the Formosa air battle operations, a subject it interests me greatly but there is very little info on it online or in literature i have access to.

In the 653 and 634 Kokutais table (the carrier based units), what do the numbers represent, both in and out of parantheses? I know S164 etc denotes a fighter unit (Zeros) and K263 etc. a carrier attack (or bomber?) unit (Tenzans?Suiseis?), but what are the f0, fa, fab etc.?

Of course, everything else is very, very interesting too!

Thank you for any help.

 

[Wurger]

Shinpachi may help ....

 

[Shinpachi]

Here are clues

 

[Shinpachi]

S for Sentai or Sentotai (fighters unit)
K for, probably, Kanjo bakugeki/kogeki tai (Carrier-based bombers/attackers unit)

 

[mack8]

Thanks you for your assistance Shinpachi. Frustratingly i discovered that zooming in blurs the text too much, so i can't quite make out some f* symbols.

So those 653 kokutai figures, for instance under the S165/165 etc. there is 48/88 and in paratheses 145/165, what do they represent, would the first figures represent serviceable/ total available and in paranthesis the intended TOE? And what do the figures from each subsequent day represent (10.12, 10.13 etc.), are they daily losses, or aircraft sent to Formosa, or something else?

Regarding the f symbols, elsewhere in that particular volume there seems to be a fr, which i suspect it must be Ki-46 recce units, and fT, which could be C6N units? Am i anywhere close? Also is there a f symbol for fighter-bomber Zeros (bakusen), perhaps fcb?

There seems to be an explanatory note for the symbols/numbers under the big table to the right?

Many thanks again.

 

[Shinpachi]

It is not easy to check each code even for Japanese researchers.

FGB Land-based air unit
sf Air attacker
fb彗 Carrier-based bomber D4Y
fb99 Carrier-based bomber D3A
fc甲 Fighter for mission 甲 (Ko = main attackers in daytime)

 

[Wurger]

 

[Shinpachi]

S165/165
48/88
145/165
Airframes serviceable/ total available

(45/53)
Airframes with pilot serviceable/ total available

Date: 10.12, 10.13
Oct. 12, Oct.13 (in 1944)

This table shows no losses as provided for operation plan.

 

[mack8]

Shinpachi, many thanks again for your help and for the much better quality tables!

But i have to apologize, i must be thick of something, i still don't quite understand the numbers, is 48/88 refering to the planes available/total and (145/165) to the pilots available/ total? Is that what the figures in parantheses represent, pilots and/or aircrew?

 

[Shinpachi]

Shinpachi, many thanks again for your help and for the much better quality tables!

But i have to apologize, i must be thick of something, i still don't quite understand the numbers, is 48/88 refering to the planes available/total and (145/165) to the pilots available/ total? Is that what the figures in parantheses represent, pilots and/or aircrew?

Remark says -
This table was compiled based on "Shibata Data", "Statistics on Aviation Crew" and others.
Numbers do not necessarily coincide even on the same date/period, which is thought due to the differences of tally dates.

No more information but an enlarged copy of the table attached for your conveniences.

 

[mack8]

Thanks you very much for clarification, and for the high quality table Shinpachi. The information in the Senshi Sosho volumes is amazing, pity it's so little used in the west (probably the language barrier being the biggest hurdle)

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks you very much for clarification, and for the high quality table Shinpachi. The information in the Senshi Sosho volumes is amazing, pity it's so little used in the west (probably the language barrier being the biggest hurdle)

There used to be some English translations in Australia and Netherland like the attached pdf files of Senshi Sosho (戦史叢書 = War History Series).
Most of the links seem to have been disconnected but this one seems still alive though seems membership being requested and I don't know if full version is available.
View: https://ja.scribd.com/doc/36750799/Senshi-Sosho

 

[mack8]

Many thanks for the Senshi Sosho volume index and the pdf translations, i had the NG and NEI ones, but not the first one.

Do you have by any chance the link to the japanese site where the SS volumes can be downloaded? I KNOW i have it somewhere but i can't find it now, in the past i did download a few volumes of interest such as the Formosa one. Which one do you think should cover the Truk attack in February 1944?

 

[Shinpachi]

Many thanks for the Senshi Sosho volume index and the pdf translations, i had the NG and NEI ones, but not the first one.

Do you have by any chance the link to the japanese site where the SS volumes can be downloaded? I KNOW i have it somewhere but i can't find it now, in the past i did download a few volumes of interest such as the Formosa one. Which one do you think should cover the Truk attack in February 1944?

Here are full volumes but I recommend you to learn basic Chinese characters if you do not yet.
They are almost 40,000pages in total.

 

[Shinpachi]

Which one do you think should cover the Truk attack in February 1944?

Vol. 11, 12, 13 and 62 cover the defense of Truk.
The 62nd would be the one you look for.

 

[mack8]

Thanks Shinpachi, already downloaded 062. Unfortunately i can't see me learning yet another language especially one as difficult for an european as japanese, kinda feel things don't stick to me as they used to when i was younger! Hopefully there will be some table showing the IJNAF order of battle at Truk that i should be able to make out (i hope!), which is what i'm looking for.