Kawasaki Ki-45 Nick footage and Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah footage

[Lancero99]

View: https://youtu.be/LU0WQzKjazM?si=mJS7MHmudFAaPrKx

Some really nice footage of Kawasaki Ki-45 Nicks and Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinahs operating in occupied Manchuria. You can see cargoes activities going on at the airfield such as the Hucks starter trucks driving.

Some really nice in flight formation footage too. This is the first footage I have ever seen of the Ki-46 Dinah in flight

 

[SaparotRob]

A beautiful airplane.

 

[Gnomey]

Good one!

 

[Jeffrey Ethell Collection]

The last Ki-46 aircraft depicted in the air to air footage at the end of the video is a very rare Army Type 100 Command Recon plane Model III Kai (Ki-46 III Kai). This is showing the two 20mm nose cannon but not the upward firing dorsal 37mm cannon. The unit operating this fighter late war was the Dokuritsu Dai 16 Hikotai. It's possible a small number were sent to Manchuria to evaluate operations in the freezing conditions found there and to thwart the B-29 raids from China.

 

[Jeffrey Ethell Collection]

The last Ki-46 aircraft depicted in the air to air footage at the end of the video is a very rare Army Type 100 Command Recon plane Model III Kai (Ki-46 III Kai). This is showing the two 20mm nose cannon but not the upward firing dorsal 37mm cannon. The unit operating this fighter late war was the Dokuritsu Dai 16 Hikotai. It's possible a small number were sent to Manchuria to evaluate operations in the freezing conditions found there and to thwart the B-29 raids from China.

View attachment 844966

Further to the above, cannon armed Ki-46 III Otsu were operated in Manchuria by the Dokuritsu Hiko Dai 81 Chutai late 1944. On 21 December a Ki-46 III piloted by Sgt Akiyama shot down a B-29 near Mukden.

 

[Lancero99]

Further to the above, cannon armed Ki-46 III Otsu were operated in Manchuria by the Dokuritsu Hiko Dai 81 Chutai late 1944. On 21 December a Ki-46 III piloted by Sgt Akiyama shot down a B-29 near Mukden.

Wow thank you for the information, I was wondering what unit this was and had no luck in being able to identify it, thanks so much

 

[Lancero99]

The last Ki-46 aircraft depicted in the air to air footage at the end of the video is a very rare Army Type 100 Command Recon plane Model III Kai (Ki-46 III Kai). This is showing the two 20mm nose cannon but not the upward firing dorsal 37mm cannon. The unit operating this fighter late war was the Dokuritsu Dai 16 Hikotai. It's possible a small number were sent to Manchuria to evaluate operations in the freezing conditions found there and to thwart the B-29 raids from China.

View attachment 844966

Would you happen to know which unit the Ki-45s in footage belong to? I asked in a Facebook group that said it might be the 25th Independent Chutai

 

[Jeffrey Ethell Collection]

Would you happen to know which unit the Ki-45s in footage belong to? I asked in a Facebook group that said it might be the 25th Independent Chutai

That is correct, the Dokuritsu Hiko Dai 25 Chutai operated the Ki-45 in Manchuria 1944 -1945.

 

[Jeffrey Ethell Collection]

That is correct, the Dokuritsu Hiko Dai 25 Chutai operated the Ki-45 in Manchuria 1944 -1945.

This still frame from the video shows the Dokuritsu Hiko Dai 25 Chutai marking on the tail.

Credit: Rising Decals

Given how bright the arrow is this Ki-45 belonged to the No. 1 Chutai whose color was white. The No. 3 Chutai had a yellow arrow.