KI-84 vs soviet aircraft 1945

[Demopan78]

during 1945 104 sentai used Ki-84's

did any Ki-84s encounter soviet aircraft?

 

[FrL]

Not to my knowledge.

 

[Wurger]

Probably not. The 104th Sentai participated in counterattacks against B-29 air raids in 1944. At the beginning of the 1945 when the 58th BW was moved to the Saipan, Guam and Tinian airbases, the fighting subsided at the Mukden area. Although the 104th Sentai was flying for the patrol missions intensively , no opponent was found. However on September the 14th and15th, the Hayates of the Sentai participated in an attack agianst the soviet troops at the Linhsi region. Two planes were lost. The one was the commander of the 1st Chutai who was hit by the AA and the second one was sgt. Tetsuo Kataoka who became the MIA. The only russian claim for the time and area was the Cpt. Sirotin's one while flown a P-63 Kingcobra. He encounterd a pair of the enemy fighters and shot down one of them. Unfortunately he wasn't able to state the fighter plane type. His description of the quite odd colour markings suggests the plane of the Manchukuo Air Force though. It is very likely it was a Ki-43 Hayabusa. Because the Kwantung Army was defeated in 12 days the 104th Sentai was withdrawn to Japan.

the info source: Wichury nad Mandżurią

 

[Shinpachi]

Seems no chance for air-combat though I hoped but -

On August 13, 1945, about 30 Ki-84s of the 104 sentai, together with about a dozen of Ki-44s of 25th independent company, attacked Soviet ground forces with 15kg bombs and cluster bombs near Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. Destroyed about 20 tanks.

Source: 四式戦闘機隊出撃す！

 

[Wurger]

 

[Demopan78]

Seems no chance for air-combat though I hoped but -

On August 13, 1945, about 30 Ki-84s of the 104 sentai, together with about a dozen of Ki-44s of 25th independent company, attacked Soviet ground forces with 15kg bombs and cluster bombs near Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. Destroyed about 20 tanks.

Source: 四式戦闘機隊出撃す！

impressive

 

[Jeffrey Ethell Collection]

If you are talking about Ki-84 Hayates in Japanese Army Air Force Service then POSSIBLY subject to confirmation in the JAAF unit's (104 Hiko sentai) Sento KodoShoho (daily combat reports). These records are often missing fom the late war period (post June 1945) as the war situation precluded them from being returned to Army HQ archives in Japan.

Former JAAF 104 Hiko sentai Ki-84 Hayates at Tokorozawa airfield after the surrender.

However, if you include Ki-84 captured and taken over by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), also referred to as the Chinese Air Force (CAF) then definitely but, encounters with Soviet Red Army AF A/c can't be confirmed as CAF records from post WWII period are non-existant.

The photo record is clear as there are many pics of captured Ki-84 Hayates with PLAAF/CAF markings in the Hankow, Peking and Manchuria areas.

Ki-84 Hayate PLAAF (CAF) markings captrd Manchuria China CBI 1945

Ki-84 Hayate CAF Nanking (Peking) China CBI 1945

Either way, without Soviet Red Army AF records of such encounters, it's going to be very difficult to confirm such interceptions did occur post WWII. Maybe Shinpachi can find proof in the vast repository of WWII records that is JAYCAR.

Credits: Top- web; Middle: Web; 2nd Bottom: Moky Collection; Bottom: Jeffrey Ethell Collection

Moky for JEC

 

[Shinpachi]

So my last post was my conclusion after research

 

[Jeffrey Ethell Collection]

Thanks Shinpachi,

If that is the only record of air to ground combat involving 104 Hiko Sentai Hayates then any mention of air to air encounters can only be speculative at best.

Moky for JEC

 

[Shinpachi]

Since the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact signed in April, 1941, there was no chance of combat till August 8, 1945 when Soviet declared war against Japan. The 104 sentai at Xiaoyue was not Soviet's target so soon and ended the war there.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vincenzo]

IMHO PLAAF and chinese air force are not the same, the chinese air force, the alone of interest in ww2, it is the air force of the Kuomintang chinese republic; the PLAAF is the air force of people's republic of china, and actually was founded in 1949. it's true that a small aircraft section of the people's army was founded in 1944 but i don't think they see many fight or just aircraft before of japanese surrender