Lucky13
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This....
Or this.
Or this.. (Shokaku/Kaga)
Or this...
Or this....
Or this.....
Will be ordering more paint for the RAAF Catalina tomorrow and I thought that I'd get some for either of these at the same time, don't mind mixing to get a close match, as I'm using Vallejo Air instead for Gunze Sangyo, which still don't (I think) have all the necessary colours like Mr. Color (which isn't water based) have and which is a paint in the neck to find here in the UK!
Any and all suggestions as to which Vallejo Air colours to use for a good mix are most welcome!
As of now, it's between the Nakajima Gekko Type 11 nightfighter, for which I '13' decals for (thanks Wayne!)
"White UI-13" from the 251st Kokutai. "Humpback" version with both upper and lower cannon, and collector exhausts. Dark green over light gray with white-bordered hinomarus on the fuselage and upper wings.
Flown by CPO Shigetoshi Kudo and Lt. Akira Sugawara of Kokutai 251 out of Rabaul-Lakunai, July 1943, this plane had a total of nine kills and one probable....
Shigetoshi Kudo
251st Kokutai J1N1 Gekko Night Fighter Pilot
Research by Justin Taylan
Born in 1920 in Oita Prefecture, he joined the Navy in 1937, first serving as a mechanic, then a reconnaissance pilot before being assigned to the Tainan Kokutai in October 1941, seeing combat in the Philippines and Dutch East Indies.
August 29, 1942 - Piloting a C5M Babs, Shigetoshi Kudo attacked a formation of 8 x B-17s, climbing above them to 7,500m where he dropped an aerial burst bomb (Sango aerial burst bomb). He aimed for the B-17s on the left of the formation and claimed to have hit both the #2 plane, which caught on fire and went down while the #1 bomber went into the clouds. He was awarded a definite and a probable though U.S. records do not show any losses of B-17s on this date.
The Tainan Kokutai was redesignated the 251st Kokutai on November 1, 1942. During May 1943 the unit received two J1N1 Gekko (Irving). These aircraft were field modified as night fighters armed with upward and downward firing 20mm cannons. Flying from Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul, Kudo was the first to test the aircraft in combat, flying with Lt(jg) Akira Sugawara as observer. He would become the first Pacific night fighter ace. Another night fighter pilot who also flew from Rabaul was Satoru Ono.
May 21, 1943
Took off from Lakunai Airfield on a night patrol, flying below and firing upward using his oblique firing 20mm cannons, shooting down B-17E "Honi Kuu Okole" 41-9244 (first confirmed victory with upward firing cannons) and later that same night B-17E 41-9011. Returned to base at 5:35am, having fired 178 rounds of ammunition.
June 26, 1943
Flying from below and using the Gekko's upward firing 20mm cannons, using 164 rounds ammunition, he shoot down two B-17s: B-17E "Naughty But Nice" 41-2430 and B-17F "Taxpayers Pride" 41-24448.
June 30, 1943
Kudo shoots down B-17F "Pluto" 41-24543 and observes it to crash into the mountains, his final and fifth B-17 kill. He also a probable claim for a B-24, possibly B-24D 42-40254.
During July, he flew to Ballale Airfield and operated from the island.
July 7, 1943
Took off for an evening patrol from Ballale flying with Akira Sugawara as observer. Their Gekko used its two downward pointing 20mm cannons (on other occasion he had used the guns that pointed upwards). This would have required Kudo to approach Hudson NZ2033 unseen from above and behind and then firing when in position 30 degrees above the Hudson's fore-aft axis (allowing for deflection).
Later in July he was presented with a ceremonial sword by Admiral Jinichi Kusaka (11th Air Fleet), for his air service. In total, he earned 9 credited victories and was known as 'King of the Night'.
In February 1944, he was transferred back to Japan with the Yokosuka Kokutai, and severely wounded in a landing accident in May 1945. He died in 1960.
Claims in C5M Babs
1. B-17 by aerial burst bomb (August 29, 1942)
P. B-17 by aerial burst bomb (August 29, 1942)
Claims in J1N1 Gekko
P. B-24 (June 30, 1943) possibly B-24D 42-40254 307th BG, MACR 30
Confirmed Night Fighter Victories
1 . B-17E "Honi Kuu Okole" 41-9244 (May 21, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
2 . B-17E 41-9011 (May 21, 1943)
3 . B-17E "Georgia Peach" 41-24454 (June 13, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
4 . B-17E "Naughty But Nice" 41-2430 (June 26, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
5. B-17F "Taxpayers Pride" 41-24448 (June 26, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
6. B-17F "Pluto" 41-24543 (June 30, 1943) and a probable for a B-24, possibly B-24D 42-40254
7. RNZAF Hudson NZ2033 (July 7, 1943) with observer Sugiwara.
Either that or the Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden or a Mitsubishi A6M2b from Shokaku or Kaga during the Pearl Harbor attack...
Anyway, time to get ready for work!
Or this.
Or this.. (Shokaku/Kaga)
Or this...
Or this....
Or this.....
Will be ordering more paint for the RAAF Catalina tomorrow and I thought that I'd get some for either of these at the same time, don't mind mixing to get a close match, as I'm using Vallejo Air instead for Gunze Sangyo, which still don't (I think) have all the necessary colours like Mr. Color (which isn't water based) have and which is a paint in the neck to find here in the UK!
Any and all suggestions as to which Vallejo Air colours to use for a good mix are most welcome!
As of now, it's between the Nakajima Gekko Type 11 nightfighter, for which I '13' decals for (thanks Wayne!)
"White UI-13" from the 251st Kokutai. "Humpback" version with both upper and lower cannon, and collector exhausts. Dark green over light gray with white-bordered hinomarus on the fuselage and upper wings.
Flown by CPO Shigetoshi Kudo and Lt. Akira Sugawara of Kokutai 251 out of Rabaul-Lakunai, July 1943, this plane had a total of nine kills and one probable....
Shigetoshi Kudo
251st Kokutai J1N1 Gekko Night Fighter Pilot
Research by Justin Taylan
Born in 1920 in Oita Prefecture, he joined the Navy in 1937, first serving as a mechanic, then a reconnaissance pilot before being assigned to the Tainan Kokutai in October 1941, seeing combat in the Philippines and Dutch East Indies.
August 29, 1942 - Piloting a C5M Babs, Shigetoshi Kudo attacked a formation of 8 x B-17s, climbing above them to 7,500m where he dropped an aerial burst bomb (Sango aerial burst bomb). He aimed for the B-17s on the left of the formation and claimed to have hit both the #2 plane, which caught on fire and went down while the #1 bomber went into the clouds. He was awarded a definite and a probable though U.S. records do not show any losses of B-17s on this date.
The Tainan Kokutai was redesignated the 251st Kokutai on November 1, 1942. During May 1943 the unit received two J1N1 Gekko (Irving). These aircraft were field modified as night fighters armed with upward and downward firing 20mm cannons. Flying from Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul, Kudo was the first to test the aircraft in combat, flying with Lt(jg) Akira Sugawara as observer. He would become the first Pacific night fighter ace. Another night fighter pilot who also flew from Rabaul was Satoru Ono.
May 21, 1943
Took off from Lakunai Airfield on a night patrol, flying below and firing upward using his oblique firing 20mm cannons, shooting down B-17E "Honi Kuu Okole" 41-9244 (first confirmed victory with upward firing cannons) and later that same night B-17E 41-9011. Returned to base at 5:35am, having fired 178 rounds of ammunition.
June 26, 1943
Flying from below and using the Gekko's upward firing 20mm cannons, using 164 rounds ammunition, he shoot down two B-17s: B-17E "Naughty But Nice" 41-2430 and B-17F "Taxpayers Pride" 41-24448.
June 30, 1943
Kudo shoots down B-17F "Pluto" 41-24543 and observes it to crash into the mountains, his final and fifth B-17 kill. He also a probable claim for a B-24, possibly B-24D 42-40254.
During July, he flew to Ballale Airfield and operated from the island.
July 7, 1943
Took off for an evening patrol from Ballale flying with Akira Sugawara as observer. Their Gekko used its two downward pointing 20mm cannons (on other occasion he had used the guns that pointed upwards). This would have required Kudo to approach Hudson NZ2033 unseen from above and behind and then firing when in position 30 degrees above the Hudson's fore-aft axis (allowing for deflection).
Later in July he was presented with a ceremonial sword by Admiral Jinichi Kusaka (11th Air Fleet), for his air service. In total, he earned 9 credited victories and was known as 'King of the Night'.
In February 1944, he was transferred back to Japan with the Yokosuka Kokutai, and severely wounded in a landing accident in May 1945. He died in 1960.
Claims in C5M Babs
1. B-17 by aerial burst bomb (August 29, 1942)
P. B-17 by aerial burst bomb (August 29, 1942)
Claims in J1N1 Gekko
P. B-24 (June 30, 1943) possibly B-24D 42-40254 307th BG, MACR 30
Confirmed Night Fighter Victories
1 . B-17E "Honi Kuu Okole" 41-9244 (May 21, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
2 . B-17E 41-9011 (May 21, 1943)
3 . B-17E "Georgia Peach" 41-24454 (June 13, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
4 . B-17E "Naughty But Nice" 41-2430 (June 26, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
5. B-17F "Taxpayers Pride" 41-24448 (June 26, 1943 firing from below with upward firing cannons)
6. B-17F "Pluto" 41-24543 (June 30, 1943) and a probable for a B-24, possibly B-24D 42-40254
7. RNZAF Hudson NZ2033 (July 7, 1943) with observer Sugiwara.
Either that or the Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden or a Mitsubishi A6M2b from Shokaku or Kaga during the Pearl Harbor attack...
Anyway, time to get ready for work!
I wish!
