News article on WW2 Chinese airman

[DavidIsby]

Squadron commander in the Chinese-American Composite Wing turns 102:



http://www.kmt.org.tw/english/page.aspx type=article&mnum=112&anum=12623

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Right URL is http://www.kmt.org.tw/english/page.a...m=12623&kw=102

More details and a photo at http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiw.../05/2003556324.

As for the claim that he destroyed 42 aircraft, the second article said he led a raid that destroyed 42 aircraft on November 25, 1943.

The sino-japanese air war chronology available on http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese-1943.htm says the following about this raid:

Allied point of view:
14 B-25s and 16 P-38s and P-51s from the 14th AF attacked the airfield at Shinchiku on Formosa, hitting a parking area, hangars, barracks, and other buildings. 32 enemy aircraft were claimed destroyed in the air and on the ground.
Six B-25s from 2nd BS (CACW) took part in the attack, leaving Kweilin at 06:00 and staged through Suichwan, where they picked up eight B-25s of the 11th BS and a fighter escort of P-38s and P-51s of the 23rd FG after they refuelled.
The formation crossed the Formosa Straits at minimum altitude and caught the Japanese completely unprepared. A few Japanese aircraft in the landing pattern were quickly shot down by the P-38s as the bombers climbed to 1,000ft to release their fragmentation bombs, which were armed with instant fuses. Seeing that there were no opposing interceptors and only minimum AA defence, Lieutenant Colonel Branch led his flight down for a strafing pass before they headed for home. Even the turret gunners got into the act, firing into a barrack area as the bombers swept low over the field. For this action, Lieutenant Colonel Branch was awarded a Distinguish Flying Cross.
The Shinchiku raid was the most successful thus far in the history of the 14th AF, and the 2nd BS received commendations from Colonel Vincent and Lord Mountbatten for its part in the attack.

Japanese point of view (Hsinchu is another name for Shinchiku):
14 P-38s and six B-25s in a low level bombing raid on Hsinchu destroyed and damaged some 27 aircraft, and inflicted some 45 casualties. The Japanese IJNAF claimed three aircraft shot down.

This raid is also described in some details in the book "Sharks over China" by Carl Molesworth, pages 161-164: escort was flown by 8 P-38s of 449th FS and 8 P-51s of 76th FG (one aborted). The P-38s claimed 12 bombers/two-engine aircraft shot down, the P-51s two fighters shot down. No precise details of the ground claims. No loss on the Allied side. It was the first mission for the B-25s of the CACW and one of the first for the P-51s of 23rd FG.

[gian paolo]

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

Right URL is http://www.kmt.org.tw/english/page.a...m=12623&kw=102

More details and a photo at http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiw.../05/2003556324.

As for the claim that he destroyed 42 aircraft, the second article said he led a raid that destroyed 42 aircraft on November 25, 1943.

The sino-japanese air war chronology available on http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese-1943.htm says the following about this raid:

Allied point of view:
14 B-25s and 16 P-38s and P-51s from the 14th AF attacked the airfield at Shinchiku on Formosa, hitting a parking area, hangars, barracks, and other buildings. 32 enemy aircraft were claimed destroyed in the air and on the ground.
Six B-25s from 2nd BS (CACW) took part in the attack, leaving Kweilin at 06:00 and staged through Suichwan, where they picked up eight B-25s of the 11th BS and a fighter escort of P-38s and P-51s of the 23rd FG after they refuelled.
The formation crossed the Formosa Straits at minimum altitude and caught the Japanese completely unprepared. A few Japanese aircraft in the landing pattern were quickly shot down by the P-38s as the bombers climbed to 1,000ft to release their fragmentation bombs, which were armed with instant fuses. Seeing that there were no opposing interceptors and only minimum AA defence, Lieutenant Colonel Branch led his flight down for a strafing pass before they headed for home. Even the turret gunners got into the act, firing into a barrack area as the bombers swept low over the field. For this action, Lieutenant Colonel Branch was awarded a Distinguish Flying Cross.
The Shinchiku raid was the most successful thus far in the history of the 14th AF, and the 2nd BS received commendations from Colonel Vincent and Lord Mountbatten for its part in the attack.

Japanese point of view (Hsinchu is another name for Shinchiku):
14 P-38s and six B-25s in a low level bombing raid on Hsinchu destroyed and damaged some 27 aircraft, and inflicted some 45 casualties. The Japanese IJNAF claimed three aircraft shot down.

This raid is also described in some details in the book "Sharks over China" by Carl Molesworth, pages 161-164: escort was flown by 8 P-38s of 449th FS and 8 P-51s of 76th FG (one aborted). The P-38s claimed 12 bombers/two-engine aircraft shot down, the P-51s two fighters shot down. No precise details of the ground claims. No loss on the Allied side. It was the first mission for the B-25s of the CACW and one of the first for the P-51s of 23rd FG.

Good afternoon


14th AAF claimed a total 46 a/c : 15 air ( 12 by P-38 - 2 by P-51 - 1


by B-25 ) + 31 ground ( 10 by P-38 )


IJNAF reported losses : 2 A6M + 2 G3M air + 12 G3M ground / 2 more

G3M severely dam - 8 moderately dam - 18 slightly dam on ground



no US total loss - 1 P-38 - 1 P-51 - 3 B-25 slightly dam by AA


( SOURCE : D. JACKSON - THE FORGOTTEN SQUADRON THE 449 FS IN

WWII


gianpaolo

[Larry deZeng]

Should anyone be curious, even mildly curious, about which JNAF unit was most impacted by this raid, here is a small sliver of information - the raid wiped out an entire Kōkūtai:

Shinchiku Kōkūtai


Formed 1 April 1942 at Shinchiku NAS/2.4 mi NW of Shinchiku city (today: Hsin-chu)/NW Formosa. Provided 3-month and 4-month combat air crew training courses on land-based attack planes. Assigned to 14th Combined Air Group (14 Rengō Kōkūtai) and administratively under Sasebo Naval District.[1]

23 Sep 43: a Takao Detachment was in formation at Takao NAS/2 mi SE of Takao city (today: Kao-hsiung)/SW Formosa.[2]
25 Nov 43: Shinchiku NAS struck by 14 B-25s, 8 P-38s and 8 P-51As belonging to 14th AAF units based in China. Coming in at low-level and unobserved, the raiders devastated the Kōkūtai destroying 42 planes on the ground and claiming 14 more over the base, all without loss. As a consequence, training at Shinchiku was virtually brought to a halt.[3]
1 Jan 44: group disbanded; its Takao Detachment also disbanded and its assets incorporated into the Takao Kōkūtai.[4]


Commander:
Capt. Tomigi MAEHARA (Apr 42 - Nov 42)
Capt. Yoshiyotsu MORITAMA (Dec 42 - Dec 43)


[1] IJN Gazette entries in JICPOA Bulletins 35-45:113, 16-45 and 71-45; JICPOA JNAF OB (Microfiche F-2076):106.

[2] JICPOA Bulletin 44-45.

[3] Tagaya-Betty Units:101; Hammel-Air War:253.

[4] JICPOA Bulletin 102-45.