Photos Japanese Army Airforce

[Larry deZeng]

Clint -

That's a tough question because, quite frankly, I don't remember anything I've ever seen that breaks down the 144 mixed aircraft types for 7/8 December 1941. The 19 Naval Historical Center microfiche were compiled by Naval Signals Intelligence on Nebraska Avenue in WashDC. Each entry is from the translation of JN-20 and other decodes, so the details are reliable. Long, complex OBs were not usually sent over the radio using JN-20 and, on top of that, signal intelligence intercepts from the Japanese home islands were not being picked up that early in the war. The only sources I would use for early war details like this would be Japanese language documents and published works, such as Senshi Sōsho, both translated and untranslated. Below is the Table of Contents for NHC microfiche F 2076:

Order of Battle of the JNAF Table of Contents
[Naval Historical Center Microfiche F 2076]


Contents Page

Section I Supreme Command 1
Section II History and Organization of the JNAF 1
A. General 1 - 5
Historical Summary, Japanese Naval Organization (Navy
Ministry, Over-all Naval Command, Striking Forces, Naval
Districts and Naval Guard Districts, Area Fleets, Area
Forces, Bases Forces, Area Defense Force, Area Base
Forces, Outer Combat Force and Inner Combat Force,
Guard Sectors).
B. Organization of the Japanese Navy Air Force 5 - 11
General, Administrative and Supply (Naval Air HQ,
Naval Air Technical Depot, Branch Naval Air
Technical Depot, Yokosuka Air Group, Naval Air Depots,
Branch Naval Air Depots, Branch Workshops,
Replacement Shops, Administration of Air Bases, Supply).
Tactical Units 12 – 16
General, Air Fleets and Base Air Forces, Air Flotillas
and Air Attack Forces, Air Groups, Flying Units, Base
Expeditionary Units or Base Detachments, Misc. Units,
Special Attack Units, Special Tactical Units, Combat
Formations in the Air, Airborne Troop Units.
Training 17 – 18
Combined Air Training Command, Combined Air Groups,
Training Air Groups, Yokosuka Air Group, The Training
Program, Classification of Trainees.
Air Transport 18
Transport Plane Units, Transport Air Group, Other
Transport Units, Transport Aircraft, Civil Airlines.
Weather 19
General, Navy Meteorological Department, Naval
Weather Units, Air Groups, Other Interested Agencies.
Section III Organizations: Japanese Navy Air Force 20
Administrative, Supply and Service 20 – 43
Naval Air HQ, Naval Air Technical Depot, Naval Air
Technical Branch Depot, Air Depots, Air Base Units.
Tactical 43 – 237
Air Fleets and Bases Air Forces (43-49), Air Flotillas
And Air Attack Forces (49-60), Combined Air Training
Command (60), Combined Air Groups (61-66), Named
Air Groups (66-120), Numbered Air Groups (121-191),
Flying Units (Hikotai – 192-235), Special Attack Units
(236-237).
Section IV Japanese Navy Air Officers 238-249
Section V Unit Designations - JNAF 250
Attachment A Naval Air Code Names 250
Attachment B Naval Post Office Code Designations 251

L. deZ.