Formosa airfields in January 1945

[keith A]

I am looking at VF-45 attacks on Formosan airfields. Between 3-9 January 1945 VF-45 claimed to have destroyed twelve: three Yokosuka K5Y type-93 trainers, three Nicks and four T/E trainers and a Topsy and a Sally. The fighters raided Kobi, Rokke and Rojoseki airfields. The claims indicate a mix of both IJNAF and IJAAF types on these airfields.

I assume this is misidentification. For example the Topsy, Sally and Hickory and the Nick are all IJAAF types that would be difficult to identify one from another, at speed in a low level passor from height.

Type-93 trainers are Navy types. However could these be examples of the Tachikawa Ki-17?

A photo on Wikipedia shows KI-43 Oscars and KI-36 Ida on Kobi A/F (date n/k). Therefore an IJAAF airfield?

K

[RSwank]

By October 1944, at the time of the Formosa Air Battle, (12-16 October, 1944) there were both IJNAF and IJAAF units based on airfields on Formosa. I don't think the naval units were suddenly withdrawn by January, 1945.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formosa_Air_Battle

View from the Japanese Admiral in charge of the defense of Formosa:

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proce...battle-formosa

Note his description of the special T Attack Force (TAF) unit, which had both naval and army planes in the same unit.

"Concerning the TAF, there is one thing to be particularly noted—the fact that half of the TAF was composed of Army elements. "

[keith A]

Thanks, mate. My thinking was that these are training airfields and that the Army are not training Navy pilots.

best regards

Keith