Yasuhiko Kuroe

[mhuxt]

Originally Posted by Nicholas

Kuroe's own account of this encounter is most interesting - let me know if more details are needed.

Hi Nicholas:

I'd love to hear more details of this encounter. Not much has been written about Mossies in this theatre of the war, let alone from the Japanese side!

As I'm also unlikely ever to be able to put my hands on a 1959 edition of the RAF Flying Review, I'd be especially grateful for any further details you could provide!

Cheers,

Mark

[Nicholas]

Just to stick with the Mosquito side of things for the time being I did a bit more digging and discovered that the 3 Mk IIs and 3 Mk VIs (HJ730, HJ759 & HJ760) were first allocated to 27 Sqn (Beaufighters) for trials. One of the Mk IIs was lost in a crash before the 5 remaining Mossies were "modified for PR work and handed over to 681 Sqn at Dum Dum, Calcutta in August 1943". ('Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units 1942-45' by Martin Bowman, Osprey Combat Aircraft 4)

The trials were weathering trials under the supervision of F G Myers, the De Havilland tech rep in India. The Mk IIs were standard production aircraft for 'operational trials and familiarisation' only whilst the Mk VIs had been given special protective treatment before being despatched.

"Much to the surprise of those at the aerodrome on the morning of 11 April (1943), a strange aircraft approached and was quickly identified as a De Havilland Mosquito. Mosquito Mk II DZ695 was to be attached to us for weather trials and operational familiarisation, being the first Mosquito sent to the tropics for this purpose. The crew, F/Lts McCullock DFC and Young had flown the aircraft from the UK. One week later a second Mosquito, crewed by FO Fielding and F/Sgt Steer, and on 2 May a third, crewed by FOs Dupee DFM and McDonnell, were attached for the same purpose. Their arrival was to coincide with the approaching monsoon season and, no doubt, had been deliberately chosen to expose the Mosquitos to the tropical elements." ('Beaufighters Over Burma' by David J Innes)

The first Mosquito operation was flown on 19 May by FO Dupee DFM and McDonnell along the central Burma railway where a train was attacked and stopped. The second operation, on 29 May, was an armed recce of Japanese aerodromes at Kangaung, Meiktila, Thedaw (a Meiktila satellite) and He-Ho during which an Oscar attempted to intercept the Mossie but was outrun at ground level.

During the same month one of the Mosquito IIs was lost when FOs Fielding & Steer overan the Agartala runway when making an emergency landing. Steer sustained a fractured spine.

During the return from an operation in June, to attack Kangaung, DZ696 piloted by FO Dupee DFM developed a glycol leak in the starboard engine and had to make a single-engine flight to Cox's Bazaar where on landing one of the tyres burst and the resultant loss of control caused the port undercarriage to collapse.

A photograph of Mk VI HJ759 at Agartala shows it be in the overall PRU blue scheme with SEAC style roundels.

To be continued . . .

[Nicholas]

The mystery continues because the Osprey book has a photograph of a taxying Mossie captioned as being FB VI HJ811 of 27 Sqn, supposedly in early 1944 in "Dark Green and Ocean Grey camouflage with Medium Sea Grey undersurfaces and 'day fighter' Sky markings"! I feel sure that this photograph must be mis-captioned!

In the interview Kuroe claimed his encounter with the Mosquito occurred in October 1943. He was flying a 01 - an Oscar. When the Mosquito saw him it turned away to the right. Kuroe was below "weaving in and out like a pendulum" and came up beneath it. He fired at the port engine, making it stop, but the Mosquito continued flying on its starboard engine. Kuroe chased the Mosquito for almost an hour before regaining a firing position but was then unable to fire due to his guns jamming.

Kuroe continued the pursuit and then saw the Mosquito pilot "indicate he cannot fight anymore". Kuroe flew alongside and gestured to the pilot to turn around (shades of The Blue Max here!). The Mosquito complied but on the return journey the "Mosquito had much trouble with engine and he indicate he must land". Kuroe signalled OK and the Mosquito attempted a forced landing in a small clearing. Kuroe estimated the Mosquito attempted to land at 120 knots and hit the trees. One of its wings came off and it swung around and exploded. Kuroe circled the site for some time looking to see if the crew had survived but both men had been killed in the crash.

From this description it is not really clear whether Kuroe's victim on this occasion was DZ696 or DZ697!

[mhuxt]

Hi Nicholas:

Many thanks for that. Certainly both Air Britain and Mosquito say the Rangoon Mosquito on 2 November was DZ697, so that leaves DZ696 as the most likely aircraft for the later interception, though they say December, not October.

When you originally posted, I wondered whether the port engine hadn't been damaged before the chase began - your post above seems to confirm that. Not surprising I suppose that the Mossie crew eventually had trouble with the starboard engine - they must have had it at full boost and revs for the hour-long chase. I've heard of other pilots going flat out for 30 minutes and getting away with it, never an hour.

Kuroe sounds like a most interesting chap. A shame the Mossie crew weren't able to pull off their landing.

Cheers,

Mark

[Skyraider3D]

Very interesting! Many thanks for your great contributions, Nick!

[Nicholas]

Originally Posted by mhuxt

Many thanks for that. Certainly both Air Britain and Mosquito say the Rangoon Mosquito on 2 November was DZ697, so that leaves DZ696 as the most likely aircraft for the later interception, though they say December, not October.

I agree about the serials and dates of losses. What I meant was that Kuroe's recollection of the incident as being in October throws into doubt whether the "captured" Mossie episode involved DZ697 in November (perhaps more likely) or DZ696 in December.

I also realised that anyone reading my post and visiting the Mosquito website entry for 27 Sqn may have got mighty confused! I should have made it clear that after the initial Mossie trials period, 'A' flight of 27 Sqn converted to Mosquito VI at Agartala in December 1943 whilst 'B' flight remained on Beaufighters. As the trials missions were flown by attached crews the website is technically correct in stating the first 27 Sqn Mosquito mission was made by Nicholson on Christmas Day (He also broke his wrist in the Christmas Day "celebrations" that followed!).

The camouflage & markings issue remains a bit of a mystery. From photographs it appears that the Mosquito aircraft were delivered in the day fighter scheme and were gradually re-painted on unit to SEAC standards. I presume those II & VI modified as PR aircraft were re-painted in PRU Blue with SEAC roundels, making them an interesting hybrid - but I've not seen them illustrated this way.

The taxying photograph of HJ811 suggests that the Mossies were perhaps used on operations in the day fighter scheme before being re-painted?

We've dragged the Japanese thread a bit off-side but the early missions and appearance of Mossies in Burma remains something of a mystery, has not received much attention and is quite fascinating none the less!

[rldunn]

According to Dr. Izawa: "But the myth of invincibility was broken on 2 November 1943 when Capt. Kuroe and Lt. Sumino caught one, Capt. Kuroe shooting it down from below at close range. The Mosquito was DZ 697 of 684 Squadron flown by Pilot Officer Fielding. On 10 December, Capt. Kuroe found a Mosquito at 27,000 feet, but the Mosquito also spotted him, turned west and pulled away. Capt. Kuroe lowered his Hayabusa to 13,500 feet, pursued at full throttle and eventually begann to close the distance. After 40 minutes pursuit he sat just 160 feet below and behind the Mosquito. From there he shot up its left engine." Goes on to say he suffered a m/g stoppage and tried to get the Mosquito flown by Flying Officer E. Cotton of 684 Squadron to land but it crashed.

Contemporaneous Japanese press reports also place these incidents on the dates mentioned by Dr. Izawa. "It was on the afternoon of November 2 that a 'Mosquito' plane which taken by surprise by our anti-aircraft fire was shot down at 40 kilometers east of XX at one blow by Captain Kuroye..." and "On December 10, about noon while Captain Kuroe was on patrol over a certain area in search of enemy planes, he discovered a Mosquito plane flying at very high altitude..." going on to describe in some detail Kuroe's actions and attempt to 'capture' the aircraft. (reporter E. Suzuki in Greater Asia).

Rick

[Nicholas]

Thanks Rick - I am aware of the Izawa version and it is probably correct but Kuroe's own version was recorded in 1959. Clearly the October date is wrong but was he referring to the incident in November or the incident in December? As far as RAF records go both Mossies were simply missing on ops with the crews subsequently reported as KIA.

BTW did you get the info I sent you about 9 Nov 43? Sent it to your second email address on 08 Sep.

[rldunn]

I added the brief press accounts hoping they would help connect the stories with events. Yes, I got the info. I will be sending you parts of a POW interrogation report from a pilot who flew a 34th FR light bomber during the raid on 9 Nov 43. Interestingly, he also garbles the date and places it in October.

Rick

[Nicholas]

I found a couple of photographs relating to these early Mosquitos in Burma. Thanks to Skyraider3D for his assistance with posting these!

The first one shows DZ695, the first to arrive in India, which appears to be in standard ETO camouflage & markings.

The second photo shows DZ696 after its crash on 5 June '43 prior to repair and re-allocation to 681 Sqn. Looking at the pic it is hard to imagine this aircraft was repaired and used again on ops - but maybe it is not surprising that Kuroe was able to catch it! Again the aircraft appears to be in the standard ETO finish.

The De Havilland rep was horrified to find 27 Sqn using these Mossies on ops - they were supposed to be pegged out as static test beds for weather trials only!

It would be interesting to know what mods were carried out when the aircraft were converted to PR configuration for 681 and if and how the aircraft were re-painted.