JAAF and JNAF Organizational Structure

[Mustang51]

As a JNAF/JAAF neophyte can anyone give me some guidance relative to any publications that can set me on the right track regarding the organisational structure of these air arms. I am researching aircraft operations from Australia during WWII and continually run into trouble trying to sort out the equivalent to flights, squadrons, wings, etc and how they relate to eachother. All help gratefully accepted.

[fsbofk]

Osprey's "Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1937-45" and "Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45" each provide a very brief explanation of JAAF and JNAF organization, in addition to bios and profiles of the aces and their aircraft. Both books are available and inexpensive.

[Jim Oxley]

If it's organisational and command structure you require then the following two books are far superior to the Osprey titles mentioned above.

a) Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units of WWII, by Ikuhiko Hata and Yasuho Izawa. ISBN 1 85310 138 9.

b) Japanese Army Fighter Units and Their Aces 1931-1945, also by Hata and Izawa. ISBN 1 902304 89 6.

If you live in a major city Mustang you'll find these books readily available in any well equipped library.

[Nicholas]

The essential single source reference on this subject is still The Japanese Air Forces in World War II (The Organisation of the Japanese Army & Naval Air Forces, 1945) published by Arms and Armour Press in London and Hippocrene Books Inc in New York in 1979. (ISBN 0-88254-492-6).

It is in fact a reproduction of a detailed intelligence analysis of the Japanese Air Forces published by HMSO and contains a wealth of organisational information and glossaries of terms.

You will find many copies available through Abe at:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/

[Mustang51]

Thanks for the assistance guys. I have ordered the Osprey publications and contacted ABE Books for the Arms and Armor Press publication..........next to find a listing of all the bases used by these services in the SW and NW Pacific areas.... I think a far greater challenge

[ftrbmr]

go here: http://www.j-aircraft.com/

There is a pacific airfield research project underway.

or try www.pacificwrecks.com. That site has a database of airfields.

Henry Weyers

[Mustang51]

Again my thanks. With regard to the bases they are mostly within the NW Pacific area encompassed by (now) Indonesia, Timor etc. Somer of the spelling of the bases that I have are "anglicised" and do not match their current local equivalents. It is also proving difficult to locate the units assigned to these bases and their times there or when they were removed. Nil desperandum.... more research required

Pete

[Jim P.]

Agree with Mr. Oxley's recommendation - Hata/Izawa books are the best ones to get by far.

[Jim Oxley]

That's one of the area's where the two books I mentioned above excel. Amongst a host of other details they give details of all bases (names & dates) from which specific units operated.

[Mustang51]

Books are all ordered..... thanks for the advice. Will see just what I can make of all of it once they are read.

Pete