USAAF Raid, 7 April 1945

[keith A]

Were the opponents faced by the P-51s and B-29s all JAAF? I say this because very few of the claims that day identify JNAF aircraft. Capt RW Moore claims two "Hamps" but there are no other claims for Zekes/Hamps. However "Tojos" and "Tonys" are reported. Five JAAF "Dinahs" (misidentified as "Nicks") are also reported shot down. "Oscars" are not an option. Are these "Franks" or Ki-100?

If so then Moore's other victories in April are also Ki-100/Frank

K

[focusfocus]

Japanese losses during operation "Enkidle n°7" (mission n°58) "Musashino"


244° Sentai=5 Ki.61
Ki.61 S/Lt Kohatsu Satohide collision with a B-29.
Ki.61 S/Lt Kawano Takashi collision with a B-29
Ki.61 Cpl Matsueda Tomonobu
Ki.61 S/Lt Maeda Shigeru
Ki.61

18° Sentai=4
Ki.61 S/Lt Kojima Hideo
Ki.61 S/Lt Iwasaki
Ki.61 Lt Oyake Mitsuo
Ki.100 Sgt Heima Yasuo

28°Sentai=5
Ki.46x5

1° Kyoku Hikotai=3
Ki.84 Lt YamamotoToshiaki
Ki.84 S/Lt Gato Tokuzo
Ki.84 Sgt Mitsutaki Toshio

Ku 302=5
Raiden QM/C Kurokame Kenji
Suisei LV Fujita Hideshi
Suisei EV1 Sato Ichiro
Gekko EV1 Shiroichi
Gekko EV1 Shiomura Sburo

Ku 252=2 zeros
Zero PM Watanabe Yohei
Zero
Ku 601=1
Zero QM/C Ishida Tetsuya

Michel

[keith A]

Many thanks Michel.

Moore's victories could be "Zekes" (not Hamps") but perhaps the fact that these were perceived as being in the same flight they are more likely to have been among the "Franks" you have identified. No other Japanese fighters show a comparable loss. However what is the unit. Is it a Rensei Hikotai?

As you know the 18th sentai flew Ki-46 "Dinah" armed with 20mm cannon to become bomber-destroyers. The experiment did not work.

The Myrt claimed seems to be one of the Susei (Judy) you identify.

best regards

Keith

[keith A]

According to the Osprey publication of the Ki-44 the 23rd, 70th and 246th Sentais lost aircraft on 7 April 1945 but no pilots.

K

[keith A]

Moore may have claimed the two A6M5 "Zekes" of 252 Kokutai lost on this date. If so then he was scoring against the same unit he encountered when he claimed his first kill on 26 January 1944.

[focusfocus]

1° KYOKU HIKOTAI=Training unit

Addition of japanese losses during operation "Eradicate n°7" (07/04/45)

5° Sentai=3
Ki.45 S/Lt Naito Nakaso
Ki.45 Sgt Ishioka Hidetoshi
Ki.45 S/Lt Tsujimoto Kaoru by collision with B-29

No infos concerning losses ? of 23,70,246th Sentai

Michel

[keith A]

I am beginning to question my assumption that the 252 Ku were Moore's victims. Watanabe is killed ramming a B-29. if the unit lost just two aircraft then I don't think it met the p-51s.

I think his opponents were the Ki84 of 1 Kyoku Hikotai that Michel has identified. After shooting two of these down the remainder flew around in "lazy eights", which seems to indicate an inexperienced unit that had lost it's leaders.

The two fighter groups claim a massive twenty-one kills at least. Including several (at least four) "Shoki" arguing the 23rd,70th and 246th Sentais were involved (see Millman "Ki-44 etc).

The B-29 gunners posted 80-23-50 for the first mission!

The 244th (Ki-61)also lost Cpl Kihara who was WIA by a P-51 but b/o. He may be the missing casualty in Michel's earlier post on this thread.

Many thanks Michel and others. this part of the forum is much neglected and I hope these posts will boost it a little. I have used other sites because of this but I think this one needs to be developed. The loss of Frank O has seriously depleted the forum but I hope others will step up. We value your input.

best regards

Keith