When did IJAAF & IJNAF adopt 4 A/C Shotai/buntai?

[Thomas Elliot]

Gentlemen,

I'm curious when the IJAAF & IJNAF respectively adopted the basic 4-aircraft formation instead of the previous 3 A/C, and I presume, the attendant 16-A/C chutai?

Thank you,

Tom

[David_Aiken]

1944

[gian paolo]

From Osamu Tagaya : Imperial Japanese Naval Aviator 1937-45 :

" Yokosuka Kokutai experimented with these formations during the latter


half of 1942 , and limited use was made of them in combat during the

first half of 1943 ......... It was first adopted on a regular bases by

204 Kokutai from the beginning of June 1943 over the Solomon Islands .


Other units followed , and by the end of the year, it had replaced

the three-plane shotai as the standard fighter formation of the IJN ."


I have no information for the IJAAF , but I guess the time was roughly

the same , a bit earlier perhaps .


Best wishes


gianpaolo

[Jim Oxley]

Just to add to the above posts. The IJNAF officially adopted 'four plane flights' as from 1 February, 1944. The resulting change was as follows:
Daitai (Squadron) - 16 aircraft
Chutai (Division) - 8 aircraft
Shotai (Section) - 4 aircraft
Buntai (Pair) - 2 aircraft

Although the IJAAF officially was slower to change its tactical formation to the 'finger four' (this did not occur until 25 April 1944) individual units adopted it commencing with the 59th Sentai in February 1943. This was instigated by Captain Shigeo Nango, a very progresive fighter leader.

[rldunn]

The navy's Air Group 204 used the 4 plane flight experimentally as early as April 1943. This was an individual initiative of its flight leader Lt. Zenjiro Miyano. Other units were slow to adopt the innovation but in early 1944 the 1st Air Fleet (not the P.H. carrier force but a land based air force formed in July 43) adopted the new formation and it soon became standard. Miyano apparently adopted the formation after seeing the American formation in action. It latter gained favor because it was thought only one experienced pilot could lead a flight of 4 whereas previously an experienced pilots was needed for a flight of 3 in the v-formation.

In the army the earliest use of the 4 plane flight was probably by the 59th FR in Feb 43, however, adoption across the JAAF was much quicker than in the navy. By the time the 248th FR got to New Guinea in Nov 43 and saw the US 4-plane flight their pilots commented that the Allies had adopted the JAAF formation. Unlike the JNAF, the JAAF based its 4-plane flight on German practice and called it the 'rotte' formation. It was clearly a flight of 2 pairs whereas the JNAF formation was sometimes merely a 4 plane version of the former 3 plane flight.

RLD

[Thomas Elliot]

Thanks all,

So if the IJNAF officially adopted the "four-finger" on 1/2/44 and the IJAAF on 25/4/44, can I presume that this is the point when the buntai/buntai TO&E changed to 16 IE + 8 IR (IJNAF) and 12 IE + 4 IE (IJAAF), or did units start to expand concurrent with experimenting?

Cheers,

Tom