JAPAN AT WAR, 1931-1945

Japanese military designations have always been a mystery to westerners. In 1940 China, Claire Chennault figured that, since the Japanese had "I-96" and "I-97" fighter planes (the army Nakajima and navy Mitsubishi fixed-gear monoplanes), the new retractable-gear fighter that sent him tumbling into a ditch must therefore be the "I-98." It was of course the infamous Zero. (Chennault wasn't entirely off the mark. The designations did indeed follow in sequence: translated to the western calendar, the fighters went into service in 1937, 1938, and 1940, respectively.)

The confusion continues to this day. In any effort to clear it up, Osamu T. last month posted a complete list of WWII Japanese warplanes on the J-Aircraft message board, with their various designations. Sam kindly allowed me to publish it here. It is a work in progress.

"Carl Molesworth's book has a few flaws but it is well written, interesting, and its artwork and illustrations are a visual delight. Despite this reviewer's barbs, Carl's book will be highly interesting and useful to many readers. For those interested but who have not ventured deeply; or at all, into the aerial conflict in China it may be considered an essential addition to their library. For many others the illustrations and accounts of combat in 1944-1945 will be interesting and worthwhile." Read Richard Dunn's review

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Japan's long war:

• Nomonhan (Japan v. Russia, 1939)
• Russian aircraft losses at Nomonhan
• Elusive target: Bombing Japan from China (Richard Dunn)
• Did U.S. leaders know that war was coming?
• A guest of the Japanese in the Dutch Indies (Arie Biemond)
• "New Guinea was my introduction to war" (anonymous)
• Ketsu-go (waiting for the Americans, summer 1945)
• Olympic vs. Ketsu-go (the invasion that didn't happen)
• Japan's Longest Day: how Japan surrendered
• The Last Raid: how the war ended, August 14-15
• The U.S. Navy arrives in Tokyo Bay, August 1945
• Did Japanese soldiers fight for the Vietminh?

The Hiroshima files:

• Why Truman dropped the bomb (Richard Frank)
• Little Boy vs Operation Olympic (an internet debate)
• How many died at Hiroshima?--counting the uncountable
• What was the yield of the Hiroshima bomb?
• Was there a third bomb? What was its target?
• Been down that lonely road: NASM confronts Enola Gay
• Hiroshima and the end of the war--a reading list

The Japanese Army Air Force files:

• Notes on the Japanese Army Air Force
• The decision to move south (Japan v. the West, 1941)
• Mr. Suzuki recalls the Flying Tigers (December 1941)
• Lucky Sevens? life and death of the 77th Sentai (Richard Dunn)
• Rising sun over Burma: JAAF vs. AVG
• JAAF deployments against Rangoon, December-March (maps)
• Japanese army aircraft met by the AVG
• Joe Baugher's Hayabusa files
• Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar") armament (Richard Dunn)
• About those Nakajima Ki-43 machineguns
• Regimental song of the 64th Sentai (video)
• Japanese army aces and their victory claims
• JAAF fighter pilots lost in China-Burma area, 1941-42
• Ki-45 Toryu (Dragon Slayer, aka Nick)

Why's a Zero?

• Why's a Zero? and a primer on the Japanese calendar
• Japanese warplane names and designations (Osamu T.)
• Allied code-names in perspective (Richard Dunn)
• Sussing out the 'Chengdu Zero'
• Zeros over China, 1941-1942 (Ben Schapiro)
• Unraveling the Zero's performance data (Richard Dunn)
• 'Never dog fight the Zero' (the San Diego evaluations)
• A conversation with Saburo Sakai and a scrap of his scarf
• 'Winged Samurai': rethinking the Sakai myths
• An interview with another Zero pilot

Kamikaze, cannibals, & other mysteries:

• Bushido: the Japanese Field Service Code, 1941
• 'Be as one already dead' (Ruth Benedict)
• The soldier who cut up living prisoners (London Times)
• The butchered bodies of New Guinea (graphic photos)
• The Rape of Nanking: Japan in denial
• Meet Colonel Tsuji, genius and cannibal
• Outram Road Prison, Singapore
• Done to death: the prisoners of Rabaul
• The man who didn't shoot down Pappy Boyington
• Why the kamikaze volunteered (Yasuho Izawa)
• A Japanese army pilot trains to die
• 'Crashing bodily into a target is not easy' (the how-to manual)
• 'I will be waiting for you at Yasukuni Shrine'
• 'Annihilate them all' (the order to murder PWs)

Books & stuff:

• The A6M Zero Store (books & collectibles)
• Japan at War--book reviews on this site
• The webmaster's picks: 10 books worth reading
• Books about Japanese aircraft and aces

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