Aircraft on the Imperial Japanese Navy Carrier AKAGI

Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft on the Aircraft Carrier

Akagi

"Red Castle"

The Akagi could carry 91 aircraft

Version_2006_10_16 : 47 pics of Aircraft

1927

Comissioned

(Ha- )

Akagi, a 34,364-ton aircraft carrier, was built at Kure, Japan.
Begun as a battle cruiser, she was completed as one of Japan's first two large aircraft carriers in March 1927.

Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai
(Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)

Nakajima (Type 3) A1N1

Mitsubishi (Type 10) 1MF3A

(Ha-224)
-
-

(Ha-206)
1927 =>
Hypotetical code, possibly more a "3XX"

Yamamoto, as Captain of the Akagi had his men to do a Fleet exercise off the China coast in 1928.

His aim was to make a surprise attack on an "enemy" battleship when they least expected it.
So he let all his planes launch into a violent thunderstorm.

The attack was successful, but every single plane crashed and all the pilots died trying to find their way back to the carrier.
They only had about 2 1/2 hours of flying time. All 30 were lost !!!

Yamamoto reportedly felt that a death in realistic training was the same as a hero dying in battle. It was a setback, not a waste.
As a result of the deaths the ships and planes were given better navigational equipment and the pilots were taught to trust their instruments not their instincts when flying in bad weather.

1932, January to May

First Chinese Incident

(Ha- )

Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai
(Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)

Nakajima (Type 95) A4N1

Nakajima A2N1

Mitsubishi (Type 10) 1MF4

(Ha-115)
-

(Ha-238)
2XX ?? Isn`t this is a fighter ??

(Ha-222)
Hypotetical code, possibly more a "3XX"

1935-1938

Reconstruction

(Ha- )

Akagi being converted into the full length deck design.

1938, China

(Ha- )

Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai
(Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)

Mitsubishi A5M4 CLAUDE

Yokosuka B4Y1 JEAN

(Ha-110)

(Ha-327)

1940, end

(V- )

Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai
(Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)

Mitsubishi A5M4 CLAUDE

Aichi D3A1 VAL

Nakajima B5N1 KATE

(V-116)
The airplane is not painted overall.
It cowered by dope which is looks Light Yellow. Cowling Dark Blue (Mitsubishi fighter standard)
(30% White, 40% Dark Blue, 30% Black)
Note: commander's chevrons on the fuselage.

(V-303)
from the Akagi AG in early 1941.
Note that this machine is wearing 2 tail stripes which during the war generally marked a buntaicho or squadron leader's plane.

(Ha-132)
Experimental painting scheme Light-Grey
(95% White + 5% Black) overall
became an standard in 1941

First Koku Sentai "A"

Akagi: AI , one red stripe
Kaga: AII, two red stripes

1941, Pre War

(AI- )

Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai
(Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)

Mitsubishi A5M4 CLAUDE

Aichi D3A1 VALs

Nakajima B5N1 KATEs

(AI-1??)

(AI-205)

(AI-303)

1941, December 7

Attack on Pearl Harbor as part of the "Kido Butai"

The Akagi, flagship of the strike force, was a converted cruiser which carried 63 aircraft.

Pearl Harbor attack info:

Akagi, 1st Attack Unit	15 Kates	800-kg (1760-lb) armor-piercing bomb	U.S.S. Maryland, U.S.S. Tennessee, or U.S.S. West Virginia
Akagi, 1st Torpedo Attack Unit	12 Kates	Mk 91 aerial torpedo	U.S.S. West Virginia, U.S.S. Oklahoma, or U.S.S. California

The first attack wave began leaving the carriers at 06.00 hours on the 7th of December, Hawaiian time.
It was escorted by fourtythree Zero fighters of the first wave covering force under Lt-Cdr Shigeru Itaya, officer commanding the Akagi Fighter Squadron.

Itaya's Zeros arrived over Pearl Harbor at 07.50 Honolulu time; after shooting down a light aircraft and three trainers, they strafed Hickam and Ewa airfields, counting some twentyfive US aircraft burning on the ground.

Itaya's wingman, PO 1st Class Takashi Hirano, was shot down by American anti-aircraft fire.

During the second attack, nine Zeros from the Akagi led by the highly experienced Lt Saburo Shindo were detailed to escort eighteen Aichi Type 99 (Val) dive-bombers.
Arriving over the target about an hour after the first wave, and finding no opposition, the Zeros strafed Hickam Field.
But they only succeeded in destroying two aircraft on the ground.

Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai
(Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)

Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai
(Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)

Mitsubishi A6M2 M.21 Rei-Sen ZEKEs

Aichi D3A1 VALs

Nakajima B5N2 M.12 KATEs

All ZEKEs carried only an
external tank

All VALs carried only one Bomb
(1x 250kg)

800kg Bomb or Torpedo

(AI-101)
P01C Tadao Kimura

2nd Wave, Wingman of Lt. Saburo Shindo

Kimura died a few years ago in Osaka, Japan

(AI-201)
Hikotai-Cho (?)
-
-
-
-

(AI-301)
Sou-Shikikan/Sou-Taicho Cdr Mitsuo Fuchida
Mitsuo Matuzaki (pilot)
Norinobu Mizuki (observer)

1st Wave, 800kg

(AI-102)
Buntai-Cho Lt. Saburo Shindo

He was the Leader of Fighter Hikotais of
2nd Wave of 1st, 2nd, and 5th Air Squadron,
probably because of his experience
Thus: Yellow Stripes !

(Even when his official responsibility
was Buntai-Cho of Akagi Fighter Hikotai)

Shindo today lives in Hiroshima City

(AI-202)
-

(AI-302)
-

(AI-103)
Buntai-Cho ...??

(AI-203)
-

(AI-303)

(AI-104)

(AI-204)

(AI-304)

(AI-105)

(AI-205)

(AI-305)

(AI-106)

(AI-206)

(AI-306)

(AI-107)

(AI-207)
Shotai-Cho ...

(AI-307)

(AI-108)

(AI-208)

(AI-308)

(AI-109)

(AI-209)

(AI-309)

(AI-110)
Shotai-Cho PO1c Katsushi Tanaka
2nd Wave

(AI-210)

(AI-310)

(AI-111)
-
-
-
-

(AI-211)

(AI-311)
Hikotai-Cho LCdr. Shigeharu Murata
?? (AI-301) or (AI-311) ??

1st Wave, Torpedo

(AI-112)
-

(AI-212)

(AI-312)

(AI-113)

(AI-213)

(AI-313)

(AI-114)

(AI-214)

(AI-314)

(AI-115)

(AI-215)

(AI-315)

(AI-216)

(AI-316)
PO2c Yasuji Otani (pilot)
W.O. Nishimori (observer)
PO2c Mitsuo(?) Okubo (radio)

1.Wave/2.Chutai/43.Shotai/1.Aircraft, 800kg

It was part of the high-level bomber group which was personally led by Fuchida.
These aircraft were organized into chutais of 5 aircraft each.
These were further broken down into 2 shotais, one of 3 machines and the other of 2. This was not the usual formation, but was designed specifically for this attack by Genda and Fuchida so as to be able to hit the maximum number of targets.
The high shotai number would seem to indicate that each shotai of a carrier or division (in this case the Akagi and the Kaga) was assigned a unique number.

(AI-217)

(AI-317)

(AI-218)

(AI-318)

(AI-319)

(AI-150)

(AI-320)

(AI-151)
-

(AI-251)
Hikotai-Cho ...

(AI-321)

(AI-152)

(AI-322)
Shotai-Cho ...

(AI-153)

(AI-154) s/n 5289
Petty Officer 1st Class Takashi Hirano (KIA)

1st Wave, Wingman to Itaya
Hirano and PO1c Iwama shared a kill
on a Piper Cub. The US pilot parachuted out.
Hirano was hit by ground fire and crashed
into the Fort Kamehameha Ordnance building,
killing himself & 3 soliders.

(AI-155)
Sou-Shikikan/Sou-Taicho LCdr Shigeru Itaya

1st Wave, Overall Leader of ZEKEs.
Senior kansen officer on Akagi,
but he too did not fly any missions at Midway.
(More recent research uncovered that Itaya actually flew Zero AI-159, not AI-101)
-Itaya was killed in 1944-

(AI-325)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

(AI-156)

(AI-356)

(AI-157)

(AI-158)

1942, June 4-6 Battle of Midway (AI- ) 21 Zero fighters, 21 dive bombers, 21 torpedo bombers
CarDiv 2 had 57 aircraft at Midway including 6th Ku - Akagi had 61 and Kaga had 72.
Akagi Kanjo Sentokitai (Akagi Carrier Fight Unit)	Akagi Kanjo Bakugekikitai (Akagi Carrier Dive-Bomber Unit)	Akagi Kanjo Kogekikitai (Akagi Carrier Level-Bomber Unit)
Mitsubishi A6M2 M.21 Rei-Sen ZEKEs	Aichi D3A1 VALs	Nakajima B5N2 KATEs
19 + 6 cargo	-	-
(AI-111)	On 4 June 1942 the Akagi Kanbaku Buntai formed part of the Midway Striking Force. Lt. Chihaya Takehiko (not Lt.Cdr.)led the strike. His pilot was PO1c Yoshida Kiyoto.	(AI-308) 5 April 1942
Buntai-Cho Lt. Ayao Shirane (led the Akagi Kansen Chutai over Midway)	Lt. Takehiko Chihaya (Sqd-leader) Pilot: PO1c Yoshida Kiyoto	(AI-311) Hikotai-Cho LCdr. Shigeharu Murata The photos are from 9 April 1942 taken during a foray into the Indian Ocean.
Lt. Masanobu Ibusuki (was the next senior kansen officer on Akagi flying fighter patrols over Kido Butai	-	-
- SUNK - Severely damaged by aircraft from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) NW of Midway Island, 4 June 1942, and scuttled by Japanese destroyers Nowake, Arashi, and Hagikaze, 5 June 1942.

Please Note:

I haven`t done most of the skins or any of models for CFS2.
All of these are either from the stock CFS2-game/-simulation by MICROSOFT,
or freeware, available at the main download sites.

www.sim-outhouse.com

is a good start to get them or further sites around CFS2.

-----------------
None of the kit-models/profiles you can see here was done by me, too.
For more info/pics of these, please visit:

www.j-aircraft.org

The author/builder of these planes should normaly be in the pics name.
Both sites feature forums for each topic where you can ask/look for more information.

Thanks, Jaxon

General Info

   Hierarchy
   =======
   On carrier Hikotais up to around 1943, aircrews were led by the following commanding chain:

   1. Shotai-Cho (led three aircraft including himself. This is the smallest tactical unit)
   2. Buntai-Cho (Chutaicho on informal base) led two to three Shotais.
   3. Hikotai-Cho (is just one person for each carrier and led the whole air crews of that particular carrier in the air.
         He might be the most seniour pilot of Fighter Hikotai or the most seniour observer of Torpedo (Dive) Bomber Hikotai.
         You can imagine various cases. In short, the most senior officer (pilot or observer) of the particular carrier's aircrews.)

4. Chutai : Is often to read in sources about the IJN. It is an informal word describing a little group of aircraft (informal synonym for Buntai)
Chutai(-cho)s are not to find on formal papers !

If the plane has a crew of more than only a pilot, the commander of the plane (and the unit) often was the observer.
(Similar to a tank commander, who does not drive the tank himself)

   Vertical Tail Stripes
   =============
   Zero, Val and Kate on Kido-Butai up to the end of 1942

Those stripes were called "Shikikan-Hyoshiki" or "Leader Insignia" indicating air crew's position among commanding chain.
The General Rules are as follows:

In case of ZEROs

   1. Shotai-Cho: One stripe over code letters
   2. Buntai-Cho: One stripe over code letters plus one stripe below them
   3. Hikotai-Cho: Two stripes over code letters plus one stripe below them

In case of VALs and KATEs

   1. Shotai-Cho: One stripe below code letters
   2. Buntai-Cho: Two stripes below code letters
   3. Hikotai-Cho: One stripe over code letters plus two stripes below code letters

Colour of stripes are generally the same of the Air Squadron Colour, in this case RED.

   Sou-Shikikan/Sou-Taicho: Like Hikotai-Cho, but in Yellow!
    Overall Leaders: Responsible for Hikotais of more than a single carrier or a single Air Squadron from a simple Hikotai commander (Hikotai-cho).
   These were mainly two men:
    L.Cdr. Itaya, he was not only the top of Fighter Hikotai of Akagi but also the top responsible for all Fighter Hikotais
   of 1st, 2nd, and 5th Air Squadron participated in PH Air Raid.
    Cdr. Fuchida also held a top commnding responsibility of Torpedo Bomber Hikotai of Akagi,
   but simultaneously he retained the very top job of all Fighters, Dive Bombers, and Torpedo Bombers of 1st, 2nd and 5th Air Squadrons.

The names are presented in "western" fashion with the surname last.

any help appreciated:

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