Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft on the Aircraft Carrier

Hosho

"Flying Phoenix"

Version_2006_10_16 : 5 pics of Aircraft

The Hosho was the first aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and while not the first aircraft carrier,
it was the first purpose-designed aircraft carrier in the world to be commissioned.
The hull was still based on a cruiser design, but it was not a conversion.

Hosho was commissioned in on 27 December 1922.
(thirteen months before the Royal Navy's first purpose-built carrier Hermes, which was designed before Hosho)

Being the first of its kind in the navy, Hosho was actively used to develop the aircraft carrier operational methods and tactics of the Japanese Navy during the 1920s.

1922

Comissioned

(A- )
The "A" carrier identification code was used until 1926 when it was replaced by a Katakana.

It`s design was originally based on a cruiser-style hull, a flight deck with a depressed fore-part to accelerate lift-off,
a starboard island, and three starboard funnels that were reclinable during flight operations.

Mitsubishi (Type 10) 1MF2

(A-202)

After trials she was improved by removing the island and flattening the flight deck, giving her a flush-deck design.

1924

---

(A- )
The "A" carrier identification code was used until 1926 when it was replaced by a Katakana.

(? aircraft)

It served during the Shanghai Incident (bombing of Shanghai on January 28)

Mitsubishi (Type 10) Fighter 1MF1

Mitsubishi (Type 10) Fighter 1MF3

Mitsubishi (Type 10) Recon 2MR2

(A-???)

1932, January - May

First Chinese Incident

(Ro- )

(15 aircraft)

It served during the Shanghai Incident (bombing of Shanghai on January 28)

9x Nakajima (Type 3) A1N1

3x Mitsubishi (Type 13) B1M2

3 x Mitsubishi (Type 10) C1M

(Ro-252)

Torpedo (-bomber)

Recon

1937

Sino-Japanese War

? (Ro- ) ?

9 fighters & 6 bombers = 15 aircraft

9x Nakajima (Type 95) A4N1

6x Nakajima (Type 92) B3Y1

1941

(19 Aircraft)

? (Ro- ) ?

11 fighters & 8 bombers = 19 aircraft

11x Mitsubishi A5M4 (Type 96) CLAUDE

8x Yokosuka B4Y1 JEAN

Third Koku Sentai "C"

Hosho : CI
Zuiho : CII

Note: No colors or stripes assigned

1942, February

Home Defense Fleet

(CI-)

By the beginning of World War II, Hosho had been superseded by other models.
It was too small and too slow to accommodate the newest types of carrier planes such as the Mitsubishi Zero

She was serving in the Home Defense Fleet along with Zuiho in 1942.
The aircraft from these ships were identified with a red stripe running the length of the fuselage

11 fighters & 8 bombers = 19 aircraft

?x Aichi D3A1 VAL

8x Nakajima B5N1 Model 11 KATE (only?)

(CI-203)
-

(CI-301)
-

1942, June

Battle of Midway

(CI-)

She saw action however during the battle of Midway in June 1942, offering modest air support to the main fleet.

Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 Rei-Sen ZEKE

(only ?, how many ?, and: quote: "It was too small and too slow to accommodate the newest types of carrier planes such as the Mitsubishi Zero"

(CI-101)
???

1943-1945

Training ship

(?-)

Efforts were made to lengthen and widen its flight deck, but the overhang weakened her stability and ocean-going capability.
It was relegated to training duty in Japan's inland sea after 1943.

After the war, it was used as a transport to repatriate Japanese personnel from abroad until June 1946, before being dismantled in 1947. Hosho was one of four carriers of the Japanese Navy to survive the war, but would be scrapped in 1947.

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. Shotaicho (led three aircraft including himself. This is the smallest tactical unit)
   2. Buntaicho (Chutaicho on informal base) led two to three Shotais.
   3. Hikotaicho (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. Shotaicho: One stripe over code letters
   2. Buntaicho: One stripe over code letters plus one stripe below them
   3. Hikotaicho: Two stripes over code letters plus one stripe below them

In case of VALs and KATEs

   1. Shotaicho: One stripe below code letters
   2. Buntaicho: Two stripes below code letters
   3. Hikotaicho: One stripe over code letters plus two stripes below code letters

Colour of stripes are generally the same of the Air Squadron Colour.

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

any help appreciated:

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