Japanese Aemy Air Forces

Discussions on all aspects of the Japanese Empire, from the capture of Taiwan until the end of the Second World War.
checkov
Member
Posts: 78
Joined: 25 Sep 2011, 01:44

Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#1

Post by checkov » 13 Aug 2019, 14:07

I have developed an interest in combat aviation engineers in the pacific WW2.

Does anyone have any links to Japanese army Air Force engineers (air base construction, run ways, equipment, stories etc.).
I have ran a google search and came up with zilch.

Books? Websites?

Thanks.

checkov
Member
Posts: 78
Joined: 25 Sep 2011, 01:44

Re: Japanese Army Air Forces

#2

Post by checkov » 13 Aug 2019, 14:09

checkov wrote:
13 Aug 2019, 14:07
I have developed an interest in combat aviation engineers in the pacific WW2.

Does anyone have any links to Japanese army Air Force engineers (air base construction, run ways, equipment, stories etc.).
I have ran a google search and came up with zilch.

Books? Websites?

Thanks.
Army...not aemy, sorry can't spell today.


checkov
Member
Posts: 78
Joined: 25 Sep 2011, 01:44

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#3

Post by checkov » 13 Aug 2019, 14:14

Come to think of it, it might have fallen under jurisdiction of the IJN (navy).

hysteric
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 09 Apr 2015, 01:18
Location: North America

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#4

Post by hysteric » 14 Aug 2019, 16:48

Hello checkov,

If it helps here are the kanji for Air Army ground units:

Field Airfield Construction Unit - 野戦飛行場設定隊 as the name suggests, my information says about 175 men strong
Airfield Battalion - 飛行場大隊 airplane maintenance and airfield security, between 400 and 600 men
Airfield Company - 飛行場中隊 same, around 200 men
See the following posts by fontessa for Airfield Battalion details
viewtopic.php?f=65&t=207574&p=1872369&h ... s#p1872369
Independent Maintenance Unit - 独立整備隊 attached to Field Air Repair Depots, about 100 men
Aeronautical Engineering Laboratory - 航空技術研空所 Army facility in Japan

I almost forgot to mention that any unit except front line combat units could be pressed into airfield construction service and often were, especially in the Pacific area.

hysteric

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#5

Post by fontessa » 15 Aug 2019, 01:21

陸軍航空基地設定練習部 Army Air Base Construction Training Department was established by 昭和18年軍令陸甲第4号 1943 Year Army Regulation "A" No.4 dated 16 January 1943 for research and education of the Field Airfield Construction Units. A large number of Field Airfield Construction Units were formed here, especially since 1943. There were two types of organization: mechanized organization (Type A) and semi-mechanized organization (Type B, C, D).

fontessa


SetteiOrg.jpg

SetteiUnit1.jpg
SetteiUnit1.jpg (205.65 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

SetteiUnit2.jpg
SetteiUnit2.jpg (237.59 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

SetteiUnit3.jpg
SetteiUnit3.jpg (240.37 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

SetteiUnit4.jpg
SetteiUnit4.jpg (132.44 KiB) Viewed 3601 times

hysteric
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 09 Apr 2015, 01:18
Location: North America

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#6

Post by hysteric » 16 Aug 2019, 00:59

That's amazingly in depth information fontessa, thank you! Great to see.

Do you have anything similar for the '1st to 15th Specially Established Field Airfield Construction Units' in the 4th Air Army?

Thanks in advance!

hysteric

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#7

Post by fontessa » 16 Aug 2019, 02:31

Hello hysteric,

The below is what I have.
For unknown reasons they were not assigned Unit Characters and Unit Numbers.

S.E.Settei.jpg

fontessa
Last edited by fontessa on 16 Aug 2019, 07:09, edited 1 time in total.

hysteric
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 09 Apr 2015, 01:18
Location: North America

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#8

Post by hysteric » 16 Aug 2019, 06:08

Thanks so much fontessa! That's what I was looking for and more.

These Specially Established units are much larger than I had anticipated. Perhaps depending more on manpower than machines to get the job done I imagine. As always you're a great help.

hysteric

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#9

Post by fontessa » 16 Aug 2019, 06:43

Hello hysteric,

I would like to correct for Type:
was:
D
Is:
N / A
(I have corrected my previous post.)

The composition of Specially Established Field Airfield Construction Units was as the below.
Commander: Officer or Engineer
NCOs: Several mens
Civilian employee: about 60 men
About 10 trucks
Several towing vehicles and exhibition pressure machines

I guess the unit used hundreds of army soldiers or locals.

fontessa

User avatar
tom!
Member
Posts: 878
Joined: 15 Dec 2003, 12:42
Location: Dorsten Germany
Contact:

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#10

Post by tom! » 16 Aug 2019, 09:52

Hi.

Are there similar records for air meteorological and air intelligence units available?

Yours

tom! :wink:

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#11

Post by fontessa » 16 Aug 2019, 14:17

Hello tom,
tom! wrote: Are there similar records for air meteorological and air intelligence units available?
I have the info of Unit Codes for air meteorological and air intelligence units.
But I have the organization data only for part of them.

I will upload them after being ready.

fontessa

hysteric
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 09 Apr 2015, 01:18
Location: North America

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#12

Post by hysteric » 16 Aug 2019, 15:08

fontessa wrote:
16 Aug 2019, 06:43
Hello hysteric,

The composition of Specially Established Field Airfield Construction Units was as the below.
Commander: Officer or Engineer
NCOs: Several mens
Civilian employee: about 60 men
About 10 trucks
Several towing vehicles and exhibition pressure machines

I guess the unit used hundreds of army soldiers or locals.

fontessa
Hello fontessa,

That's terrific information, very helpful. Thank you!

hysteric

stulev
Member
Posts: 510
Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 15:54
Location: San Jose California

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#13

Post by stulev » 17 Aug 2019, 13:32

I look forward to your unit code updates

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#14

Post by fontessa » 17 Aug 2019, 20:05

Air - Ground Separation
In IJA, 飛行聯隊 (Rentai) Air Regiments were organized in 1933 and 1934. They consisted of air part and ground part. The latter was materials depot, that was maintenance team. The virtual enemy of IJA was the Soviet Union, and its operation in Manchuria was considered in the formation of the Air Regiment. In other words, the maintenance team consisted of two maintenance units, one responsible for the maintenance of its own planes, and the other responsible for the maintenance of the planes of other units that used the same airfield. Unlike this, Homeland and Taiwan's Air Regiments only had one maintenance unit. Airplane maintenance includes combat maintenance, intermediate maintenance, and overhaul maintenance, but these work sharing were reviewed in 1938. As a result, the Manchuria regiment separated the maintenance team as an Airfield Battalion. This was called “Air - Ground Separation”. On the other hand, the Airfield Battalion stayed within the Regiment in the Homeland and Taiwan. In both cases, the flying part was reorganized as 飛行戦隊 (Sentai) Air Regiments. These are shown below. The 11th Air Regiment is shown as an example of Manchuria regiment, and the 1st Air Regiment is shown as an example regiment in Homeland Taiwan.

KuchiBunri1.jpg
KuchiBunri2.jpg

The organization tables of each case are shown below.

KuchiBunriOrg.jpg
KuchiBunriOrg.jpg (46.27 KiB) Viewed 3406 times
A list of Manchuria Airfield Battalions is shown below. No Unit Code has been given at this time.

HikojoDaitai0.jpg

fontessa

User avatar
fontessa
Member
Posts: 4488
Joined: 25 Mar 2011, 17:29
Location: Yokohama, Japan

Re: Japanese Aemy Air Forces

#15

Post by fontessa » 18 Aug 2019, 07:35

Separation of Independent Maintenance Unit (1)
The war has begun, and Airfield Battalions have been dispatched overseas. The urgent task for the deployment of the Airfield Battalion was the early establishment of maintenance functions. To facilitate this, the airfield battalion maintenance function became independent as an Independent Maintenance Units. The remaining functions of the airfield battalion have been reorganized into supply and guard companies. This modification was implemented from the end of 1943. The following are variations of the organization of Airfield Battalion. Type A was the basic form consisting of a Supply Company and a Guard Company, with the largest number. Type B was a variation thereof. Since it takes time to change the organization to Independent Maintenance Units, only a few Type Cs left a Maintenance Company. In preparation for the Mainland Defense, Type D was increased to two Guard Companies, and was organized in 1945. A lists of Airfield Battalion are shown on 3 pages including this page.

HikojoDaitaiOrg1.jpg
HikojoDaitaiOrg1.jpg (35.79 KiB) Viewed 3379 times
HikojoDaitaiOrg2.jpg
HikojoDaitaiOrg2.jpg (40.51 KiB) Viewed 3379 times

HikojoDaitai1.jpg
HikojoDaitai1.jpg (152.03 KiB) Viewed 3379 times


fontessa

Post Reply

Return to “Japan at War 1895-1945”