Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

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armyjunk
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Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

#1

Post by armyjunk » 27 Apr 2008, 03:02

Hello everyone, I believe this to be a Kate, at least its a three-place single-engined plane with a three-bladed prop and rearward-firing machine gun, do we have any Japanese airplane people here? any ideas on what this really is if its not a Kate? I'm no airplane expert....and thanks for any and all comments

Pic1
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pic 2 three-bladed prop, 14 cylinders counted
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pic 3 rearward bracket for a machine gun from rear (third) position to the rear
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pic4 front of plane. Engine now detached. clearly shows front 2 seats and cockpit divider between. Final 3rd seat is harder to see, but its back there
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pic5 close up
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Martti
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Re: Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

#2

Post by Martti » 27 Apr 2008, 09:19

In my opinion it is most likely a Kate, specifically the B5N2 model (B5N1 model had a nine-cylinder engine). The only other possibilities I can think of are the Kate's successor B6N "Jill" torpedo bomber and C5M "Babs" reconnaissance plane, which also were three-seat planes with 14-cylinder engines. Jill however had a four-blade propellor, so that rules it out. Babs on the other hand had a three-blade propellor, but had fixed landing gear.


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Ome_Joop
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Re: Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

#3

Post by Ome_Joop » 27 Apr 2008, 11:37

http://www.missingaircrew.com/images/japzero1.jpg

Remains of a Japanese Nakajima B5N 97-Kanko (KATE) near the
old airstrip on Yap, shot while on the ground during US air raids.

http://www.missingaircrew.com/Japanese/

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b ... -2006.html

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Cantankerous
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Re: Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

#4

Post by Cantankerous » 12 Jun 2022, 17:38

Ome_Joop wrote:
27 Apr 2008, 11:37
http://www.missingaircrew.com/images/japzero1.jpg

Remains of a Japanese Nakajima B5N 97-Kanko (KATE) near the
old airstrip on Yap, shot while on the ground during US air raids.

http://www.missingaircrew.com/Japanese/

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b ... -2006.html
There's an updated link containing photos of the B5N "Kate" at the Colonia Airfield on the island of Yap:
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b5n/yap.html

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fontessa
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Re: Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

#5

Post by fontessa » 13 Jun 2022, 06:25

Cantankerous wrote:
12 Jun 2022, 17:38
There's an updated link containing photos of the B5N "Kate" at the Colonia Airfield on the island of Yap:
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b5n/yap.html
Weren’t they B6N Jill?
(1) Yap was 2,000 kilometers away from Rabaul and couldn't easily fly when Kate was active. The same reason with additional considerations, I confirmed “A6M3” wreck on Yap A was as that of A6M5a.
viewtopic.php?f=65&t=264283&sid=edffff0 ... 3#p2408442
(2) It is more likely that B6Ns who lost their mother ships in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, landed on nearby Yap.

マリアナ沖海戦.jpg

The 2nd picture shows the outlines of B5N (Kate) and B6N (Jill). Because the engine power increased from 1,000hp to 1,800hp, the blade number increased from 3 to 4. Note the deference in the spacing between the engine bulkhead and the cockpit windshield.

97式天山艦攻.jpg

97艦攻 ヤップ 1.jpg
97艦攻 ヤップ 1.jpg (59.57 KiB) Viewed 491 times

97艦攻 ヤップ 2.jpg
97艦攻 ヤップ 2.jpg (133.25 KiB) Viewed 491 times


fontessa

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fontessa
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Re: Japanese Kate on Yap? need some help here........

#6

Post by fontessa » 13 Jun 2022, 08:46

fontessa wrote:
13 Jun 2022, 06:25
(1) Yap was 2,000 kilometers away from Rabaul and couldn't easily fly when Kate was active.

fontessa
Although I said the above, a small amount of Kates was used in IJN 1st Mobile Fleet for enemy searching as the below.
CVL Chitose: Kate x 6
CVL Chiyoda: Kate x 6
CVL Zuiho: Kate x 5
Their loss was very serious. 11 Kates couldn’t return to their home carriers. So there is the possibility some of them landed at Yap.

There is one report on Kate’s wreck at Yap. Due to the small diameter of the engine, Kate was narrower than Jill. I think this is Kate. There is no doubt because the propellers were 3 blades.

97艦攻 ヤップ 3.jpg

fontessa

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