Ohka in Okinawa - which Kokutai?

[Franklin]

Hi,

To which Kokutai belonged the various MXY-7 Ohka discovered in the Yontan airfield, Okinawa, in April 1, 1945?

Thank's in advance!

Franklin

[fontessa]

Hello Franklin,

Yomitan airfield was used by IJA Air Force. So I don't know how the Oka were captured at Yomitan Airfield. The Air Group that operated Oka was the 721st Naval Air Group, which was called 神雷部隊 Jinrai Unit.

The following special attacks were conducted based on 鹿屋 Kanoya:
1st 神雷桜花特別攻撃隊 Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (18 Bettys carried 15 Okas, 32 Escorts): 21 March 1945, No achievement
2nd Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (6 Betties carried 6 Okas): 1 April 1945, 1 LST Big break and 1 Transport Small break.
3rd Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (8 Betties carried 8 Okas): 12 April 1945, Sink DD Mannert L. Abele and DD Stanly Big break
4th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (7 Betties carried 7 Okas): 14 April 1915, No achievement
5th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (6 Betties carried 6 Okas): 16 April 1945, No achievement
6th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (4 Betties Carried 4 Okas): 28 April 1945, No achievement
7th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (7 Betties carried 7 Okas): 4 May 1945, Destroy DM30 Shei
8th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (4 Betties carried 4 Okas): 11 May 1945, Destroy DD Hugh W. Hadley
9th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (3 Betties carried 3 Okas): 25 May 1945, No record
10th Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit (6 Betties carried 6 Okas): 22 June 1945, Destroy DM Ellyson

The below is LCDR 野中五郎 Nonaka Goro (61) who commanded 1st Jinrai Oka Special Attack Unit. All Betties were shot down and he was KIA. He was specially promoted to CAPT.

NonakaGoro.jpg (20 KiB) Viewed 4299 times

fontessa

[Franklin]

Thank you very much for the information, Fontessa.

See the quote below, please:

"At Yontan Airfield, five MXY7 Ohka rocket propelled suicide aircraft (Baka bomb) were captured including: MXY7 Ohka 1018 I-13 and MXY7 Ohka 1049 I-18."

Source: https://www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields ... index.html

[fontessa]

Hello Franklin,

"At Yontan Airfield, five MXY7 Ohka rocket propelled suicide aircraft (Baka bomb) were captured including: MXY7 Ohka 1018 I-13 and MXY7 Ohka 1049 I-18."

5 Okas...The transportation of theim must have been organizational. Administrator at the following site speculate that this was due to an 捷号作戦に関する陸海軍中央協定 Army and Navy Central Agreement on Operation Sho-go .
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8D%B7 ... C%E6%88%A6

fontessa

[Franklin]

Hi, Fontessa

As I understand it, there was an agreement between the 1st Air Fleet and the 4th Air Army in late 1944 to combat the US Carrier Task Force. And in 1945, which unit would be responsible for these Ohkas in Okinawa?

And how would they be employed? Launched by ramps? Like the V-1 in Europe?

[fontessa]

Hello Franklin,

Oka at this time had to be transported by Betty near the target. Only the 721st Air Group was equipped with special Betties (model 24 Tei) modified for this purpose. The Group may have been scheduled to advance to Yomitan, but it may have been canceled for some reason.

The catapult launching Oka (model 43 Otsu) was conceived and prepared for production, but the war ended before the actual machine was completed.

fontessa

[Franklin]

Hi, fontessa,

So probably during the battle for Okinawa, these Ohka belonged to no unit, right?

[fontessa]

Hello Franklin,

So probably during the battle for Okinawa, these Ohka belonged to no unit, right?

Yes. I think so.

fontessa

[Eugen Pinak]

So probably during the battle for Okinawa, these Ohka belonged to no unit, right?

That's impossible. Each piece of equipment had to belong to some unit. So "Okhas" and pilots had to belong either to 721st Air Group, or to some local Navy unit on Okinawa.

[Franklin]

Hi Eugen

Thanks for your insight. Looking at the Japanese OOB before the battle, it only occurs to me this local Navy units to which the Ohka could be subordinate:

Naha Branch, Sasebo Naval Stores Department
Naha Branch, Sasebo Transportation Department
Oroku Detachment, 951 Kokutai
Nansei-Shoto Kokutai

(and they were subordinate to the Okinawa Base Force)

Are these Ohka linked to one of them?

[fontessa]

So probably during the battle for Okinawa, these Ohka belonged to no unit, right?

Yes. I think so.
fontessa

That's impossible. Each piece of equipment had to belong to some unit. So "Okhas" and pilots had to belong either to 721st Air Group, or to some local Navy unit on Okinawa.

Eugen is right. The only unit that Oka belonged to must have been Naval 721st Air Group.

It was decided that 721st would be put into the Philippines, but 30 Okas were first carried by UNRYU, although it was delayed. With the sinking of the UNRYU, Okas could not be thrown into the Philippines. The following deployment of Okas was planned at the end of the battle in the Philippines. In preparation for the battle in Taiwan, 50 Okas were planned to be deployed in Okinawa.

OkaHaibi.jpg (61.56 KiB) Viewed 3614 times

fontessa

[Eugen Pinak]

Hi Eugen

Thanks for your insight. Looking at the Japanese OOB before the battle, it only occurs to me this local Navy units to which the Ohka could be subordinate:

Naha Branch, Sasebo Naval Stores Department
Naha Branch, Sasebo Transportation Department
Oroku Detachment, 951 Kokutai
Nansei-Shoto Kokutai

(and they were subordinate to the Okinawa Base Force)

Are these Ohka linked to one of them?

Only Oroku Detachment, 951 Kokutai, was flying unit. The other three are airfield and support units, so they can't have air unit attached to them.

[Eugen Pinak]

So probably during the battle for Okinawa, these Ohka belonged to no unit, right?

Yes. I think so.
fontessa

That's impossible. Each piece of equipment had to belong to some unit. So "Okhas" and pilots had to belong either to 721st Air Group, or to some local Navy unit on Okinawa.

Eugen is right. The only unit that Oka belonged to must have been Naval 721st Air Group.

It was decided that 721st would be put into the Philippines, but 30 Okas were first carried by UNRYU, although it was delayed. With the sinking of the UNRYU, Okas could not be thrown into the Philippines. The following deployment of Okas was planned at the end of the battle in the Philippines. In preparation for the battle in Taiwan, 50 Okas were planned to be deployed in Okinawa.

Once again - thank you very much for the detailed information, Fontessa!
Just to be sure: all "Okha" units you've mentioned in your table, were subordinated to Naval 721st Air Group, right?

And another question: in Japanese Wilipedia article on "Sasebo" Naval Air Group I've found mention on "Okinawa" Naval Air Group, created in June 1945 - when combat on Okinawa was in full swing. Maybe you know, is it a real unit or just a deception?

[fontessa]

Hello Eugen,

Just to be sure: all "Okha" units you've mentioned in your table, were subordinated to Naval 721st Air Group, right?

The composition on 15 February 1945 of 721st Naval Air Group is shown below. Oka unit was divided into four squads. (The IJN squad was a larger organization than that of IJA.) Beside 721th, 2 groups were organized:
722nd Naval Air Group: Activated on 15 February 1945. Training Unit.
725th Naval Air Group: Activated on 1 July 1945. Training Unit for Oka Model 43 (Catapult launching).
I think Okas on the chart I posted earlier include the ones of 722th.

721stComposion.jpg (29.64 KiB) Viewed 3584 times

And another question: in Japanese Wilipedia article on "Sasebo" Naval Air Group I've found mention on "Okinawa" Naval Air Group, created in June 1945 - when combat on Okinawa was in full swing. Maybe you know, is it a real unit or just a deception?

Okinawa Naval Air Group did exist. It was a detachment of the 951st Naval Air Group. The mission of the Okinawa Naval Air Group was presumed to be an anti - submarine patrol as in 951st. Nells and Katrs were used in Okinawa Naval Air Group. The personnel had been announced with Naval Transfer and Promotion Lists:
Activated on 10 April 1944.
Deactivated on 15 December 1944.
Commanding Officer
CAPT / CAPT HANETA Jiro 羽田次郎 (47) : 10 April 1944 - 15 December 1944 (21 C13072097200 / 21 C13072102300)
Executive Officer
(ADD) CAPT / CAPT HANETA Jiro 羽田次郎 (47): 10 April 1944 - 15 December 1944 (21 C13072097200 / 21 C13072102300)
Hiko Taicho 飛行隊長
LT / LCDR YAMAGATA Yorio 山形頼夫 (63): 10 April 1944 - 15 December 1944 (22 C13072097200 / 27 C13072102300)
Medical Officer
LT / LT ABE Teruaki 阿部輝明 (2Y1941): 10 April 1944 - 15 December 1944 (23 of JACAR C13072097200 / 22 C13072102300)
Supply Officer
LT / LT KOJIMA Yasuhiko 児嶋泰彦 (2Y1942): 10 April 1944 - 15 December 1944 (23 C13072097200 / 31 C13072102300)

fontessa

[Franklin]

Thank you so much for your patience in answering our questions, Fontessa. Thank you very much.

I am assuming, then, that these Okas were sent to overseas bases for use by the 721 Kokutai G4M2, right?

Would they be stored just waiting for the mother aircraft to be used?

For those Oka's in Okinawa, would they belong to the 721 Kokutai? And had they been on the island since January 1945?