Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

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UncleBourbon
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Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#1

Post by UncleBourbon » 05 Oct 2021, 04:36

I've been reading Small Air Force Observer's series on the Korean People's Air Force, and noticed some interesting ties to Japan.

Firstly, the establishment of the KPAF was heavily assisted by Major General Lee Whal; a veteran of the IJAAF in WWII. He was 6ft tall with a handlebar mustache, and came from a wealthy family, donating classrooms, dormitories and a dining hall to the establishment of the Air Force, and thus securing the Communist government's trust. He was Commander of the 1st Aviation Division in 1950, though I haven't been able to find any more information on him.
Information on his service in the IJAAF would be valued, as would any other Korean veterans of Japan's military who sided with the North during the Korean War, as they're very rare for obvious reasons.

Secondly, there were at least three Japanese aircraft pressed into service with the KPAF.
First was a Ki-54c which saw service with the 1st Training Aviation Regiment, and was captured by UN forces at Pyongyang. It had an interesting tail emblem of a squirrel holding a nut that was speculated to be the old Japanese unit emblem, but this is unconfirmed.
North Korean Ki-54c of the 1st Training Aviation Regiment at Pyongyang.png
Second a Ki-55 which was also captured at Pyongyang, and finally a Ki-9 destroyed at an unknown date and location.
North Korean Ki-55 at Pyongyang 1950.png
North Korean Ki-55 at Pyongyang 1950.png (137.74 KiB) Viewed 4053 times
North Korean Ki-9.png
North Korean Ki-9.png (123.72 KiB) Viewed 4053 times
If anybody has any other examples of aircraft, veterans, vehicles or equipment, they'd be of great interest!

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#2

Post by fontessa » 06 Oct 2021, 00:27

Hello UncleBourbon,
UncleBourbon wrote:
05 Oct 2021, 04:36
Firstly, the establishment of the KPAF was heavily assisted by Major General Lee Whal, a veteran of the IJAAF in WWII.
Information on his service in the IJAAF would be valued,
He may be 李闊 Li Fal. He was bone in1918 in a rich family at 平安北道塩州郡 Yomju-gun, North Pyongan and came to Japan in 1936. He received flight training at the private school 名古屋飛行学校 Nagoya Flight School. There is no hard evidence that he belonged to IJAAF or IJNAF. After his graduation, there is a story that he became an exclusive pilot of the Yomiuri Shimbun Newspaper.
With 王連 Wang Lian, Chinese, Soviet aviation school graduate he established 新義州航空隊 Sinuiju Air Corps which was a private organization In October 1945. This was the roots of the North Korea People's Democratic Republic KPAF. He was appointed Vice Commanding Officer of Air Division was activated on 16 April 1949. Commanding Officer of the Division was 王連. 李闊 participated in the Korean War as Air Division Commanding Officer, was appointed Deputy Commanding Officer of the newly established Aviation Command in January 1951, and received the title of Republic Hero. However, he was criticized as a productive class member at the People's Army Party General Assembly in October 1954, and was dismissed as Deputy Commanding Officer of Aviation Command in July 1955. It happens easily in communist nations. He was deprived of military status on June 2, 1959 and from the Labor Party on January 20, 1963 and fell to a farm worker. Fortunately, he was summoned to Kim Il Sung in April 1968 and returned to the party, and was awarded the military title of Lieutenant General of the People's Army on February 5, 1988. He died in 2007.

fontess
PS. I returned to your private massage today.


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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#3

Post by UncleBourbon » 06 Oct 2021, 09:09

fontessa wrote:
06 Oct 2021, 00:27
He may be 李闊 Li Fal. He was bone in1918 in a rich family at 平安北道塩州郡 Yomju-gun, North Pyongan and came to Japan in 1936. He received flight training at the private school 名古屋飛行学校 Nagoya Flight School. There is no hard evidence that he belonged to IJAAF or IJNAF. After his graduation, there is a story that he became an exclusive pilot of the Yomiuri Shimbun Newspaper.
With 王連 Wang Lian, Chinese, Soviet aviation school graduate he established 新義州航空隊 Sinuiju Air Corps which was a private organization In October 1945. This was the roots of the North Korea People's Democratic Republic KPAF. He was appointed Vice Commanding Officer of Air Division was activated on 16 April 1949. Commanding Officer of the Division was 王連. 李闊 participated in the Korean War as Air Division Commanding Officer, was appointed Deputy Commanding Officer of the newly established Aviation Command in January 1951, and received the title of Republic Hero. However, he was criticized as a productive class member at the People's Army Party General Assembly in October 1954, and was dismissed as Deputy Commanding Officer of Aviation Command in July 1955. It happens easily in communist nations. He was deprived of military status on June 2, 1959 and from the Labor Party on January 20, 1963 and fell to a farm worker. Fortunately, he was summoned to Kim Il Sung in April 1968 and returned to the party, and was awarded the military title of Lieutenant General of the People's Army on February 5, 1988. He died in 2007.

fontess
PS. I returned to your private massage today.
李闊 definitely seems to be the Lee Whal mentioned in Small Air Force Observer; thank you very much for completing story!

I've responded to your response as well; my utmost thanks again.

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#4

Post by fontessa » 08 Oct 2021, 23:47

Hello Bourbon,

The person in front of the freight car looks like an American to me. Japanese Wiki says 新義州航空隊 Sinuiju Air Corps started with three Ki-9. And the Kanji of the Ki-9 can be read (from right to left) as "国立航空大学 National Aviation College". Immediately after the end of the war, the occupied territory of the United States was limited to the area south of the 38th parallel. If he was an American in North Korea, it was taken after September 1950, after the UN Forces landed in Incheon. Is the Kanj notation of Ki-9 left around this time? I suspect the photo was taken in South Korea shortly after the end of the war.
Also, I'm not sure about "国立航空大学". It feels unnatural as a prewar school name. The term "国立 National" was used after the war and was probably not used in 大日本帝国 Empire of Japan.

Universities and colleges in 大日本帝国 Empire of Japan;
Six Empire Universities in Japan homeland and Seoul / Taipei Empire Universities
Two Colleges of Engineering in Japan homeland and Lushun College of Engineering
Two Universities of Arts and Sciences in Japan homeland


Ki-9.jpg
Ki-9.jpg (63.62 KiB) Viewed 2557 times

Since Ki-9 was a trainer aircraft, it was painted in a prominent color because it was operated by an inexperienced trainee, and was called "赤とんぼ Red Dragonfly". The below is Ki-9 of Mukden Flight School, Manchuria.

Ki-9_M.jpg
Ki-9_M.jpg (37.05 KiB) Viewed 2543 times

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#5

Post by UncleBourbon » 09 Oct 2021, 08:27

fontessa wrote:
08 Oct 2021, 23:47
Hello Bourbon,

The person in front of the freight car looks like an American to me. Japanese Wiki says 新義州航空隊 Sinuiju Air Corps started with three Ki-9. And the Kanji of the Ki-9 can be read (from right to left) as "国立航空大学 National Aviation College". Immediately after the end of the war, the occupied territory of the United States was limited to the area south of the 38th parallel. If he was an American in North Korea, it was taken after September 1950, after the UN Forces landed in Incheon. Is the Kanj notation of Ki-9 left around this time? I suspect the photo was taken in South Korea shortly after the end of the war.
Also, I'm not sure about "国立航空大学". It feels unnatural as a prewar school name. The term "国立 National" was used after the war and was probably not used in 大日本帝国 Empire of Japan.

Universities and colleges in 大日本帝国 Empire of Japan;
Six Empire Universities in Japan homeland and Seoul / Taipei Empire Universities
Two Colleges of Engineering in Japan homeland and Lushun College of Engineering
Two Universities of Arts and Sciences in Japan homeland
Hello fontessa,

the photo came from Small Air Force Observer Vol. 35, No. 4 (140), April 2012 under an article titled "Korean Tachikawa K-9 Spruce"
https://ia903102.us.archive.org/16/item ... df#page=28
The article listed it as having been during the war and used by the North Koreans, 'likely' as a night bomber. To be sure, I reverse searched the image and found the year and place, as well as the photographer's name.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... an_War.jpg
The photo was taken in 1953 in Kimpo; an airbase along the border between North and South Koreas. This Ki-9 is confirmed to have been used by the North Koreans as a night bomber by the National Museum of the USAF, meaning ironically that the Ki-9 saw combat use by North Koreans whereas the Ki-55 likely didn't, since it was captured partially disassembled in Pyongyang in 1950. The photographer of the Ki-9 was Lieutenant Larry Moertel.

Thank you for the translation of the kana. You're likely correct in that it was a post-WWII inscription for a North Korean flight school, and the North Koreans pressed it into the night bomber role close to the end of the war.

A bit of extra info on North Korean night bombers; the only confirmed 'kill' by a biplane against a jet in history took place during one of these night bomber raids.
In the early morning hours of May 3rd, 1953, a North Korean Po-2 biplane was intercepted northeast of Ch'o do by an F-94B piloted by Lt. Stanton G. Wilcox with Lt. Irwin L. Goldberg operating radar. They slowed down past 110 knots to get radar-directed fire, and Goldberg was heard over the radio saying, "Splash one," suggesting they successfully shot down the Po-2.
However, in doing so they slowed past stall speed and crashed into the sea, resulting in a maneuver kill for the destroyed Po-2. Their bodies were never discovered, and Goldberg was credited the Po-2 kill posthumously.
Since Ki-9 was a trainer aircraft, it was painted in a prominent color because it was operated by an inexperienced trainee, and was called "赤とんぼ Red Dragonfly". The below is Ki-9 of Mukden Flight School, Manchuria.
Thank you for the photo. The article in SAFO speculates the North Korean one likely had a grey paint scheme, but I don't think it's easy to conclude given the photo is in black and white.
It's possible they could've repainted it for the night bomber role.

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#6

Post by UncleBourbon » 09 Oct 2021, 08:44

I found a photo of a North Korean Ki-36 in the same Pyongyang airfield as the Ki-54c.
From Jin Ho via George Mellinger Ki-36 in Korean Markings.jpg
From Jin Ho via George Mellinger Ki-36 in Korean Markings.jpg (88.82 KiB) Viewed 2524 times

Here's another article covering other Japanese weapons used by both Koreas during the war as well,
https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/201 ... n-war/amp/

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#7

Post by fontessa » 09 Oct 2021, 10:02

Hello Bourbon,
UncleBourbon wrote:
09 Oct 2021, 08:27
The photo was taken in 1953 in Kimpo; an airbase along the border between North and South Koreas. This Ki-9 is confirmed to have been used by the North Koreans as a night bomber by the National Museum of the USAF, meaning ironically that the Ki-9 saw combat use by North Koreans whereas the Ki-55 likely didn't, since it was captured partially disassembled in Pyongyang in 1950. The photographer of the Ki-9 was Lieutenant Larry Moertel.

Thank you for the translation of the kana. You're likely correct in that it was a post-WWII inscription for a North Korean flight school, and the North Koreans pressed it into the night bomber role close to the end of the war.
Thanks for the detailed information. I guess that because Ki-9 in the photo was used for night bombing without insignia, 国立航空大学 would be the name of a "fake flight school in Kanji" for disguise as a southern aircraft. Naturally, "Red Dragonfly" would have been repainted with a less noticeable color.

fontessa

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#8

Post by fontessa » 09 Oct 2021, 14:54

Hello Bourbon,

The below is the list of training air units deployed in Korea at the end of the war;
53rd Air Division 第53航空師団
- Headquarters [京城 Seoul]
- 9th Primary Training Unit 第9練習飛行隊 [大田 Daejeon]
- 11th Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第11教育飛行隊 (戦闘) [連甫 North Korea]
- 19th Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第19教育飛行隊 (戦闘) [温井里 Onjong]
- 30th Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第30教育飛行隊 (襲撃) [会寧 Hoeryong]
- 41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第41教育飛行隊 (重爆) [会文 North Korea]
- 2nd Advanced Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第2錬成飛行隊 (戦闘) [水原 Suwon]
- 12th Advanced Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第12錬成飛行隊 (戦闘) [新義州 Sinuiju]
- 23rd Advanced Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第23錬成飛隊 (襲撃) [平壌 Pyongyang]
- 25th Advanced Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第25錬成飛隊 (重爆) [宣徳 Xuande]
Among the above only 9th Primary Training Unit used Ki-9. Although its main body stayed south of the 38th parallel, seven members were dispatched to 温井里 Onjong for To-go comprehensive exercise. To-go meant Kamikaze suicide attack. 温井里 located north of the 38th parallel. Dispatched members were maybe commander 1LT Fujita, 3 pilots and 3 observers. So the number of Ki-9 was 3. It matches the number 3 of Ki-9 at 新義州航空隊 Sinuiju Air Corps started. I guess Ki-9s of 9th Primary Training Unit were requisitioned by the Soviet Union and handed over to North Korea. Did I jump to the wrong conclusion?


温井里.jpg
温井里.jpg (104.63 KiB) Viewed 2494 times
 

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Last edited by fontessa on 10 Oct 2021, 03:52, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#9

Post by fontessa » 10 Oct 2021, 03:21

fontessa wrote:
09 Oct 2021, 14:54
53rd Air Division 第53航空師団
- 11th Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第11教育飛行隊 (戦闘) [連甫 North Korea]
- 19th Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第19教育飛行隊 (戦闘) [温井里 Onjong]
- 30th Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第30教育飛行隊 (襲撃) [会寧 Hoeryong]
- 41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第41教育飛行隊 (重爆) [会文 North Korea]
- 12th Advanced Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第12錬成飛行隊 (戦闘) [新義州 Sinuiju]
- 23rd Advanced Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第23錬成飛隊 (襲撃) [平壌 Pyongyang]
11th and 19th Training Air Unit s(Fighters) 第11および19教育飛行隊 (戦闘) used Ki-55.
30th Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第30教育飛行隊 (襲撃) also used Ki-55.
41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第41教育飛行隊 (重爆) used K-54.
Ki-55 and Ki-54 belonged to Training Regiment 教導連隊 / Air Division 飛行師団 in December 1949.

12th Advanced Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第12錬成飛行隊 (戦闘) used K-43.
Ki-43 belonged to Pursuit Regiment (Fighter Regiment) 追撃機聯隊 /Air Division 飛行師団 in December 1949.

23rd Advanced Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第23錬成飛隊 (襲撃) used Ki-36.
Ki-36 belonged to Assault Regiment 襲撃機聯隊 / Air Division 飛行師団 in December 1949.


Ki-55.jpg
Ki-55.jpg (46.95 KiB) Viewed 2439 times

K-54.jpg
K-54.jpg (46.7 KiB) Viewed 2435 times

K-43.jpg
K-43.jpg (26.55 KiB) Viewed 2439 times

Ki-36.jpg
Ki-36.jpg (84.5 KiB) Viewed 2439 times

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#10

Post by UncleBourbon » 10 Oct 2021, 05:20

fontessa wrote:
09 Oct 2021, 10:02
Thanks for the detailed information. I guess that because Ki-9 in the photo was used for night bombing without insignia, 国立航空大学 would be the name of a "fake flight school in Kanji" for disguise as a southern aircraft. Naturally, "Red Dragonfly" would have been repainted with a less noticeable color.
No problem; glad to offer something.
That disguise and repaint theory seems likely.
fontessa wrote:
09 Oct 2021, 14:54
Hello Bourbon,

The below is the list of training air units deployed in Korea at the end of the war;
53rd Air Division 第53航空師団
- Headquarters [京城 Seoul]
- 9th Primary Training Unit 第9練習飛行隊 [大田 Daejeon]
Among the above only 9th Primary Training Unit used Ki-9. Although its main body stayed south of the 38th parallel, seven members were dispatched to 温井里 Onjong for To-go comprehensive exercise. To-go meant Kamikaze suicide attack. 温井里 located north of the 38th parallel. Dispatched members were maybe commander 1LT Fujita, 3 pilots and 3 observers. So the number of Ki-9 was 3. It matches the number 3 of Ki-9 at 新義州航空隊 Sinuiju Air Corps started. I guess Ki-9s of 9th Primary Training Unit were requisitioned by the Soviet Union and handed over to North Korea. Did I jump to the wrong conclusion?
It definitely seems to be the case that the 3 Ki-9s from 9th Primary Training Units were the ones that ended up in North Korean hands; with the photographed night bomber being one of them.

Is it known what happened to 1LT Fujita after Soviet occupation?
fontessa wrote:
10 Oct 2021, 03:21
41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第41教育飛行隊 (重爆) used K-54.
Ki-55 and Ki-54 belonged to Training Regiment 教導連隊 / Air Division 飛行師団 in December 1949.
Thank you very much for the info!
Is there any way to check the unit emblem for the 41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第41教育飛行隊 (重爆)? It could confirm whether the squirrel with a nut seen as the emblem on the North Korean Ki-54c was a North Korean design or simply retained from the old Japanese design.
12th Advanced Training Air Unit (Fighters) 第12錬成飛行隊 (戦闘) used K-43.
Ki-43 belonged to Pursuit Regiment (Fighter Regiment) 追撃機聯隊 /Air Division 飛行師団 in December 1949.

23rd Advanced Training Air Unit (Assault Planes) 第23錬成飛隊 (襲撃) used Ki-36.
Ki-36 belonged to Assault Regiment 襲撃機聯隊 / Air Division 飛行師団 in December 1949.
It's very interesting to be able to link back the Japanese unit history of these planes. Thank you again for the information.

You posted an image of it so you likely already know, but in case not it's worth mentioning that, according to that wwiiafterwwii article, the North Koreans apparently never got their K-43(s) airborne and wasted time and resources trying to do so before it was destroyed in a ground attack.

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#11

Post by fontessa » 10 Oct 2021, 07:36

Hello Bourbon,
UncleBourbon wrote:
10 Oct 2021, 05:20
Is it known what happened to 1LT Fujita after Soviet occupation?
The seven were disarmament in Pyongyang on August 25th. Unfortunately the after details are unknown. (IJAAF officers may have been excluded from the People's Army Air Force.)
UncleBourbon wrote:
10 Oct 2021, 05:20
Is there any way to check the unit emblem for the 41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers) 第41教育飛行隊 (重爆)? It could confirm whether the squirrel with a nut seen as the emblem on the North Korean Ki-54c was a North Korean design or simply retained from the old Japanese design.
I have mistaken. Ki-54C you shown was a transport version of Ki-54 family. It was used for VIP transportation in North Korea. "The squirrel with a nut emblem" is definitely not IJAAF's. I think Ki-54A and / or Ki-54B were used in 41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers). The below shows them, Ki-54A for maneuvering and navigation training and Ki-54B for bombing and shooting training. There may be no evidence shows they were used in North Korea.

Where did Ki-54C come from? It belonged to Army headquarters.
The following HQs were in Seoul 京城, so they were all different.
- 5th Air Army HQ 第5航空軍司令部
-17th Area Army HQ 第17方面軍司令部

34th Army HQ 第34軍司令部 was in Hamhung 咸興 north of the 38th parallel, so the Ki-54Cs that belonged to it may have been requisitioned by Soviet Union. I think they were sent to the Korean People's Army Air Force HQ 朝鮮軍空軍ん司令部 in North Korea.

Ki-54A.jpg

Ki-54B.jpg
Ki-54B.jpg (59.2 KiB) Viewed 2345 times

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#12

Post by fontessa » 14 Oct 2021, 01:49

The bellow is the composition of Air Division 飛行師団 activated in December of 1949. I don’t know correct Division name such as 〇〇th Air Division. The source is Japanese Wiki and there are same unknowns. There were two kinds of IJAAF member. One was 特別操縦見習士官 Special Flight Apprentice Officer who was mobilized general university student and the other was 少年飛行兵 Junior Aviator who was mobilized soldier. Regular IJAAF officers may have been excluded.

Commanding Officer 王連 Wang Lian (Soviet aviation school)
Deputy CO 李闊 Li Fal (Nagoya Flight School)
Deputy Chief of Culture (Political Officer) 劉成傑 Liu Cheng Jie (Soviet Communist Party member)
Chie of Staff 金萬永
Pursuit Regiment 追撃機聯隊 (Fighter Regiment)
- Commanding Officer 徐載弼 Seo Jupil (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- Deputy CO of Culture (Political Officer?) Lee Ju-Hok
- 1st Battalion CO 玄龍瑞 Rui Genryu (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- 2nd Battalion CO 朴敬玉 Paku Kyon'oku (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- 3rd Battalion CO 安善徳 Ahn Sung-duk (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
Assault Regiment 襲撃機聯隊 (Bomber Regiment)
- Commanding Officer 崔賢玉 Sai Xianyu (IJAAF 少年飛行兵14期乙 Junior Aviator 14th term “B”)
- Deputy Chief of Culture (Political Officer) Chun Chunwoo
- 1st Battalion CO 李英一 Lee Yeon-il (IJAAF 少年飛行兵14期乙 Junior Aviator 14th term “B”)
- 2nd Battalion CO 康大鏞 Kang Dae Yong (IJAAF特別操縦見習士官1期 Special Flight Apprentice Officer st term)
- 3rd Battalion CO 張然鎮 Zhang Zhen (IJAAF 特別操縦見習士官1期 Special Flight Apprentice Officer 1st term)
Training Regiment 教導聯隊
- Commanding Officer 許民國 Xu Mingo (Nagoya Flight School)
- Deputy Chief of Culture (Political Officer) Ji Chung Sim
- 1st Battalion CO 李興富 Lee Xingfu (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- 2nd Battalion CO Unknown
- 3rd Battalion CO Kim Young Gong

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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#13

Post by UncleBourbon » 15 Oct 2021, 04:30

Hello fontessa,
fontessa wrote:
10 Oct 2021, 07:36
I have mistaken. Ki-54C you shown was a transport version of Ki-54 family. It was used for VIP transportation in North Korea. "The squirrel with a nut emblem" is definitely not IJAAF's. I think Ki-54A and / or Ki-54B were used in 41st Training Air Unit (Heavy Bombers). The below shows them, Ki-54A for maneuvering and navigation training and Ki-54B for bombing and shooting training. There may be no evidence shows they were used in North Korea.

Where did Ki-54C come from? It belonged to Army headquarters.
The following HQs were in Seoul 京城, so they were all different.
- 5th Air Army HQ 第5航空軍司令部
-17th Area Army HQ 第17方面軍司令部

34th Army HQ 第34軍司令部 was in Hamhung 咸興 north of the 38th parallel, so the Ki-54Cs that belonged to it may have been requisitioned by Soviet Union. I think they were sent to the Korean People's Army Air Force HQ 朝鮮軍空軍ん司令部 in North Korea.
Thank you for the further information on the Ki-54C! No worries on mistaking it for others in it's family.
fontessa wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 01:49
The bellow is the composition of Air Division 飛行師団 activated in December of 1949. I don’t know correct Division name such as 〇〇th Air Division. The source is Japanese Wiki and there are same unknowns. There were two kinds of IJAAF member. One was 特別操縦見習士官 Special Flight Apprentice Officer who was mobilized general university student and the other was 少年飛行兵 Junior Aviator who was mobilized soldier. Regular IJAAF officers may have been excluded.

Commanding Officer 王連 Wang Lian (Soviet aviation school)
Deputy CO 李闊 Li Fal (Nagoya Flight School)
Deputy Chief of Culture (Political Officer) 劉成傑 Liu Cheng Jie (Soviet Communist Party member)
Chie of Staff 金萬永
Pursuit Regiment 追撃機聯隊 (Fighter Regiment)
- Commanding Officer 徐載弼 Seo Jupil (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- Deputy CO of Culture (Political Officer?) Lee Ju-Hok
- 1st Battalion CO 玄龍瑞 Rui Genryu (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- 2nd Battalion CO 朴敬玉 Paku Kyon'oku (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- 3rd Battalion CO 安善徳 Ahn Sung-duk (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
Assault Regiment 襲撃機聯隊 (Bomber Regiment)
- Commanding Officer 崔賢玉 Sai Xianyu (IJAAF 少年飛行兵14期乙 Junior Aviator 14th term “B”)
- Deputy Chief of Culture (Political Officer) Chun Chunwoo
- 1st Battalion CO 李英一 Lee Yeon-il (IJAAF 少年飛行兵14期乙 Junior Aviator 14th term “B”)
- 2nd Battalion CO 康大鏞 Kang Dae Yong (IJAAF特別操縦見習士官1期 Special Flight Apprentice Officer st term)
- 3rd Battalion CO 張然鎮 Zhang Zhen (IJAAF 特別操縦見習士官1期 Special Flight Apprentice Officer 1st term)
Training Regiment 教導聯隊
- Commanding Officer 許民國 Xu Mingo (Nagoya Flight School)
- Deputy Chief of Culture (Political Officer) Ji Chung Sim
- 1st Battalion CO 李興富 Lee Xingfu (IJAAF 少年飛行兵15期乙 Junior Aviator 15th term “B”)
- 2nd Battalion CO Unknown
- 3rd Battalion CO Kim Young Gong
Excellent info, thank you as always!

Am I mistaken, or is Rui Genryu 玄龍瑞 a Japanese name rather than a Korean one?
I ask because all other KPAF Officers with former IJAAF service are Koreans, so a Japanese national remaining in North Korea after the war to serve in their air force is definitely a peculiarity if true!

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fontessa
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Re: Japanese veterans, aircraft and vehicles in the early North Korean armed forces

#14

Post by fontessa » 15 Oct 2021, 07:53

Hello UncleBourbon,
UncleBourbon wrote:
15 Oct 2021, 04:30
Am I mistaken, or is Rui Genryu 玄龍瑞 a Japanese name rather than a Korean one?
玄龍瑞 was incorrect (It was Wiki’s mistake) and 瑞玄龍 is correct. 瑞玄龍 was not a Japanese name. He seems to have been a Taiwanese.

fontessa

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