Balloons and Seaplanes for IJN Battleships

[fontessa]

In 1920s Navies of the world used balloons for artillery observation. The 1st picture shows U.S. and British mooring balloons. The 2nd picture shows Fuso and Mutsu. The 3rd picture shows the balloon’s close-up image. The crew - an operator and an observer were on board the basket suspended from the balloon, its altitude was up to 3000 - 4000 feet. Did Naves intend to float this kind of thing in the air during the artillery battle between battleships? To be honest, I don't want to board the basket.

In June 1921, towing tests of a mooring balloon were conducted with Destroyer Urakaze, and good results were obtained. The mooring balloon domestically produced was adopted as the 10th Mooring Balloon in the same year. The details haw IJN operated balloons are not clear. The balloons were distributed to Fleet Headquarters together with the balloon operating team of about 15 people dispatched from Yokosuka Naval Air Group Balloon Unit, and it seems that they were dispatched to individual ships as needed. The ship operated a balloon was equipped with 繋留機 a winch for raising and lowering the balloon. The following ships were equipped with winches in 1926.
- 1st Squadron: Nagato, Mutsu, Hyuga
- 2nd Squadron: Isuzu, Yubari
- 4th Squadron: Kongo, Hiei
- 5th Squadron: Yura, Nagara, Natori
- 1st Torpedo Squadron: Tenryu
- 2nd Torpedo Squadron: Kitakami
Light cruisers were included because the balloons were suitable for training torpedo surveillance. The training torpedoes used for the torpedo attack training that surfaced when the fuel ran out were recovered and reused. A balloon could track torpedoes and led the recovery ships to them. The 4th picture shows Yubari with a mooring balloon. It seems that the storage method of hydrogen containers was left to each ship. On most ships, it seems that they were piled up on the deck. I guess the hydrogen containers were piled under the roof surrounded by white squares in the 2nd and the 3rd pictures.

In 2013, HSV-2 Swift, a catamaran high-speed transport carried out some kind of experiment using a balloon. The 5th picture shows her. But there is no follow-up report about it.

気球 夕張.jpg (57.59 KiB) Viewed 6192 times

気球 Swift.jpg (46.2 KiB) Viewed 6192 times

fontessa

[fontessa]

Balloons were replaced with seaplanes after 1930. As for IJN, the development of catapults lags behind the US Navy. From Kongo to Nagato class battleships were equipped with catapults till 1935. The 1st - 3rd pictures show these. They couldn't set up a hangar due to lack of space, so up to three seaplanes were open-air storage, one on the catapult and two on the transport rails. Air Branch, controlled by an Air Officer, consisting of seaplane crew and maintenance personnel, was organized after 1935. Their crew number varied depending on how many seaplanes were loaded. IJA lost 4 fleet type aircraft carriers due to the defeat in Midway. The shocked IJN decided to refurbish Ise and Hinata as "aircraft battleships" and Mogami as an "aircraft cruiser". As shown in the 2nd picture, Ise and Hinata removed the 5th and 6th turrets and installed a flight deck, an elevator and two latest / powerful catapults. Each of them could carry 22 seaplanes, but unfortunately they couldn't make any contribution because of the shortage of seaplanes. For the first time, Yamato class battleships were equipped with two catapults from the design stage. Also, up to five seaplanes could be accommodated in the hangar for the first time to avoid the intense blasting from the main guns of 3rd turret. The 4th picture shows it.

The 5th Picture shows the seaplanes used after the start of the war. The actual numbers of seaplanes loaded on the battleships were as follows. The artillery battle between battleships became unthinkable, so all were reconnaissance seaplanes.
Kongo: ALF x 3 (early / middle), JAKE x 2 (late)
Haruna: ALF x 3 (early / middle), ALF x 2 (late)
Hiei, Kirishima: ALF x 3 (early), ALF x2 and JAKE x1 (middle)
Fuso, Yamashiro: ALF x 2
ISE, Hyuga: ALF x 2 (early)
Nagato, Mutsu: ALF x 2
Yamato : ALF x 3 (early), ALF x 2 (middle / late)
Musashi: ALF x 2

カタパルト 陸奥.jpg (52.9 KiB) Viewed 6188 times

fontessa

[fontessa]

It may be a little off the point of this thread, but I would like to talk about airplanes on submarines. A submarine had only a low bridge, so her visibility was at most 5 nautical miles. Kriegsmarine and IJN have endeavored to increase the visibility of the submarines by looking from high altitude.

Kriegsmarine used “rotor kite”, Focke-Achgelis Fa330 Bachstelze. It resembled autogyro. An autogyro had an engine and a propeller, but a rotor kite didn't have either of them. It got rotor to rotate and gain lift due to the airflow generated by the U-boat’s forward move. Its altitude was 150m, and the visibility was improved to 25 nautical miles. The 1st picture shows the rotor kite. It was stored in a watertight compartment at the rear of the bridge and assembled before the flight.

IJA emphasized the reconnaissance by submarines. Although the "rotor kite" was only an improvement in the vertical direction, IJN made a two - dimensional improvement with a submarine - boarded seaplane. As for this type of submarine, 6 submarine - cruiser type A with HQ function and 29 type B without HQ function were built. With boarded seaplane E14Y Glen, a total of 52 reconnaissance operations have been carried out, of which 48 have been successful, of which 40 have successfully recovered her.

fontessa

[ijnfleetadmiral]

What I have for battleship Air Officers:

KONGO
Fitted with aircraft catapult - 1933
VACANT - 1933 - 15 May 1934
LT / LCDR KIMURA Kenji (49) - 15 May 1934 - 1 November 1934
VACANT - 1 November 1934 – 20 April 1936
LT ITO Takuzo (56) – 20 April 1936 – 1 July 1936
VACANT – 1 July 1936 – 12 August 1936
LT KOGURE Hiroshi (52) – 12 August 1936 – 16 November 1936
VACANT – 16 November 1936 - 1 December 1937
LT FUJIMURA Satoshi (57) - 1 December 1937 - 15 December 1938
LT MITSUI Kenji (55) - 15 December 1938 - 1 November 1939
LT / LCDR HIMENO Ichiro (55) - 1 November 1939 - 1 November 1940
LT HORIHASHI Takashi (62) - 1 November 1940 - 20 August 1941
VACANT - 20 August 1941 - 14 July 1942
LT HOSOYA Hiroshi (63) - 14 July 1942 - 25 August 1943
LT UTSUNOMIYA Michio (63) - 25 August 1943 - 20 November 1943
VACANT - 20 November 1943 - 20 March 1944
LT HORIHASHI Takashi (62) - 20 March 1944 - 2 July 1944
VACANT - 2 July 1944 - 21 November 1944

HIEI
Equipped with aircraft catapult - 1 August 1933
VACANT - 1 August 1933 - 15 May 1934
LT KIMURA Gunji (52) - 15 May 1934 - 1 November 1934
LT IMAGAWA Fukuo (52) - 1 November 1934 – 15 October 1935
LT MORI Fujio (56) – 15 October 1935 – 1 December 1936
VACANT – 1 December 1936 - 1 April 1938
LT SETOYAMA Hachiro (58) - 1 April 1938 - 28 April 1938
VACANT - 28 April 1938 - 20 January 1939
LCDR KATSUTA Saburo (51) - 20 January 1939 - 1 November 1939
VACANT - 1 November 1939 - 15 November 1939
LT ASANO Takeshi (56) - 15 November 1939 - 24 February 1940
VACANT - 24 February 1940 - 25 March 1940
LCDR MATSUURA Goro (55) - 25 March 1940 - 24 April 1940
VACANT - 24 April 1940 - 1 November 1940
LCDR MATSUZAKI Jukichi (54) - 1 November 1940 - 20 March 1942
LT OKAMOTO Tamaki (60) - 20 March 1942 - 5 August 1942
LCDR OGUSHI Hideo (57) - 5 August 1942 - 13 November 1942

KIRISHIMA
Fitted with aircraft catapult - 1933
VACANT - 1933 – 15 May 1934
LT INOUE Umejiro (52) – 15 May 1934 – 1 November 1934
VACANT – 1 November 1934 – 1 April 1935
LT IWAO Masatsugu (51) – 1 April 1935 – 15 November 1935
LT MASUYAMA Mitsuya (55) – 15 November 1935 – 25 January 1936
LT ENDO Taniji (55) – 25 January 1936 - 16 November 1936
LT MIURA Kintaro (56) - 16 November 1936 - 22 October 1937
LT HIMENO Ichiro (55) - 22 October 1937 - 1 December 1937
LCDR MIYAZAKI Takashi (52) - 1 December 1937 - 15 December 1938
LCDR SHIMIZU Hiroshi (52) - 15 December 1938 - 1 November 1939
VACANT - 1 November 1939 - 1 November 1940
LT SAWASHIMA Eijiro (61) - 1 November 1940 - 13 August 1941
VACANT - 13 August 1941 - 10 May 1942
LT URATA Masami (66) - 10 May 1942 - 30 June 1942
VACANT - 30 June 1942 - 15 November 1942

HARUNA
Vessel fitted with aircraft catapult - 1 August 1933
VACANT - 1 August 1933 – 1 August 1934
LT MITSUI Kenji (55) – 1 August 1934 – 31 October 1935
LT OGASAWARA Shoichi (51) – 31 October 1935 – 16 November 1936
VACANT – 16 November 1936 - 1 December 1936
LCDR SASAKI Akira (51) - 1 December 1936 – 15 December 1936
LT MIURA Kintaro (56) – 15 December 1936 – 1 December 1937
VACANT – 1 December 1937 - 1 November 1939
LT NISHIHATA Kiichiro (59) - 1 November 1939 - 15 October 1940
VACANT - 15 October 1940 - 15 November 1940
LT TADOKORO Kazuhiko (61) - 15 November 1940 - 10 July 1942
VACANT - 10 July 1942 - 20 March 1944
LT / LCDR HOSOYA Hiroshi (63) - 20 March 1944 - 2 July 1944
VACANT - 2 July 1944 - 28 July 1945

FUSO
Equipped with aircraft catapult - 19 April 1930
VACANT - 19 April 1930 – 15 May 1934
LT HIRAYAMA Goro (51) – 15 May 1934 - 22 October 1934
LT ITO Fujio (52) - 22 October 1934 – 20 December 1934
LT / LCDR* KAWASAKI Iwao (54) – 20 December 1934 – 14 February 1936 (DIA)
VACANT – 14 February 1936 – 20 February 1936
LT UEDA Taketoro (52) – 20 February 1936 – 16 November 1936
VACANT – 16 November 1936 - 15 November 1938
LT HIMENO Ichiro (55) - 15 November 1938 - 1 November 1939
VACANT - 1 November 1939 - 1 November 1940
LT SAITO Eiji (60) - 1 November 1940 - 11 August 1941
LT MINEMATSU Hideo (64) - 11 August 1941 - 31 October 1941
VACANT - 31 October 1941 - 25 October 1944

YAMASHIRO
Aircraft catapult added - 18 December 1930
VACANT - 18 December 1930 – 1 November 1934
LT / LCDR TERAI Kunizo (50) – 1 November 1934 – 15 October 1935
LT HIMENO Ichiro (55) – 15 October 1935 - 16 November 1936
LT SOEDA Keijiro (53) - 16 November 1936 – 11 September 1937
VACANT – 11 September 1937 - 1 November 1939
LT SAITO Eiji (60) - 1 November 1939 - 1 November 1940
VACANT - 1 November 1940 - 31 October 1941
LT MINEMATSU Hideo (64) - 31 October 1941 - 15 December 1941
VACANT - 25 December 1941 - 10 May 1942
CDR IWAO Masatsugu (51) - 10 May 1942 - 14 July 1942
VACANT - 14 July 1942 - 10 September 1944
LT / LCDR* WARASHINA Tamotsu (69) - 10 September 1944 - 25 October 1944 (KIA)

ISE
Aircraft catapult added - 20 November 1931
VACANT - 20 November 1931 – 18 July 1934
LT MIYAZAKI Takashi (52) – 18 July 1934 – 5 August 1935
VACANT – 5 August 1935 - 1 December 1937
LT ITO Takuzo (56) - 1 December 1937 - 1 December 1938
LT HORI Tomoyoshi (58) - 1 December 1938 - 1 November 1939
VACANT – 1 November 1939 – 15 November 1939
LT ETO Tsunemaru (58) - 15 November 1939 - 20 August 1941
VACANT - 20 August 1941 - 10 March 1943
LCDR MURAYAMA Toshimitsu (57) - 10 March 1943 - 5 November 1943
LCDR KOZAI Fusaichi (57) – 5 November 1943 – 1 December 1943
VACANT – 1 December 1943 – 10 April 1944
LCDR EMURA Nichio (57) - 10 April 1944 - 1 May 1944
VACANT - 1 May 1944 - 5 June 1944
LCDR EMURA Nichio (57) - 5 June 1944 - 1 August 1944
VACANT - 1 August 1944 - 28 July 1945

HYUGA
Equipped with aircraft catapult - 14 May 1933
VACANT - 14 May 1933 – 15 May 1934
LT SASAKI Akira (51) – 15 May 1934 – 1 November 1934
VACANT – 1 November 1934 – 1 July 1936
LT ITO Takuzo (56) – 1 July 1936 - 16 November 1936
LT TSUCHIHASHI Yorimi (52) - 16 November 1936 - 1 December 1937
LT MURAYAMA Toshimitsu (57) - 1 December 1937 - 1 December 1938
VACANT - 1 December 1938 - 1 November 1940
LT OKAMOTO Tamaki (60) - 1 November 1940 - 11 August 1941
LCDR / CDR NAKAMURA Nenosuke (51) - 11 August 1941 - 15 March 1942
VACANT - 15 March 1942 - 21 March 1942
LT OKAMOTO Tamaki (60) – 21 March 1942 – 25 April 1942
LCDR MATSUZAKI Jukichi (54) - 25 April 1942 - 7 May 1942
VACANT - 7 May 1942 - 10 May 1942
LT TOKIEDA Shigeyoshi (66) - 10 May 1942 - 30 June 1942
VACANT - 30 June 1942 - 10 April 1944
LCDR EMURA Nichio (57) - 10 April 1944 - 1 May 1944
VACANT - 1 May 1944 - 5 June 1944
CDR AMAGAI Takehisa (51) - 5 June 1944 - 1 August 1944
VACANT - 1 August 1944 - 24 July 1945

NAGATO
Equipped with aircraft catapult - June 1933
VACANT - June 1933 - 15 October 1935
LCDR WATANABE Shigeo (50) - 15 October 1935 - 16 November 1936
LCDR KODA Hideo (48) - 16 November 1936 – 15 December 1936
LCDR KAMIDE Shunji (51) – 15 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
VACANT - 1 December 1937 - 10 March 1938
LT KAWATO Morie (56) - 10 March 1938 - 15 December 1938
LCDR WATANABE Shigeo (50) - 15 December 1938 - 15 October 1939
LCDR KAMIDE Shunji (51) - 15 October 1939 - 11 August 1941
LT OKAMOTO Tamaki (60) - 11 August 1941 - 15 March 1942
LT HOSOYA Hiroshi (63) - 15 March 1942 - 14 July 1942
CDR IWAO Masatsugu (51) - 14 July 1942 - 15 August 1942
VACANT - 15 August 1942 - 20 November 1943
LT UTSUNOMIYA Michio (63) - 20 November 1943 - 15 December 1943
VACANT - 15 December 1943 - 25 March 1944
LT / LCDR ITO Atsuo (63) - 25 March 1944 - 2 July 1944
VACANT - 2 July 1944 - 15 August 1945

MUTSU
Aircraft catapult added - 20 November 1933
VACANT - 20 November 1933 - 16 November 1936
LT / LCDR KAMIDE Shunji (51) - 16 November 1936 – 15 December 1936
LCDR KODA Hideo (48) – 15 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
LCDR / CDR KAKITA Teruyuki (48) - 1 December 1937 – 1 December 1938
VACANT – 1 December 1938 - 15 November 1939
LT / LCDR OKUDA Shigenobu (57) - 15 November 1939 - 1 September 1941
LT ITO Atsuo (63) - 1 September 1941 - 28 October 1941
VACANT - 28 October 1941 - 8 June 1943

YAMATO
(EO) - LCDR OKUDA Shigenobu (54) - 1 September 1941 - 16 December 1941
LCDR OKUDA Shigenobu (54) – 16 December 1941 – 15 October 1942
VACANT - 15 October 1942 - 20 January 1943
LT SAKUMA Takeshi (66) - 20 January 1943 - 23 May 1943
VACANT - 23 May 1943 - 20 March 1944
LT ITO Atsuo (63) - 20 March 1944 - 25 March 1944
LCDR OKAMOTO Tamaki (60) - 25 March 1944 - 2 July 1944
VACANT - 2 July 1944 - 7 April 1945

MUSASHI
VACANT – 5 August 1942 – 10 August 1942
LCDR OKUDA Shigenobu (57) - 10 August 1942 - 15 October 1942
VACANT - 15 October 1942 - 23 May 1943
LT SAKUMA Takeshi (66) - 23 May 1943 - 20 March 1944
LCDR OKAMOTO Tamaki (60) - 20 March 1944 - 25 March 1944
LT SAKUMA Takeshi (66) - 25 March 1944 - 2 July 1944
VACANT - 2 July 1944 - 24 October 1944

[Steve E]

Has anyone got a complete list of the pilots of the Japanese aircraft carrying submarines, or at least the pilots who actually flew sorties during the war ? I would also be interested in the pilots involved during the early development of the aircraft on submarine scheme.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Regards Steve.

[fontessa]

Hello Steve,

Has anyone got a complete list of the pilots of the Japanese aircraft carrying submarines, or at least the pilots who actually flew sorties during the war ?

Glen pilots were not officers, so there is no complete list of them. The only exception is 藤田信雄 Fujita Nobuo. Because he is famous as the only pilot who "bombed" the continental United States. He was a pilot of I-25 submarine.
The below is His actions;
- Sydney reconnaissance: 17 February 1942
- Melbourne reconnaissance: 26 February 1942
- Hobart, Australia reconnaissance: 1 March 1942
- Wellington Reconnaissance: 8 March 1942
- Auckland reconnaissance: 13 March 1942
- Fiji reconnaissance: 17 March 1942
- Kodiak, Alaska Reconnaissance: 28 May 1942
- Incendiary dropped Oregon: 9 and 29 September 1942
He survived the war and was Brookings, Oregon Honorary Citizen.

I would also be interested in the pilots involved during the early development of the aircraft on submarine scheme.

E14Y was designed in 海軍航空廠飛行機部 Naval Air Depot Airplane Department and tested in 海軍航空廠飛行実験部 Naval Air Depot Air Experiment Department. The name of the test pilot is unknown.

藤田信雄.jpg (109.55 KiB) Viewed 4944 times

fontessa

[Steve E]

Thank you fontessa san.

[fontessa]

Hello Steve,

Has anyone got a complete list of the pilots of the Japanese aircraft carrying submarines, or at least the pilots who actually flew sorties during the war ?

As I replied in my previous post, there is no complete list unfortunately. I checked Watanabe Hiroshi’s TROMs for sunk I-go submarines, and got the names of some seaplane crew. So they were all KIA. And it seems that two flight crews and two maintenance crews were on board the I-go submarines on the reconnaissance mission. Most of them were not the crews of the submarine herself, but seemed to have been dispatched from the upper 6th Fleet for each mission.

I-17
On August 17, 1943 sunk during the air reconnaissance of Espiritu Santo which was the base of the US Navy.
Chief Flight Petty Officer Komatsu Takeo 小松武雄 (Observer)
Senor Flight Petty Officer Arai Kinzo 新井近造 (Plot)
Senor Maintenance Petty Officer Yato Torashige 谷戸虎繁
First Class Maintenance Petty Officer Hagiwara Kinzo 萩原近三

I-19
On October 25, 1943 sunk after the air force reconnaissance of Pearl Harbor carried out on October 17.
The names of an observer and a pilot is unclear.
Second Class Maintenance Petty Officer Takechi Juji 武市十士 attached 6th Fleet HQ
Leading seaman (Maintenance) Sasamoto Masao 笹本正雄 attached 6th Fleet HQ

I-21
On 29 October, 1943 after the air reconnaissance of Suva / Fiji carried out on October 8.
Chief Flight Petty Officer Tokunaga Nobuya 徳永延弥 (Observer) attached 6th Fleet HQ
Second Class Flight Petty Officer Nakmura Hideyoshi 中村秀吉 (Pilot) attached 6th Fleet HQ
Chief Maintenance Petty Officer Yoshizawa Kiyomatsu 吉沢清松 attached 6th Fleet HQ
Maintenance Petty Officer (Class unknown) Uchino Matao 内野又男 attached 6th Fleet HQ

I-25
On July 25, 1943 sunk after the air reconnaissance of Espiritu Santo on July 23.
Chief Flight Petty Officer Akeboshi Yutaka 明星豊 (Observer) attached 6th Fleet HQ
Flight Petty Officer (Class unknown) Ueno Shoichi 上野正一 (Pilot) attached 6th Fleet HQ
Chief Maintenance Petty Officer Arai Jiro 新井次郎 attached 6th Fleet HQ
Leading seaman (Maintenance) Oyama Yasushi 大山泰 attached 6th Fleet HQ

fontessa

[Steve E]

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu fontessa san.
Terrific info.
Steve.