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56-653: In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force ordered the Nippon Kokusai Koku Kogyo to produce an artillery spotting and liaison aircraft. The resulting Ki-76 was inspired by, and similar to, the German Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch", although not a direct copy. Like the Storch, it was a high-winged monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage . However, rather than the slotted flaps used by

112-629: A Farman biplane and a Grade monoplane , which had been brought back by the officers from Western Europe. On December 19, 1909, Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa in a Farman III conducted the first successful powered flight on Japanese soil at Yoyogi Parade Ground in Tokyo. The following year in 1911, several more aircraft were imported and an improved version of the Farman III biplane, the Kaishiki No.1 ,

168-615: A division , the unit was a brigade-sized force, and was part of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS). The Teishin units were therefore distinct from the marine parachute units of the Special Naval Landing Forces . ' Giretsu ' ( 義烈空挺隊 , Giretsu Kūteitai ) was an airborne special forces unit of the Imperial Japanese Army formed from Army paratroopers , in late 1944 as

224-758: A complete re-organization of the Army Air Service resulted in the creation of the Hikō Sentai ( 飛行戦隊 , Air Combat Group) , which replaced all of the former Air Battalions and Air Regiments. Each Air Combat Group was a single-purpose unit consisting typically of three squadrons, divided into three shōtai ( 小隊 , flights) of three aircraft each. Together with reserve aircraft and the headquarters flight, an Air Combat Group typically had 45 aircraft (fighter) or up to 30 aircraft (bomber or reconnaissance). Two or more Air Combat Groups formed an Hikōdan ( 飛行団 , Air Brigade) , which, together with base and support units and

280-664: A dedicated military balloon unit. In 1909, together with the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Tokyo Imperial University , the Rinji Gunyo Kikyu Kenkyukai ( Temporary Military Balloon Research Association ) was set up. The association was chaired by Major General Masahiko Obama and continued to drive Japanese aviation policy until 1920. During March of that year Army Lieutenant Hino and Navy Engineer Sanji Narahara each designed an aircraft. Narahara flew

336-662: A hydrogen balloon in 1897. In 1900 he invented a cylindrical kite balloon and sold them to the Imperial Japanese Army. The army first used them operationally during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 for artillery spotting. In 1907, Lieutenant Commander Eisuke Yamamoto approached the Ministers of the Army and Navy, General Masatake Terauchi and Admiral Minoru Saito . They formulated an aeronautical policy and established

392-618: A last-ditch attempt to reduce and delay Allied bombing raids on the Japanese home islands . The Giretsu Special Forces unit was commanded by Lieutenant General Kyoji Tominaga . In 1940 the Japanese Army Air Service consisted of the following: The Japanese Air Army Force had one technical section, the First Tachikawa Air Army Arsenal, which was in charge of aviation research and development. The Arsenal included

448-529: A number of Independent Squadrons, formed an Hikō Shudan ( 飛行集団 , Air Corps) . In 1942, the Air Corps were renamed Hikō Shidan ( 飛行師団 , Air Divisions) , to mirror the terminology for infantry divisions , but the structure remained the same. Two Air Divisions, together with some independent units made an Kōkū gun ( 航空軍 , Air Army) . Throughout most of the Pacific War , the Japanese Army Air Service

504-501: A single Nieuport VI-M monoplane flew 86 sorties between them. In December 1915, an air battalion based around 1 air company and 1 balloon company was created under the Army Transport Command and located at Tokorozawa . The Army Transport Command became responsible for all air operations. In total 10 aircraft were added the Army Air Service in 1914 and 1915. A number of Japanese pilots served with French flying corp during

560-706: A testing section for captured Allied aircraft, the Air Technical Research Laboratory (Koku Gijutsu Kenkyujo). The Army Air Arsenal was also connected with Tachikawa Hikoki K.K. and Rikugun Kokukosho K.K. , the Army-owned and operated aircraft manufacturing companies. much as the IJNAS operated its own firm, the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal . Due to the poor relations between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy ,

616-725: A youth, he was a member of the Kiheitai militia from 1864, and fought in the Boshin War against the Tokugawa shogunate from 1867, most notably at the Battle of Hakodate . After the victory at Hakodate, he travelled to Kyoto , where he joined the Ministry of War and was drilled by French instructors in Western weaponry and tactics. He became a member of Emperor Meiji 's personal guard in 1870 and travelled with

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672-498: The Taiyō Maru , Unyo Maru , Chuyo Maru , Kaiyō Maru , Shinyo Maru , Kamakura Maru , Akitsu Maru , Nigitsu Maru , Kumano Maru , Yamashiro Maru , Shimane Maru , Chigusa Maru (not completed), and Otakisan Maru (not completed) and were operated by civilian crews with Army personnel manning the light and medium anti-aircraft guns . As an integral part of the IJA,

728-588: The Battle of Tabaruzaka . His physical disability did not prove to be an impediment to his future military and political career. In 1882, he was sent to France as aide-de-camp to Prince Kan'in Kotohito and was appointed a military attaché the following year. He remained in France for studies until 1886. On his return to Japan, he was appointed deputy secretary to the Minister of the Army. In 1887, he became commandant of

784-570: The Bolshevik Red Army near Vladivostok . From 1918 reorganisation of the Army Air Service, the basic unit of the Service remained the Air Battalion (航空大隊, Kōkū Daitai), with each battalion consisting of two squadrons (中隊, Chutai) with nine aircraft each, plus three reserve aircraft and three earmarked for use by the headquarters, for a total of 24 aircraft per battalion. The officer commanding

840-696: The Hispano-Suiza engine. Nakajima later license-produced the Gloster Sparrowhawk and Bristol Jupiter . Similarly, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries started producing aircraft under license from Sopwith in 1921, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries started producing the Salmson 2 A.2 bomber from France, and hired German engineers such as Dr. Richard Vogt to produce original designs such as the Type 88 bomber. Kawasaki also produced aircraft engines under license from BMW . By

896-537: The Imperial Japanese Army and the Prime Minister of Japan from 1916 to 1918. Terauchi Masatake was born in Hirai Village, Suo Province (present-day Yamaguchi city , Yamaguchi Prefecture ), and was the third son of Utada Masasuke, a samurai in the service of Chōshū Domain . He was later adopted by a relative on his mother's side of the family, Terauchi Kanuemon, and changed his family name to "Terauchi". As

952-769: The Imperial Japanese Navy to the South Pacific , Indian Ocean and Mediterranean , and seizing control of German colonies in Qingdao and the Pacific Ocean . After the war, Japan joined the Allies in the Siberian Intervention (whereby Japan sent troops into Siberia in support of White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army in the Russian Revolution ). In September 1918, Terauchi resigned his office, due to

1008-573: The Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty in August of the same year, and he thus became the first Japanese Governor-General of Korea . In this position, he reported directly to the Emperor and as proconsul had wide-ranging powers ranging from legislative, administrative, and judicial to effect changes and reforms. The annexation of Korea by Japan and subsequent policies introduced by the new government

1064-849: The Nishihara Loans (made to support the Chinese warlord Duan Qirui in exchange for confirmation of Japanese claims to parts of Shandong Province and increased rights in Manchuria ) and the Lansing–Ishii Agreement (recognizing Japan's special rights in China). Terauchi upheld Japan's obligations to the United Kingdom under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in World War I , dispatching ships from

1120-533: The Pacific War that the two air arms attempted to integrate the air defense of the home islands . The Japanese military became interested in the use of captive balloons in the mid 19th century, having noted their use by Western European armies. The first experimental ascent by the Japanese was in 1874 at the cadet military school. Japan began to construct its own balloons in 1877 based on a French one they had acquired. Yamada Isaburô, an industrialist, started to develop

1176-744: The rice riots that had spread throughout Japan due to inflation ; he died the following year. His decorations included the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) and Order of the Golden Kite (1st Class). The billiken doll, which was a Kewpie -like fad toy invented in 1908 and was very popular in Japan, lent its name to the Terauchi administration, partly due to the doll's uncanny resemblance to Count Terauchi's bald head. Terauchi's eldest son, Count Terauchi Hisaichi ,

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1232-562: The $ 12 million figure in Anderson's book is roughly equivalent to $ 373.1 million in 2023. In June 1916, Terauchi he received his promotion to the largely ceremonial rank of Gensui (or Field Marshal ). In October, he became Prime Minister, and concurrently held the cabinet posts of Foreign Minister and Finance Minister . His cabinet consisted solely of career bureaucrats as he distrusted career civilian politicians. During his tenure, Terauchi pursued an aggressive foreign policy. He oversaw

1288-512: The Air Armies were combined under a centralised command of General Masakazu Kawabe . Teishin Shudan ("Raiding Group") was the IJA's special forces / airborne unit during World War II . The word teishin may be literally translated as "dash forward", and is usually translated as "raiding". It may also be regarded as similar to the " commando " designation in the terminology of other armies. Called

1344-484: The Army in 1901, during the first Katsura administration . The Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) occurred during his term in office. After the Japanese victory in the war, he was ennobled with the title of danshaku ( baron ) in the kazoku peerage. He was also made a chairman of the South Manchurian Railway Company in 1906.In 1907, in recognition of the four wars he had served in, his peerage title

1400-788: The Army Academy. In 1891, he was chief of staff to the IJA 1st Division and in 1892 was Chief of the First Bureau (Operations) of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff . With the start of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, Terauchi was appointed Secretary of Transportation and Communication for the Imperial General Headquarters , which made him responsible for all movement of troops and supplies during

1456-422: The Army Air Service wore the standard Imperial Japanese Army Uniforms . Only flying personnel and ground crews wore sky blue trim and stripes, while officers wore their ranks on sky blue patches. Masatake Terauchi Gensui Count Terauchi Masatake ( Japanese : 寺内 正毅 ), GCB (5 February 1852 – 3 November 1919), was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Gensui (or Marshal ) in

1512-435: The Army found it necessary to procure and operate their own aircraft carriers for the purposes of providing escort and protection for Army transport shipping convoys. These escort/transport carriers were converted from small passenger liners or merchant ships and possessed the capacity to operate from eight to 38 aircraft, depending on type and size, and were also used to transport personnel and tanks. These vessels included

1568-569: The Croix de Guerre. Isobe Onokichi , Ishibashi Katsunami , Masaru Kaiya (IJN), Tadao Yamanaka , Masatoshi Takeishi , Isakitchy Nagao , and Moro Goroku , a Kawasaki aircraft engineer, also served in the French Flying corp. However, serious interest in military aviation did not develop until after World War I . Japanese military observers in Western Europe were quick to spot the advantages of

1624-488: The Emperor to Tokyo . He left military service in 1871 to pursue language studies, but was recalled with the formation the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army in 1871 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant after attending the Army's Toyama School. He was appointed to the staff of the new Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1873. he fought in the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877 and was injured and lost his right hand during

1680-788: The German aircraft, the Ki-76 used Fowler flaps , while it was powered by Hitachi Ha-42 radial engine rather than the Argus As 10 inline engine of the Storch. First flying in May 1941, the Ki-76 proved successful when evaluated against an example of the Fi-156, and was ordered into production as the Army Type 3 Command Liaison Plane in November 1942. The Ki-76 remained in service as an artillery spotter and liaison aircraft until

1736-592: The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II were: With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, operational conditions favored the use of many small units, resulting in the creation of many Dokuritsu Hikō Daitai ( 独立飛行大隊 , independent Air Battalions) or even Dokuritsu Hikō Chutai ( 独立飛行中隊 , independent squadrons) , each with its own distinctive markings. In August 1938,

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1792-556: The aircraft on 5 May 1910 making it the first Japanese built plane to do so. Subsequent designs were unsuccessful and the Army and Navy decided to utilise foreign aircraft until they could build a sufficient level of technical skill in Japan to design and build their own aircraft. In 1910, the society sent Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa and Captain Hino Kumazō to France and Germany, respectively, to receive pilot training and purchase aircraft. The Japanese Army purchased its first aircraft,

1848-560: The chutai was the Chutaicho, whose rank was usually that of captain. The commander's aircraft often had distinctive markings, often a partly or totally scarlet, red, orange or yellow tail. The first aircraft factory in Japan, Nakajima Aircraft Company , was founded in 1916 and later obtained a license to produce the Nieuport 24 and Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 C.1 (as the Nakajima Ko-4) as well as

1904-401: The command structure of the Imperial Japanese Air Service fell under three separate areas. Operations were controlled by the Chief of General Staff through the area Army's direct to the Air Army's in each respective area. Training fell under the Inspectorate General of Aviation and personal, administration, and procurement fell under both the Minister of War and the Aviation Headquarters. See

1960-677: The educational standard, the curriculum was centered on Japanese language and Japanese history , with the intent of assimilation of the populace into loyal subjects of the Japanese Empire . Other of Terauchi's policies also had noble goals but unforeseen consequences . For example, land reform was desperately needed in Korea. The Korean land ownership system was a complex system of absentee landlords, partial owner-tenants, and cultivators with traditional but without legal proof of ownership. Terauchi's new Land Survey Bureau conducted cadastral surveys that reestablished ownership by basis of written proof (deeds, titles, and similar documents). Ownership

2016-441: The end of the 1920s, Japan was producing its own designs to meet the needs of the Army, and by 1935 had a large inventory of indigenous aircraft designs that were technically sophisticated. Japanese army aviation was organized into a separate chain of command within the Ministry of War of Japan in 1919. In May 1925, the Imperial Japanese Army Air Corps was established under the command of Lieutenant General Kinichi Yasumitsu , it

2072-767: The end of the war. Ki-76s were also used as anti-submarine aircraft, operating from the Japanese Army's escort carrier , the Akitsu Maru , being fitted with an arrestor hook and carrying two 60 kg (132 lb) depth charges . Data from Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Imperial Japanese Army Air Force The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service ( IJAAS ) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force ( IJAAF ; Japanese : 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊 , romanized :  Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai , lit.   'Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps')

2128-451: The final phase of the war, the Special Attack Units evolved into dedicated suicide units for kamikaze missions. Around 170 of these units were formed, 57 by the Instructor Air Division alone. Notionally equipped with 12 aircraft each, it eventually comprised around 2,000 aircraft. The final reorganisation of the took place during preparation for Operation Ketsu-Go , the defence of the home islands in 1945 against expected invasion when all

2184-443: The final stages of the war were the formation of "Special Attack Units" and "Air-shaking Units", which were short-lived units with their own names (often taken from Japanese mythology or history) and markings, but located within existing squadrons. These units were specially designated and trained with the mission of air-to-air ramming of Allied bomber aircraft. They usually had their armaments removed and their airframes reinforced. In

2240-446: The government and sold to Japanese developers. In recognition of his work in Korea, his title was raised to that of hakushaku ( count ) in 1911. Isabel Anderson , who visited Korea and met Count Terauchi in 1912, wrote as follows: The Japanese Governor-General, Count Terauchi, is a very strong and able man, and under his administration many improvements have been made in Korea. This has not always been done without friction between

2296-553: The natives and their conquerors, it must be confessed, but the results are certainly astonishing. The government has been reorganized, courts have been established, the laws have been revised, trade conditions have been improved and commerce has increased. Agriculture has been encouraged by the opening of experiment stations, railroads have been constructed from the interior to the sea-coast, and harbours have been dredged and lighthouses erected. Japanese expenditures in Korea have amounted to twelve million dollars yearly. For reference,

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2352-455: The new technology, and after the end of the war, Japan purchased large numbers of surplus military aircraft, including 20 Sopwith 1½ Strutters , 3 Nieuport 24s , and 6 Spads . To cope with this increase in the number of available aircraft the first flying school was set up at Tozorozawa (Tokorozawa Rikugun Koku Seibi Gakkō) followed by Akeno and Shimoshizu . A French military mission was invited to Japan to help develop aviation. The mission

2408-445: The respective Air Army: See the Inspectorate General of Aviation See Ministry of the Army By 1941, the Japanese Army Air Force had about 1,500 combat aircraft. During the first years of the war, Japan continued technical development and deployment of increasingly advanced aircraft and enjoyed air superiority over most battlefields due to the combat experience of its crews and the handling qualities of its aircraft. However, as

2464-500: The restricted strategic materials, the Japanese found themselves materialistically outmatched. In terms of manpower, Japan was even worse off. Experienced crews were killed and replacements had not been planned. The Japanese had lost skilled trainers, and they did not have the fuel or the time to use the trainers they did have. Because of this, towards the end of its existence the JAAF resorted to kamikaze attacks against overwhelmingly superior Allied forces. Important aircraft used by

2520-407: The war continued, Japan found that its production could not match that of the Allies. On top of these production problems, Japan faced continuous combat and thus continued losses. Furthermore, there were continual production disruptions brought on by moving factories from location to location, each transfer with the goal of avoiding the Allied strategic bombing. Between these factors and others, such as

2576-418: The war. Kiyotake Shigeno joined the corps in December 1914. He was a member of the league of French flying aces having shot down two confirmed and six unconfirmed German aircraft. He also was awarded the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, France's highest decoration. Kobayashi Shukunosuke became a licensed pilot in December 1916, dying in combat during the 1918 Spring Offensive. He was posthumously awarded

2632-403: The war. In 1896, he was assigned command of the IJA 3rd Infantry Brigade. In 1898, he was promoted to become the first Inspector General of Military Training , which he made one of the three highest positions in the army. In 1900, he became Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, and went to China to personally oversee Japanese force during the Boxer Rebellion Terauchi was appointed as Minister of

2688-461: Was built and flown in Japan by Captain Togugawa. Also in 1911 a policy decision was made to split the Army and Navy aviation into two separate organisations. In 1914, with the outbreak of war, the Japanese laid siege to the German colony of Qingdao , aircraft from the army together with navy's seaplane carrier Wakamiya conducted reconnaissance and bombing operations. The Provisional Air Corps consisting of four Maurice Farman MF.7 biplanes and

2744-459: Was denied to those who could not provide such written documentation (mostly lower class and partial owners, who had only traditional verbal "cultivator rights"). Although the plan succeeded in reforming land ownership/taxation structures, it added tremendously to Korean hostility, bitterness, and resentment towards Japanese administration by enabling a huge amount of Korean land (roughly 2/3 of all privately owned lands by some estimates) to be seized by

2800-495: Was elevated to that of shishaku ( viscount ), He continued in office as Army Minister under the first Saionji administration and the second Katsura administration from July 1908 to August 1911. Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi in Harbin by a Korean nationalist, An Jung-geun in October 1909, Terauchi was appointed to replace Sone Arasuke as the third and last Japanese Resident-General of Korea in May 1910. As Resident-General, he executed

2856-399: Was headed by Jacques-Paul Faure and composed of 63 members to establish the fundamentals of the Japanese aviation, the mission also brought several aircraft including 30 Salmson 2A2 as well as 2 Caquot dirigibles. In 1919 40 Nieuport , 100 Spad XIII , and two Breguet XIV . During this time Japanese aircraft were being used in combat roles during the 1920 Siberian Intervention against

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2912-500: Was highly unpopular with the majority of the Korean population, and Terauchi (who concurrently maintained his position as Army Minister) employed military force to maintain control. However, he preferred to use the deep historical and cultural ties between Korea and Japan as justification for the eventual goal of complete assimilation of Korea into the Japanese mainstream. To this end, thousands of schools were built across Korea. Although this contributed greatly to an increase in literacy and

2968-418: Was not the primary mission of the IJAAS, and it lacked a heavy bomber force. It did not usually control artillery spotter/observer aircraft; artillery battalions controlled the light aircraft and balloons that operated in these roles. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was responsible for long-range bomber and attack aircraft, as well as strategic air defense. It was not until the later stages of

3024-487: Was organized into four Air Armies, with two more added in the final stages of the war: In April 1944, a reorganization of the Japanese Army Air Service occurred. Maintenance and ground service units, formerly a separate command, were merged into the Air Combat Group ( Hiko Sentai ). The flying squadrons of the Air Combat Group were re-designated as Hikōtai ( 飛行隊 , Squadron) , and the ground units were designated Seibutai ( 整備隊 , Maintenance Units) . Other changes in

3080-449: Was regarded as a branch equal to the artillery, cavalry or infantry, and contained 3,700 personnel with about 500 aircraft. In a reorganization of 1927-05-05, the Air Regiment ( 飛行連隊 , Hikō Rentai ) was created, each consisting of two battalions, with each battalion consisting of up to four squadrons. Each Air Regiment was a mixed purpose unit, consisting of a mixture of fighter and reconnaissance squadrons . By World War Two

3136-419: Was the aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Its primary mission was to provide tactical close air support for ground forces, as well as a limited air interdiction capability. The IJAAS also provided aerial reconnaissance to other branches of the IJA. While the IJAAS engaged in strategic bombing of cities such as Shanghai , Nanjing , Canton , Chongqing , Rangoon , and Mandalay , this

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