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18-509: In June 1934, Lt. Okamura was flight testing the second prototype of two Mitsubishi 1MF10 Experimental 7-Shi carrier fighters when it entered an irrecoverable flat spin . Okamura bailed out, but lost four fingers in the accident, jeopardizing his career as a fighter pilot. During the Kuangda campaign in China in 1938, Okamura served as a flight leader in the 12th Air Group's fighter squadron, where he

36-578: A version of its Type 91 parasol-wing fighter, already in production for the Japanese Army . Mitsubishi assigned design of its contestant to a team led by Jiro Horikoshi , which created the first low-wing cantilever monoplane to be designed in Japan, the Mitsubishi 1MF10. The 1MF10 was of all-metal construction, with a monocoque duralumin fuselage , with duralumin wing structure covered in fabric, with

54-574: A volunteer group of suicide attacks some four months before Admiral Takijiro Ohnishi , commander of the Japanese naval air forces in the Philippines, presented the idea to his staff. While Vice Admiral Shigeru Fukudome , commander of the second air fleet, was inspecting the 341st Air Group, Captain Okamura took the chance to express his ideas on crash-dive tactics. “In our present situation, I firmly believe that

72-710: The Hōshō , Kaga and Ryūjō . On what would become the first air battles of the Second Sino-Japanese War-Second World War for the air-combat units of these aircraft carriers, A2N fighter pilot Akio Matsuba from Kaga , flying air-cover in support of Japanese troop-landings in the Battle of Shanghai on 16 August 1937, shot-down a Chinese Air Force Douglas O-2 M on an attack mission against Japanese forces in Shanghai. A2Ns were soon completely superseded by

90-553: The 1930s. Two were built for the Imperial Japanese Navy , but both were lost in crashes, with no production following. In April 1932, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a specification for a replacement for its current carrier-based fighter, the Nakajima A2N , asking for designs from both Mitsubishi and Nakajima . Unlike the biplane which was to be replaced, both competitors submitted monoplanes , with Nakajima offering

108-407: The corps commander; Okamura selected as his first fliers experienced fighter and dive-bomber pilots. Actually, these pilots were selected prior to the first Kamakaze attacks in the Philippines. The selection was unnecessary, beyond the critical choices made by Okamura; volunteers poured in by the thousands for the new operation, despite the 'special nature' of their future missions." As commander of

126-530: The design team and two prototypes , designated Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter in anticipation of Navy acceptance, were ready by December 1929. Powered by Bristol Jupiter VI engines, these were rejected, not being regarded as offering a significant improvement over the Nakajima A1N . Jingo Kurihara carried out a major redesign and another prototype, the A2N1, powered by a 432 kW (579 hp) Nakajima Kotobuki 2,

144-603: The first character of Oka [sic], and which henceforth came to be known as the Marudai project. From late October to November [the Japanese] held accelerated flight tests of the new glide bombs. Tokyo established a new air corps charged with the mission of operating the Marudai weapons, and by the close of November, pilot training was well on its way. Captain Motoharu Okamura, one of Japan's most famous senior fighter pilots, became

162-405: The new kamikaze unit in 1944, Captain Okamura commented that "there were so many volunteers for suicide missions that he referred to them as a swarm of bees," explaining: "Bees die after they have stung." After the war, Okamura shot himself in the face as penance for sending so many young men to their deaths. Okamura remarried after his first wife died. He had several children. His brother-in-law

180-519: The only way to swing the war in our favor is to resort to crash-dive attacks with our planes. There is no other way. There will be more than enough volunteers for this chance to save our country, and I would like to command such an operation. Provide me with 300 planes and I will turn the tide of war.” "In August of 1944 the Naval Air Research and Development Center instituted an emergency development program of special piloted glide bombs, which bore

198-557: The pilot accommodated in an open cockpit. The aircraft was powered by a Mitsubishi A4 two-row 14-cylinder radial engine driving a two-bladed propeller. It had a fixed tailwheel undercarriage . The first prototype 1MF10, with the Navy designation Experimental 7-shi Carrier Fighter made its maiden flight in March 1933. It was destroyed in July 1933 when its tail broke up during diving tests, although

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216-531: The pilot escaped by parachute. The second prototype had a revised undercarriage, with the main wheels and undercarriage legs faired into streamlined spats. It was also destroyed in a crash, when it could not be recovered from a flat spin in June 1934 by pilot Motoharu Okamura . Although the design was advanced, it was rejected by the Japanese Navy, having poor handling and not meeting the performance requirements of

234-501: The specification. It did form the basis of more advanced designs, however, with Horikoshi using elements of it such as the box- spar in the later successful Mitsubishi A5M fighter of similar layout. Data from Japanese Aircraft 1910–1941 General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Appearances in media Nakajima A2N The Nakajima A2N or Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter

252-468: Was a Japanese carrier -borne fighter of the 1930s. It was a single-engined biplane of mixed construction, with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage . The A2N was originally developed as a private venture by Nakajima for the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was based loosely on the Boeing Model 69 and Boeing Model 100 , examples of both having been imported in 1928 and 1929 respectively. Takao Yoshida led

270-727: Was completed in May 1931. The type was adopted by the Navy in April 1932. A two-seat trainer , the A3N3-1 ( Navy Type 90 Training Fighter ), was later developed from the Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter and 66 of these were built between 1936 and 1939. The A4N was developed from this aircraft, which entered service later in the 1930s. In 1932, Minoru Genda formed a flight demonstration team known as "Genda's Flying Circus" to promote naval aviation and flew this type. The Navy Type 90 Carrier-based fighter flew from

288-525: Was fellow IJN officer and aviator Takashige Egusa, who was noted for being the Air Group Commander of aircraft carrier Soryu during the Pearl Harbor attack through the ship's loss at the Battle of Midway . Mitsubishi 1MF10 The Mitsubishi 1MF10 or Mitsubishi experimental 7-Shi carrier fighter (七試艦上戦闘機) was a prototype Japanese monoplane single-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft of

306-521: Was renowned for developing new air tactics for the Navy and was noted as an expert aviator and trainer. He had formed an air demonstration team known as "Genda's Flying Circus" with Yoshita Kobayashi and Minoru Genda , using Nakajima A2N Type 90 fighters, at Yokosuka in 1932. Captain Okamura was in charge of the Tateyama Base in Tokyo , as well as the 341st Air Group Home, and, according to some sources,

324-511: Was the first officer to officially propose what would become known as kamikaze attack tactics, by arranging with his superiors for the first investigations on the plausibility and mechanisms of intentional suicide attacks on 15 June 1944. He was a veteran fighter pilot, who instructed the Yokosuka Air Corps at the war's outbreak. He also commanded a fighter group under Vice Admiral Kimpei Teraoka . Okamura had expressed his desire to lead

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