Manchukuo Air Force
Encyclopedia
Manchukuo Imperial Army
The Manchukuo Imperial Army was the armed force of the Japanese dominated puppet state of Manchukuo, serving as the land forces, along with the Manchukuo Imperial Guards...
and trained at the Japanese Kwantung Army aircraft arsenal in Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
. The official air force's predecessor was the Manchukuo Air Transport Company (later re-named the Manchukuo National Airways
Manchukuo National Airways
was the name of the national airline of Manchukuo. It is sometimes referred to as Manchukuo Air Transport Company.Manchukuo National Airways was established on 26 September 1931 in Fengtian by order of the Japanese Kwantung Army, out of the Manchurian branch office of Japan Air Transport, the...
) a paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
airline formed in 1931, which undertook transport and reconnaissance missions for the Japanese military.
The first air unit of the Manchukuo Air Force was established at the airfield in Xinjing, under the command of 1st Lieutenant Uta, and initially had only one aircraft: a French-built Nieuport-Delage NiD 29 biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
. Kawasaki Type 88 (KDA-2) light bombers and Nakajima Type 91 fighters were later supplied from Japan.
A second air unit was established in Fengtien and the third air unit in Harbin from 1938-1939. In July 1940, an Air Defense HQ was created in Xinjing.
Initially, only Japanese pilots and ground crews were also deployed. After 1940, the Japanese allowed native ethnic Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
s to receive pilot training. On 30 August 1940, a flight school was established in Fengtien to teach both military and civil pilots. The training program received a severe setback in January 1941 when approximately 100 pilot cadets rebelled, and fled to join to anti-Japanese guerillas after killing their instructors. During September to October 1942 the school received more than twenty training aircraft, including Tachikawa Ki-9 "Spruce"
Tachikawa Ki-9
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
, Tachikawa Ki-55 "Ida"
Tachikawa Ki-55
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970...
and Mansyū Ki-79
Nakajima Ki-27
The was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy...
advanced trainers
In addition, a transport section with three Nakajima Ki-34 passenger aircraft was established to serve the needs of the imperial court. Additional Junkers Ju-86Z-2
Junkers Ju 86
The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s, and employed by both sides during World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry 10 passengers. Two were delivered to Swissair and five to Luft Hansa...
, Tachikawa Ki-54 "Hickory"
Tachikawa Ki-54
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
and Manshū Hayabusa provided for government transportation needs.
From 1944, the Manchukuo Imperial Air Force came under the command of the Japanese 2nd Air Army. At that point, it had around 100 to 120 combat aircraft.
From 1941 to the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the main equipment of the Manchukuo Air Force was the Nakajima Ki-27b "Nate"
Nakajima Ki-27
The was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy...
light fighter. Money to pay for these fighters was “donated” by various Japanese companies based in Manchukuo. Primarily a fighter force, the only tactical bomber
Tactical bomber
A tactical bomber is a bomber aircraft with an intended primary role of tactical bombing—attacking tactical targets, such as enemy's troops and military equipment. This implies that either aircraft's range or ordnance is insufficient to use it effectively as a strategic bomber.All light bombers,...
in Manchukuo service during World War II was the Kawasaki Ki-32
Kawasaki Ki-32
|-See also:-External links:*...
.
The Manchukuo Air Force requested Type 1 Nakajima Ki-43 IIa Hayabusa "Oscar"
Nakajima Ki-43
The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa was a single-engine land-based tactical fighter used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II...
and Type 2 Nakajima Ki-44 IIb Shoki "Tojo"
Nakajima Ki-44
The Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. The type first flew in August 1940 and entered service in 1942...
fighter/interceptors from Japan in early 1945. However, these more advanced aircraft were supplied in only small numbers.
As American air raids against Manchukuo increased in frequency towards the end of the war, the Manchukuo Air Force resorted to kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
tactics, with the first successful ramming attack (by a Ki-27) on a USAAF B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
strategic bomber
Strategic bomber
A strategic bomber is a heavy bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemy's capacity to wage war. Unlike tactical bombers, which are used in the battle zone to attack troops and military equipment, strategic bombers are...
occurring in December 1944. The Manchukuo Air Force also suffered from a chronic shortage of fuel, as Japanese military aviation had first claim to supplies.
In 1945, the American air raids against Manchuria decreased and the threat of the Soviet invasion increased. The Manchukuo Air Force changed its training from interception to emphasize ground attack against armored vehicles. During the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's invasion of Manchukuo, the Japanese 2nd Air Army ordered the Manchukuo Air Force to train for suicide attacks against Soviet tanks. However, the war ended before attack plans could be executed.