A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 198, 19 May 1941, Page 6

A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Japan’s Air Strength CRITICAL SURVEY

A rigid censorship lias long surrounded military and civil flying -iu Japan. Those who assess the strength and efficiency of the Japanese military and naval air arms and the worth of Japan’s air transport lines must gather their information iu small fragments, and put it together bit by bit if they are to form reliable opinions and prepare a useful survey. Lack of originality in types.and general design is shown in Japanese aeroplanes, many of which bear- a strong resemblance to well-known European and American types. So strong is the resemblance that the system of copying is tacitly declared, and is only alleviated slightly by. the system of building established types under licence from the designing firms, fays the “Aeroplane.” There is no doubt that Japan stands lowest in air power on the list of the Great Powers. She has no more than 3000 aeroplailes of all kinds; military, naval, trainers ami transport*. Army Air Force

Of the two services, the Army has the stronger air force. It is made up of three operational Air Corps. One consists of a regiment of fighters, another of reconnaissance machines and a third of bombers. The second corps comprises three air regiments with the Japanese army in China, and the third consists of six air regiments and several independent squadrons with the army in Manchuria. Bomber and fighter squadrons normally consist of 16 machines, reconnaissance squadrons of nine. The composition of an air regiment may be two, three, four or five squadrons. Altogether there appear to be about 110 squadrons in the army air force, and of these from 35 to 40 are fighter squadrons and the others light and heavy bombers and reconnaissance squadrons. The “Aeroplane” says the report that the Army air force has 1000 fighters is exaggerated.

Naval Air Strength About 20 coastal units/ seven air-craft-carriers, five seaplane-carriers, and an uncertain number of naval vessels with catapults are controlled by the Japanese Admiralty. v The aircraft-carriers are noj highly rated by one German authority. The last to be put into commission has a top speed of only 30 knots, and the earlier ships are slower. None carries more than 60 aeroplanes. Two of them, the Kaga and Akagi, could be enlarged by an extension of their flight .looks Three more aircraft-carriers are under construction, but they will not be finished before 1943. Tlie present number of ship-borne aeroplanes is thought to 'be about 330. In September, 1939, the total personnel of both the military and the naval air arm was approximately 33,000, of which 3,000 were army pilots and about 2100 navy pilots. Each branch has, roughly, equal numbers of officer and N.C.O. pilots. The Army maintains six flying schools and the Navy one. Their total output does not exceed 700 pilots a year; the standard of efficiency is not high and is certainly below that of all the bigger nations, with the possible exception of Russia.

Japane'se Types Japan has kept the performance of her military and naval aeroplanes a close secret, but she has claimed that recent new types from her factories are superior to any possessed by her potential enemies. Her other types follow the Western fashions, though somewhat tardily, and have the performance ot European designs of 1932 and thereabouts. Some were bought abroad, chiefly from Italy. . New types are known by serial numbers. The method of serializing is simple in the extreme. Aeroplanes produced in 1935 are known as Type Ju. those in 1936 as Type 96: those in 1937 as 'Type 97, and so ou. The newest types compare layvurablv with European practice in IJo4-o«>. There is a four-motor bomber (rtD--96) With :i speed of 260 m.p.b. and a raiwe of 2200 miles, with a sma.l borne load. The biggest bomb load it cam carrv is about 30001 b. One machine of Type 97 is a tighter with a top speed of nearly .300 m.p.b. Another of Type 9b is the l’iat E.L.-0M two-motor bomber built under licence from Italy. . . . Other standard military machines a a Navy monoplane fighter iu l.'P< rather like the Boeing; an Army reconnaissance biplane iu Type M. another in Type 96 is a fcin ?* e -“° tor ' ' bomber for service iu airerat -caiiuu. third is a twin-motor coastal ie<on naissance and bomber monoplane. There are also a two-motor heart bomber which look= hke■ a sma „ ‘1 lion of the U.S. “Flying lortiess. ana the Type 95-1, a standard Army biplane ''jaimuese military aeroplanes do nm stand up well to hard use wi ue u service. Independent obseneis lune rtWed that one-third of all the Japanese aeroplanes operating in China aiv worn out within a year, and «t lea a quarter of those in Japan itself: have to be replaced every jear. llies ® ' mates take no account, of losses to enemy action and accident.

Industry’s Handicap Tlie aircraft industry labours under three handicaps. H lacks raw materials despite its priority chum o„ supplies; it lacks skilled workmen •md it lacks modern machinery. Lbe need of modern machine tools is particularly acute among the smaller subcontracting firms. In consequence. Japan still depends upon imported materials and machinery to a great ex-

Estimates of the output of the Japi anese aircraft firms differ greatly. ' Those best, placed to gauge it give be- : tween 1500 ami 2500 machines as the ; vearlv output of the 40 or more plants. : Dr. Wagenfuehr. the official German i aircraft statistician, does not think ‘ that Japan’s aeronautical production is big enough to cope with her needs 1 in a major war—even against the Far Eastern air force of tlie Soviet Union. In this case she would have to import a large proportion of the military aircraft. required. , If Japan’s aircraft industry could obtain regularly all the essential ran . materials tier maximum output wouh. lie in the neighbourhood of ’-ow airi .-raft of all types a year. Reliable ne I formation suggests Dial tlie 1 --’ i ’ [ output amounted to little more than I 1000. , Aeronautical research esstH! um '- ; veloned, notwithstanding etforts by the i Government and the many scientific ! bodies to bring it to a more advanced ■ St ft to. I Japanese aviation lias, therefoic. <> : ion-’ wav to go before it will be able t<> ’ compete'successfully with, or even eom- ' t| lr -'decadent European and Am--ic.-m demoerm-ie-." Hi order to •udiievo Ulis aim mor,- quickly. Japan Has asked Iter Axis partners lor asshtanue, and they b:ive sent a numbyi ncronauticftl experts to the t sr F/flsL