Kisarazu Air Group
Encyclopedia
was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
during the Second Sino-Japanese War
and the Pacific campaign
of World War II
.
, in Kisarazu
, Chiba Prefecture
Japan
on April 1, 1936 as the first land-based bomber group of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was initially equipped with six Type 96 Yokosuka B4Y
biplane
attack aircraft, plus two reserve aircraft.
on August 15, 1937. Subsequently, strategic bombing
missions were taken against the cities of Shanghai
, Hangzhou
, and Chongqing
, as well as tactical bombing
missions in support of advancing Imperial Japanese Army
forces. Due to the limited range of the Yokosuka B4Y, the Kisarazu Air Group was forced to deploy from bases in Shanghai and Nanjing.
From August 27, 1937 the Kisarazu Air Group gained Type 95 Nakajima A4N
biplane fighters for protection against Chinese fighters; however, this proved unnecessary and the Nakajima fighters were withdrawn on October 10. The Kisarazu Air Group was withdrawn from combat on January 5, 1940.
and the start of hostilities with the United States
, it also performed patrol duties protecting the entrance to Tokyo Bay
.
From March 1942, the Kisarazu Air Group was re-equipped with Type 1 Mitsubishi G4M
bombers, and continued training with the new equipment until the end of August 1942.
On August 22, 1942, a detachment of nineteen Mitsubishi G4M’s arrived in Rabaul
, New Britain
, joining elements from the Misawa Air Group and the Fourth Air Group
. This combined force bombed American positions at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal
on August 25, 1942. On the following mission on August 26, one Mitsubishi G4M was damaged by defending USMC Grumman F4F fighters and was forced to ditch in the sea on its return. Another mission against Henderson Field was undertaken on August 29. During a bombing mission against Allied
ships near Guadalcanal, the Kisarazu Air Group shared credit for sinking the American destroyer .
On September 2, 1942 nine aircraft each from the Kisarazu and the Misawa Air Groups again bombed Henderson Field, causing little damage and suffering no losses. However, on a subsequent mission on September 12, two aircraft were lost to Allied aircraft and a third was damaged in an emergency landing at Buka
. Another aircraft was lost in combat over Guadalcanal on September 21.
The Kisarazu Air Group continued its bombing of Henderson Field and other targets on Guadalcanal on October 14, October 15, October 17 and October 21, with the loss of one more aircraft. On October 25, the Kisarazu Air Group flew its final combat mission, losing one more aircraft. On November 1, 1942, the remainder of the unit was re-designated as the 707 Air Group.
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, the organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.It was controlled by the Navy Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy and...
during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and the Pacific campaign
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
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...
.
History
The Kisarazu Air Group was formed at Kisarazu Air FieldKisarazu Air Field
is a military aerodrome of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force . It is located north northwest of Kisarazu in the Chiba Prefecture, Japan.-Operations:...
, in Kisarazu
Kisarazu, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of September 2010, Kisarazu has an estimated population of 126,906 and a density of 915 persons per km². The total area was 138.73 km²....
, Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on April 1, 1936 as the first land-based bomber group of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was initially equipped with six Type 96 Yokosuka B4Y
Yokosuka B4Y
-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
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...
attack aircraft, plus two reserve aircraft.
Second Sino-Japanese War operations
With the start of the war in China, the aircraft of the Tateyama Air Group and the Ōminato Air Group were transferred to the Kisarazu Air Group, bringing its combat strength up to twenty operational bombers and six reserve aircraft. Its first combat mission was a bombing of the Nationalist Chinese capital of NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
on August 15, 1937. Subsequently, strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
missions were taken against the cities of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, as well as tactical bombing
Tactical bombing
Tactical bombing is the aerial bombing aimed at targets of immediate military value, such as troops, military installations or equipment. This is in contrast to strategic bombing, attacking enemy's cities and factories to debilitate the enemy's capacity to wage war, the enemy's future military...
missions in support of advancing Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
forces. Due to the limited range of the Yokosuka B4Y, the Kisarazu Air Group was forced to deploy from bases in Shanghai and Nanjing.
From August 27, 1937 the Kisarazu Air Group gained Type 95 Nakajima A4N
Nakajima A4N
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Mikesh, Robert C. and Shorzoe Abe. Japanese Aircraft, 1910–1941. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-840-2....
biplane fighters for protection against Chinese fighters; however, this proved unnecessary and the Nakajima fighters were withdrawn on October 10. The Kisarazu Air Group was withdrawn from combat on January 5, 1940.
Pacific War operations
Following its return to its home base at Kisarazu Air Field, the Kisarazu Air Group served as a training unit until March 1942. Following the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
and the start of hostilities with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it also performed patrol duties protecting the entrance to Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
.
From March 1942, the Kisarazu Air Group was re-equipped with Type 1 Mitsubishi G4M
Mitsubishi G4M
The Mitsubishi G4M 一式陸上攻撃機, 一式陸攻 Isshiki rikujō kōgeki ki, Isshikirikkō was the main twin-engine, land-based bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allies gave the G4M the reporting name Betty...
bombers, and continued training with the new equipment until the end of August 1942.
On August 22, 1942, a detachment of nineteen Mitsubishi G4M’s arrived in Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, joining elements from the Misawa Air Group and the Fourth Air Group
4th Air Group
was a land-based bomber aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The unit was formed on 10 February 1942 and flew the Mitsubishi G4M Rikko Navy Type 1 Attack Bomber aircraft...
. This combined force bombed American positions at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
on August 25, 1942. On the following mission on August 26, one Mitsubishi G4M was damaged by defending USMC Grumman F4F fighters and was forced to ditch in the sea on its return. Another mission against Henderson Field was undertaken on August 29. During a bombing mission against Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
ships near Guadalcanal, the Kisarazu Air Group shared credit for sinking the American destroyer .
On September 2, 1942 nine aircraft each from the Kisarazu and the Misawa Air Groups again bombed Henderson Field, causing little damage and suffering no losses. However, on a subsequent mission on September 12, two aircraft were lost to Allied aircraft and a third was damaged in an emergency landing at Buka
Buka, Papua New Guinea
Buka is situated on Buka Island, Bougainville Province, Papua New Guinea. It has been the capital of the province during the Bougainville civil war...
. Another aircraft was lost in combat over Guadalcanal on September 21.
The Kisarazu Air Group continued its bombing of Henderson Field and other targets on Guadalcanal on October 14, October 15, October 17 and October 21, with the loss of one more aircraft. On October 25, the Kisarazu Air Group flew its final combat mission, losing one more aircraft. On November 1, 1942, the remainder of the unit was re-designated as the 707 Air Group.