Bristol Blenheim, foreign users, part one

 

The Bristol Blenheim was a British a British twin-engined light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (commonly known by 'Bristol'). The Blenheim was extensively used during the first half of World War 2, with some machines being used as trainers even until the end of the war. 

The main user was the British Royal Air Force (RAF), but the type saw also use under other users:

• Australia: The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated the Bristol Blenheim in two squadrons, Nos. 454 and 459. 
  No.454 was equipped with Blenheims in November 1942 when it was based in Iraq where they were used as trainers. They were in service until January 1943 when they were replaced by the Martin Baltimore.
  No.459, was formed in February 1942 with just six aircraft (two Lockheed Hudsons and four Blenheims Mk.IV). The Blenheims were kept until May when they were replaced by Hudsons.
• British Raj: The Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) had some outdated Blenheim Mk.I bombers serving with the No.3 Coastal Flight based at RAF Dum Dum, close to the city of Calcutta in 1942. Due to blogger's tag limitation of 200 characters, this couldn't be included in the list and, also, the drawing should be considered as semi-speculative as we lack clarification about their operational service with the RIAF.
• Japan: It's known that at least one Blenheim Mk.I and one Blenheim Mk.IV were captured and employed by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF), as some wrecks were found in Semarang, Java after the war, in August 1947. It's interesting to note that the hulk of the Blenheim Mk.IV discovered there, appears to be modified to serve as a transport with extra windows and, apparently, refitted with Nakajima Sakae engines. 
  As our drawings are based on old blurry photos, they should be taken as highly speculative on how they looked like when in Japanese service.
• Indonesia: In 1945 or 1946, Indonesian forces acquired a Bristol Mk.IV from unknown sources (some claims are made they were acquired from the Netherlands). The aircraft was re-engined with Nakajima Sakae engines, so it's possible it belonged to the Japanese and it was re-captured by the Indonesians when the Japanese left in 1945. 
  This machine had not only its engines replaced, but the frontal cockpit completely faired over too.
• New Zealand: No.489 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) served under RAF's Coastal Command and it was equipped with the Blenheim from August 1941 until January 1942 when it was re-equipped with the Blenheim Mk.IVf, which were in service patrolling the North Sea until March when they were replaced by the Handley Page Hampden as the squadron was re-converted into an anti-submarine torpedo bomber unit.
• Turkey: Turkey ordered 12 Blenheim from the United Kingdom in April 1936, making the Anatolian country the second foreign user of the Blenheim (the first one was Finland). The first two machines were shipped by sea in October 1937 while the remaining 10 were ferried by air between March and June 1938. Additional eighteen machines were ordered and delivered between November 1938 and February 1939 with additional 10 Blenheim Mk.I being given to the Turkish Undersecretariat of Military Aviation (the forerunner of the modern Turkish Air Force) in 1940.
  Three additional Mk.IVs, plus 17 Mk.V were supplied in 1943. These more modern machines came from RAF Middle East stocks. They served with the Turkish 3rd Regiment of the 2nd Air Division, at Gaziemir Air Base, in Izmir.
• South Africa: The South African Air Force (SAAF) evaluated a single Blenheim Mk.I in 1938, but didn't order the type. This single Mk.I was assigned to No.31 Squadron, which served with the South African Coastal Command and was used in late 1939 in the search of the German Pocket Battleship Graf Spee. This aircraft also shadowed two Italian ships as they were heading to neutral Portuguese Mozambique in June 1940 when Italy entered the war. The Blenheim attacked one of the ships with guns and bombs and forced it to run aground. 
  In spite of this service, the type was judged unsuitable for the SAAF and was returned to the UK.
  In February 1942 the No.15 Squadron SAAF, replaced its Martin Marylands by Blenheim Mk.IVf when they were assigned to the No.201 Group RAF. Some of these machines were up-armed with an additional 20 mm cannon placed in the nose glazing. A detachment was assigned to Kufra Oasis in April 1942, to prevent its use by the Germans, but the three aircraft were lost in the desert. They were not discovered until 1959.
  Later, in July 1942 No.15 replaced the Mk.IV by Mk.Vs and they were rebased to Mariut, in Egypt, where they conducted anti-shipping operations and saw some distinctive action. The unit replaced its Blenheims by Douglas Bostons in July 1943.
  Two additional SAAF squadrons flew the Blenheim Mk.V, Nos.16 and 17 from November 1942 until June 1943 and January-May 1943 respectively. They operated over the Indian Ocean and they were replaced by the Bristol Beaufort and the Lockheed Hudson respectively.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Blenheim

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bristol_Blenheim_operators

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 26 - Bristol Blenheim

4.Osprey Publishing - Combat Aircraft 5 - Blenheim Squadrons of World War 2

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_Squadron_SAAF

6. http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2016/06/japanese-blenheims-at-semarang-java.html

7. https://web.archive.org/web/20051214192414/http://nei.adf-serials.com/indonesian-aviation-1945-50.pdf

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._489_Squadron_RNZAF

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._454_Squadron_RAAF

10.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._459_Squadron_RAAF

11. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205212382

12. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a8Blenheim.htm

Mitsubishi G4M, foreign users

 

The Mitsubishi G4M was a Japanese twin-engined medium bomber designed to success to former G3M. Its main user was the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), but as the war went on, it saw service with some other countries as well:

• Communist China: Apparently, among the many aircraft left over by the Japanese, the Communists managed to capture some machines, probably in the Southern part of the country, as that's where the IJN had some aerial bases at the end of the conflict. As we couldn't find neither graphical nor text information about the G4M serving with the Chinese, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• United Kingdom: The British Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit South East Asia (ATAIU SEA) operated one captured G4M2 Model 22, registered as FI-11 for evaluation purposes at Tebrau airfield, in Malaysia. It belonged originally to the 13th Koku Kantai Yuso Tai. Its ultimate fate is unknown, but it was most probably scrapped.
• Indonesia: Among the aircraft used by the Indonesian Air Force, was, apparently, at least one G4M captured by Indonesian guerrillas, left over by the Japanese in some remote area of the country. It was probably used by the Indonesians during their Independence War, but its ultimate fate is unknown. As we couldn't find information on the subject, the drawing and the information written here should be considered as speculative.
• United States: The Technical Air Intelligence Unit, operated some captured G4M for evaluation purposes at Eagle Farm airfield, in Brisbane, Australia in 1945. The evaluated bomber was painted with exaggerated American markings and rudder stripes even if they were eliminated three years earlier. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_G4M

2. https://captured-wings.wikia.org/wiki/FI-11

3. https://captured-wings.wikia.org/wiki/ATAIU-SEA

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_Air_Force#Before_Indonesian_independence_(1941–1945)

5. https://ww2db.com/photo.php?list=search&sp&startRow=40&keyword&source=colorall&color&foreigntype=A&foreigntype_id=12&dt&image_id

6. https://j-aircraft.com/captured/capturedfrom/TAIC/TAICSG4M/mitsubishi_g4m2_betty.htm

Mitsubishi G3M, part four

 

The Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21 was a variant with improved Kinsei 41 or 42 engines, yielding 1.075 hp of power each, increased fuel capacity and modified dorsal turrets. The G3M2 Model 22 was fitted with 1.075 hp Kinsei 45 engines (some Model 21 were retrofitted with that engine as well) and featured a complete re-arrangement of the defensive weapons. Retractable ventral and rear dorsal turrets were completely eliminated replacing the later one with a large turtleback enclosure canopy which housed a 20 mm Type 99 cannon. The ventral turret was replaced by two blisters, one on each side of the fuselage, which housed a single Type 92 machine gun. A total of 343 Model 21 were manufactured plus 238 Model 22 between 1937 and 1941.

A special version was made out from a G3M2 Model 21. This version was not armed at all and had the most advanced kind of autopilot Japan had back then. It was commissioned by the newspaper Manichi Shimbun to make a round-the-world flight in 1939. This aircraft took off on 25th August 1939 from Haneda airport, in Tokyo and, after 55 days of flight, on 20th October, it landed back at Haneda.

The Mitsubishi G3M3 Model 23 was a development carried out by Nakajima, when Mitsubishi's production was switched towards the more advanced G4M. A total of 412 G3M3 were manufactured at Koizumi, in Japan. This variant was powered by two Kinsei 51 radial engines yielding 1.300 hp of power each, a further increase in fuel tankage which extended the type's maximum range up to 6.230 km (3.870 milles), compared with the 4.380 km (2.720 milles) of the G3M2 Model 22. 

The L3Y was a transport conversion made by Yokosuka in two models, L3Y1 Model 11 and L3Y2 Model 12. They were converted from outdated G3M1 and G3M2 bombers at First Naval Air Arsenal, at Kasurnigaura, thought the number of converted machines is not known. These could carry up to 10 passengers and some few were fitted with a single defensive Type 92 machine gun. Some were used by commercial companies, and some others were used by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) in the invasion of the Dutch East Indies in late 1941, early 1942.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the G3M2 was already considered as obsolete. However, a total of 204 of them were still in active service with three front-line squadrons, in four Kokutais based in the central Pacific region. Fifty-four of those, belonging to the Takao Kokutai, were deployed to Formosa in the opening phases of the Battle of the Philippines. On 8th December 1941 (7th accross the International Date Line) G3Ms from the Mihoro Kokutai bombed Singapor from bases in Indochina, in one of the many aerial raids of the Battle of Singapore, causing the death of thousands of British and Asian civilians. That same day, Wake Island was also bombed by G3Ms belonging to the Chitose Kokutai causing serious damage to both civilian and US Navy infrastructure present on the atoll. Other G3Ms of that same Kokutai, based at Kwajalein Atoll stroke US Navy and civilian facilities at Howland Island, that same period.

The most famous strike this bomber took part on, along with the more advanced Mistubishi G4M, was in the sinking of two British Capital ships, HMS Prince of Wales (King George V-class Battleship) and HMS Repulse (Renown-class Battlecruiser) on 10th December 1941. Sixty G3Ms belonging to the Genzan and Minoro Kokutais, with 26 G4M of the Kanoya Kokutai, took off from bases in Indochina, found and sank the British ships which were steaming around Malayan coast without fighter protection. They were the first two capital ships to be sunk exclusively by air attack while at sea during war.

The attack on Darwin, Australia, took place on 19th February 1942. A force of 188 Japanese aircraft, among them 27 G3Ms of the 1st Kokutai, based at Ambon, in the Dutch East Indies, attacked the Australian port alongside 27 Mitsubishi G4M bombers. These followed a 81-strong first wave composed of Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, Aichi D3A dive bombers and Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers.

Later in the war, on 29th January 1943, G3Ms of the 701st Kokutai managed to put two torpedoes into the American Heavy Cruiser USS Chicago, during the Battle of Rennell Island. The ship was sunk the next day by further torpedoes dropped by G4Ms. 

From 1943 until the end of the war, the G3M was greatly regarded as obsolete and most of them served as glider tugs, aircrew and paratroop trainers and VIP transport between Japanese home islands, occupied territories and front-lines.

After the war, it seems that some few of them were used by the Red Army of China during the late periods of the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949) and also by the Indonesian Rebels during the Indonesian War of Independence (1945-1949). However, as we couldn't find pictures of G3Ms with those owners, both models, colours and information should be considered as speculative.

Sources:

1. http://all-aero.com/index.php/contactus/53-planes-l-m-n-o/6919-mitsubishi-g3m--ka-15--l3y

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_G3M

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_(aircraft)

4. http://www.aviastar.org/air/japan/yokosuka_l3y.php

Avro Anson, part four, Asian Users

The Avro Anson is a British multi-role aircraft of which more than 11.000 units were made. It was exported to many countries all around the globe. Among them, the following ones:

• Afghanistan: The Royal Afghan Air Force obtained 13 (or 12, it's not clear as one source claim it was 13 but others claim it was 12) Anson XVIII. They were a modified version of the C.19 variant. They were used for communications, police patrol and aerial survey until 1972 when the country fell apart into a civil war.
• Bahrein: The Bahrein-based charter airline Gulf Aviation Ltd. was founded in 1949 by Freddie Bosworth, former RAF pilot. Initially it's fleet comprised just two Ansons T.21 modified to carry passengers. However, some sources claim it was a C.19. Anyway, they were used in the initial aerial routes this company made to Doha, in Qatar and Sharjah, in the Trucial States (nowadays United Arab Emirates).
• British Raj: The Royal Indian Air Force employed an unknown number of Anson Mk.I in the Navigation and Armament training role. They were assigned to the No.1 Service Flying Training School, which was based at RAF Ambala, in the Punjab province (nowadays Haryana state). It seems that the Ansons continued flying in the training role well after the war and even after the Independence of India in 1947. But it's unknown when they were written off. As we couldn't find any colour profile and the available photos are in black & white, the colours and the registration should be considered as speculative.
• Republic of India: The Indian Air Force (IAF) bought in 1948 a ad-hoc variant of the Avro Anson. It was called Anson C.18C and it was a civil crew training aircraft. Thirteen of them were bought by the Directorate of Civil Aviation and were used as civil aircrew trainers and communications aircraft. They were delivered from Yeadon, in Yorkshire one year later, in 1949.
• Indonesia: At least four Anson Mk.I were acquired by the Indonesian Air Force in 1947 from second hand retailers. One was known to have been serialed as RI-001 which was initially registered in Australia. During the Indonesia Independence War, it was captured by Dutch troops at Maguwo, in Jakarta in December 1948 and was broken up. The fate of the other three aircraft is unknown but it's known that they came from Australian civil register.
• Iraq: In March 1946 (or late 1944 according to other sources) thirty-three (30 depending on which source you check) Anson Mk.I were delivered to the Iraqi Air Force. They were assigned to I and VII Squadrons and it seems that some of them saw action as light bombers against Israel in the First Arab-Israeli War in 1948. Oddly enough, one of them was piloted by 1st Lt. Arif ar-Razzaq who in 1963 became the Commander in Chief of the Iraqi Air Force and later would be Defence Minister of that country. As the only available photo of the Anson in the Iraqi Air Force is blurry and in black and white, the colours and the registration should be considered as speculative.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson

2. https://web.archive.org/web/20120803171431/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/Trg-1SFTS.html

3. https://web.archive.org/web/20120711122408/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/Trg-1SFTS02.html

4. http://www.bahrainaviators.com/fleet.html

5. http://britishaviation-ptp.com/avro652_2.html

6. http://iraqimilitary.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20

7. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson

Mitsubishi Ki-30 Foreign users, part one

The Mitsubishi Ki-30 was a Japanese light bomber of World War II that also served with other countries.

• France: After the end of the World War II, many Ki-30s were left behind in Indochina. French authorities pushed them into service and some of them served in liaision duties in the First Indochina War, with the Escadrille de Liaison 99 (Liaison Flight 99). Their fate is unknown, but they were most probably destroyed and/or scrapped.
• China: As the Ki-30 served in mainland China during World War II, and specially in the Manchurian region, when the region was taken over by the USSR in 1945 and handed over to Chinese Communists, three Ki-30s that were based there were taken over by Chinese Communist authorities, that set up a flying school using (along with many other types) Ki-30s in the city of Harbin (capital city of Manchuria). They served during the 1945-1949 period of the Chinese Civil War as trainers and were withdrawn from service in the early 1950s.
  EDIT: It seems that the Republic of China Air Force, also employed them, we found some photos and profiles and updated the drawings. Apparently, they were employed during the late stages of World War II in China and the subsequent Chinese Civil War.
• Indonesia: As another theatre of operation where the Ki-30s served was the Indonesia islands, some of them were captured by Indonesian rebels when the Japanese authorities left and pushed them into service with their newly created army. They served during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 until 1949. 

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-30
2. http://www.traditions-air.fr/index.htm (translated)

Mitsubishi Ki-51

The Mitsubishi Ki-51 was a Japanese light bomber which, in the inmediate post-war, served with many nations.

• China: After the Japanese withdrawal from mainland China tons of equipment were left behind. Both communist and nationalist armies took them and pushed them into service. They served through the late stages of the Chinese Civil War, in the post 1945 period. Apparently, initialy the nationalists captured them, but they were soon captured by the communists some time after 1945 and after the war they were kept in service by the People's Liberation Army's Air Force until 1953. 
•  France: As the Ki-51 was mainly used in the China-Burma-India Theatre of Operations, many of them were left behind in Indochina. After the Japanese withdrawal, local French authorities pushed some few of them into service (as most of them were damaged or derelicted beyond usage) and used them occasionaly in the First Indochina War in the liaison role, which, not in vain, they were assigned to a liaison squadron. 
• Indonesia: The Indonesian People's Security Force (IPSF), which was the Indonesian anti-Dutch militia that fought for independence, captured a small number of Ki-51s at numerous Japanese bases being the bigger one the one located at Malang, named Bugis Air Base which was evacuated on 18th September 1945. Most of the aircrafts were destroyed in the subsequent Indonesian Independence War which lasted from 1945 until 1949. It's known that at least one Ki-51 bombed Dutch troops on 29th July 1947.
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea: As Manchuria and Korea were important Japanese bases, after the USSR invaded in August 1945, they captured lots of Japanese equipment which, compared to Soviet ones, they were very outdated. As most of them were concentrated both in Harbin (capital of Manchuria), Port Arthur (nowadays Dalian) and Pyongyang, (which before the proclamation of North Korea was an important hub in the region) when the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (AKA North Korea) was proclaimed on 9th September 1948, Soviet authorities allowed the newly Republic to have some Ki-51s. They were most probably used in the opening stages of the Korean War, however, most likely, they were destroyed soonly after. Anyway, we couldn't find any graphical evidence about them, the profile should be taken with a grain of salt.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Ki-51

2. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=892

Mitsubishi F1M

The Mitsubishi F1M (Allied codename 'Pete') was a Japanese reconnaissance floatplane of World War II which has the honour of being the last biplane type to serve with the Imperial Japanese Navy. Almost 1200 of them were built in total, between 1936 and 1944.
The F1M1 was powered by a single Nakajima Hikari Mk.1 radial engine which yielded 820hp of power, a maximum speed of 368km/h (230mph) and an operative range of 1072km (670milles) when overloaded. It was armed with two fixed forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) Type 97 machine guns placed on the nose and a defensive 7.7mm Type 92 one placed in the observer's post. It could also carry two 60kg (132lb) bombs under the lower wings. It turned to be a very versatile aircraft which served as a mobile operations platform.
It was originally built as a catapult-launched reconnaissance floatplane specialized in gunnery spotting. The F1M1 took on a number of local roles as convoy escort, bomber, anti-submarine , maritime-patrol, rescue, transport and anti-shipping strike with some respectable success rate. For instance the American Motor Torpedo Boat PT-34 was sunk on 9th April 1942 by a F1M1. It was also used as an area-defence fighter and got involved in aerial combat in the Aleutians, the Solomons and many other theatres. In the New Guinea front it got involved in many aerial battles against both Allied bombers and fighters.
Since its production started in 1938, they were assigned to the 21st Naval Air Arsenal at Sasebo, in Japanese homeland before being transferred to their respective destinations. In due course, the F1M2 equipped all but one of the K-Maru and S-Maru classes of converted merchant seaplane tenders raiders and several Japanese Battleships and Cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
They were present at the Battle of Midway as two aircraft were launched from the Battleship Kirishima, but they were lost when the ship was scuttled at the end of the Battle of the Solomons. They were also aboard the Superheavy Battleships Musashi and Yamato as each of them carried several F1M1 and M2s to serve as spotters for their 460mm guns at the Battle of the Marianas.
Apparently, late in the war they were used for kamikaze attacks as they were blatantly outdated and its production ceased the year before, in 1944. After the war as the Japanese retreated from many territories like Indonesia or Thailand, they left behind many equipment, among them some F1M1 which were put into service by the newly created government of Indonesia and used them in their war of independence. Something similar happened with the Thai government which also used some leftover F1M1s  and used them in their navy during the inmediate postwar years. However, as we couldn't find graphical evidence of the F1M1 in service with Thailand, the drawing should be considered as speculative.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_F1M
2. http://www.aviastar.org/air/japan/mitsubishi_f1m.php
3. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_mitsubishi_F1M.html