Hiro Type 95 Land-based Medium Attack, Twin Engine (G2H1)

[Stargazer]

In 1932, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a specification for its 7-Shi Land-based Attack. The only known contender (and winner) of that competition was the Hiro G2H1, or Type 95 Land-based Medium Attack, Twin Engine, also commonly known as the "Dai-ko" or "Big Attack." It was a remarkably advanced design for its time, a monoplane bomber which carried a crew of seven and a 1,600-kilo bomb. Eight were produced in 1933, and although it was soon forgotten, its mission, shape and configuration heralded the later 9-Shi / Type 96 Land-based Attack, better known as the Mitsubishi G3M "Nell."

 

[unkated]

It had some advanced features, but had a few problems:

• Its engines, the largest that japan could produce at the time, were unreliable.
• It had some obsolete features: fixed landing gear, fixed-pitch wooden propellers.
• Belly defense was a (drag-inducing) lowered bin.

In August 1937, after higher-than-anticipated losses of G3Ms over China, 6 G2H were moved to Cheju-Do Island (Korea) and used over China. 24-Oct-37, an engine on a G2H exploded on startup and started a fire that destroyed 4 G2H and damaged another. The 6th was damaged by AA fire 29-Oct-37 and it crashlanded at the Shanghai airfield.

While not a particularly lustrous career, the G2H did give the IJNAF practice with handling large aircraft.

Uncle Ted

 

[Tonton-42]

Hiro G2H

As the Washington (Disarmament) Treaty of 1922 limited the tonnage for capital ships for the US Navy, the Royal Navy and the Japanese Navy, so did the London (Disarmament) Treaty of 1930 limit the …

weaponsandwarfare.com

 

[hesham]

From Putnam's book; Japanes Aircraft 1910-1945.