Pelzig
ACCESS: Secret
- Joined
- 23 October 2008
- Messages
- 448
- Reaction score
- 77
To the assembled:
There are two camps concerning exactly how many of the Te-Go prototype liaison aircraft were built. One camp says a single example was built, the other camp says two. The sources which say there were two, state that the second was lost during a bombing raid.
The first prototype was completed in 1942 (and yes, it was pretty much the Japanese version of the Storch, even closer than the Kokusei Ki-76). It was flown a few times and was then wrecked in a landing and the Army payed no further attention to it.
Thus, if we want to examine if there were, indeed, two, one has to conclude that the second one was being built alongside the other, to be completed later. It wouldn't make sense that the second prototype would appear any later.
Thus, here is the bit of mystery. Since we do not know exactly when the first Te-Go was finished in 1942, this leaves a possible window of time in which, yes, the second prototype could have been destroyed in a bombing raid. The raiders, of course, would be those B-25 bombers led by Doolittle.
One aircraft was assigned to strike Kobe. This was plane 2267 commanded by Lt. Smith. The aircraft dropped four incendiary munitions. One hit Uyenoshita Steel Works, the second on the Kawasaki Dock Yard, and the fourth on the Kawasaki Aircraft Factory. This leaves the third bomb, and hence, the mystery, since in the initial after action report, the third munition hit "in the area of small factories, machine shops and residences."
The path of plane 2267 is known. It is possible that the third munition did hit the Kobe Seiko steel work. The question is, would anyone happen to know where Kobe Seiko Steel was located in 1942? Today, only their head office is in Kobe will all other factories and plants being outside of Kobe.
Thoughts?
Cheers!
There are two camps concerning exactly how many of the Te-Go prototype liaison aircraft were built. One camp says a single example was built, the other camp says two. The sources which say there were two, state that the second was lost during a bombing raid.
The first prototype was completed in 1942 (and yes, it was pretty much the Japanese version of the Storch, even closer than the Kokusei Ki-76). It was flown a few times and was then wrecked in a landing and the Army payed no further attention to it.
Thus, if we want to examine if there were, indeed, two, one has to conclude that the second one was being built alongside the other, to be completed later. It wouldn't make sense that the second prototype would appear any later.
Thus, here is the bit of mystery. Since we do not know exactly when the first Te-Go was finished in 1942, this leaves a possible window of time in which, yes, the second prototype could have been destroyed in a bombing raid. The raiders, of course, would be those B-25 bombers led by Doolittle.
One aircraft was assigned to strike Kobe. This was plane 2267 commanded by Lt. Smith. The aircraft dropped four incendiary munitions. One hit Uyenoshita Steel Works, the second on the Kawasaki Dock Yard, and the fourth on the Kawasaki Aircraft Factory. This leaves the third bomb, and hence, the mystery, since in the initial after action report, the third munition hit "in the area of small factories, machine shops and residences."
The path of plane 2267 is known. It is possible that the third munition did hit the Kobe Seiko steel work. The question is, would anyone happen to know where Kobe Seiko Steel was located in 1942? Today, only their head office is in Kobe will all other factories and plants being outside of Kobe.
Thoughts?
Cheers!
