21 Mar 1942: One 98th Sentai Ki-21,1 part of a large flight to bomb Magwe,2 (Google Maps link) stalled and crashed during takeoff from Nakhon Sawan3 (Google Maps link). The seven crewmembers were listed as having been injured. There was no enemy involvement in the crash.
Map:4
References:
- Senshi Sosho 34:5
Not mentioned on p 699.
- Umemoto:6
p 459, line 11
| Item | Japanese | English7 |
| Date | 3月21日 | 21 Mar 1942 |
| Unit | 98 | 98th Sentai |
| Aircraft lost | 九七重 | Mitsubishi Ki-21 |
| Pilot | 渥美光少佐 | Major Atsumi Mitsu |
| Location | ナコンサワン飛行場 | Nakhon Sawan airfield |
| Shooter | 離陸事故 | Takeoff accident |
| Details | 失速墜落・
炎上・7名負傷 |
Stall crash, fire, 7 injured |
- Shores, et al:8
p 347: Table 13: JAAF Order of Battle, Burma Theatre of Operations 20 March 1942:
. . . Bombers / Reconnaissance
. . . 98th Sentai Nakorn Sawan 35 Ki 21s
p 352
Saturday, 21 March [1942]
. . . the Japanese . . . launched a devastating counter-attack. . . . the 12th Flying Battalion . . . had been despatched ahead of the main formation, the pilots briefed to patrol over Magwe. They were followed by 25 Ki 21s of the 98th Sentai [and others]. . . . One 98th Sentai Ki 21 had crashed on take-off.
- Ford:9,
pp 233-235:
On March 20, when General Obata drew up his Central Burma Attack Mission, he had a magnificent air force to carry it out . . . . on Saturday, March 21, [t]he 98th Sentai ws the first to set out, since its Sallys had to cover a 500-mile dogleg from Nakhon Sawan to Chiang Mai to Magwe. Soon after takeoff, the lead bomber fell out of the formation and crashed. Among the dead was Lieutenant Colonel Osaka Junji, the second group commander lost by the 98th in its campaign against the Allied air force in Burma. . . .
- Photo: Ki-21 (offsite link) Credit: Akemi shashinkan at Chitose-cho Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.[↩]
- N20°09.15 E94°58.01[↩]
- N15°40.35 E100°08.16[↩]
- Extract from Google Earth view annotated by author with Microsoft Publisher; my ref: \02500 Tango\_Crash sites N TH for Tango\DETAIL SHEETS\J420321 Nakhon Sawan [J09]\Map.jpg[↩]
- 戦史叢書, 南方進攻陸軍航空作戦, Vol 34
(東京: 防衛庁防衛研修所戦史室 (編集), 1970年)
Senshi Sosho, Southern Army Air Operations, vol 34
(Tokyo: Asagumo Shimbunsha, 1970) [↩] - 梅本弘,ビルマ航空戦・上 (東京:大日本印刷株, 2002) [Umemoto, Hiroshi, Air War in Burma, vol 1 (Tokyo: Dai Nippon, 2002)] [↩]
- Google translation (typical) [↩]
- Shores, et al, Bloody Shambles, Vol 2 (London: Grub Street, 1993) [↩]
- Ford, Daniel, Flying Tigers (Washington: Smithsonian, 2007) [↩]