F JAPANESE ARMY AF BOMBER CREW MEMBERS, WW II (3 FIG.)

The Japanese Air Force of the Army Imperial Japanese Army Air Force - abbreviated IJAAF, jap. Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kokubutai) were formed as early as 1912, but their very intensive development took place mainly in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1940, and therefore already during the war with China, and just before the start of the Pacific War, IJAAF had approximately 30,000 staff members. By 1945, that number had risen to around 680,000 people! In 1940, the number of machines was around 1,600 aircraft, of which 1,400 were front-line machines. The basic types of machines used during World War II include Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighters, Kawasaki Ki-48 or Mitsubishi Ki-30 light and medium bombers, and Kawasaki Ki-56 transport machines. In 1938, the IJAAF underwent organizational changes and the Air Combat Group (Hiko Sentai) became the main organizational unit. ) consisting of 30 to 45 machines, usually divided into three divisions. It is worth noting that the IJAAF has many fighter aces, including pilots such as: Hiromichi Shinohara (58 kills - all during the war with China in 1939!), Satoru Anabuki (37 kills) or Isamu Holono (26 kills ).