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by
Sakuari Takashi
Translated
from Japanese by Eugen Pinak (the only change is – author's notes are moved to
the end of the article).
Original
can be seen here:
https://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~s244f/hensei.htm
Basic combat unit of the IJA
Air Force was air group = hiko sentai [飛行戦隊]. Until February 1944 it was divided
into several (usually 3) squadrons = chutai [中隊] – the same name as infantry,
cavalry and artillery equivalents. From early 1944 squadrons were renamed air
units = hikotai [飛行隊]. For details see article below – Eugen Pinak.
=======================================
The
organization of air groups has changed over time, but in the case of the 244th
Air Group, the two examples shown here are representative.
244th Air Group Organization as of 1943
A
characteristic of this period (until the beginning of 1944) was that the
organization had a squadron structure and Air Group's own airfield battalion.
Each air
squadron commander, who was a flying officer, commanded and supervised both the
flying team (12 pilots with their aircraft) and the approximately 50-person
maintenance team, responsible for associated combat maintenance (Note 1).
The
airfield battalion was divided into a maintenance company and a security
company, and the maintenance company was primarily responsible for intermediate
maintenance (Note 2), which exceeded combat maintenance. The maintenance company
consisted of about 100 people, the security company of about 140 people, and the
total number of personnel in the Air Group was just under 500 people.
The
command platoon of the maintenance company had a lot of people and was in charge
of engine replacement, accident investigation, liaison and towing aircraft
maintenance, maintenance of foreign aircraft, etc.
244th Air Group Organization from January to March 1945
From the
beginning of 1945 until the end of the war organization was basically the same,
but from 1 October to 8 December 1944 4th Squadron existed, and the Shinten Air
Control Unit was existed from 7 November 1944 until 10 March 1945. Additionally,
from mid-December 1944 to mid-February 1945 most of the maintenance platoons'
personnel moved with the Air Group to Hamamatsu, and an independent maintenance
unit filled the gap in Chofu.
A
characteristic of this era was that airfield battalions were placed under the
direct control of air division commanders and separated from air groups, and
with the adoption of this air groups structure, squadrons/companies disappeared
from the organizational structure of air groups [and were replaced by air or
maintenance "units" – E.P.].
Maintenance unit was composed from the old maintenance company of the airfield
battalion and air squadrons' maintenance teams, while the airfield battalion
organized new maintenance squadron. The newly organized Independent Maintenance
Company (under the direct control of the division commander, abbreviated as
"Dokusei") also assisted and cooperated with the Air Group Maintenance Unit.
The
Maintenance Squadron Headquarters Platoon is an created within the Air Group
with the arrival of the new Air Group Commander Kobayashi, who will take the
lead in aerial command (Note 3), and is responsible for the maintenance of the
Shinten Air Control Unit's aircraft. It was newly formed separately from the
command platoon, and its 1st and 2nd squads were in charge of the headquarters
platoon and the Shinten Unit in turn.
In
addition, although the Shinten Air Control Unit [special unit to ram US B-29 bombers; not a kamikaze unit – E.P.] was
nominally under the command of the Air Group commander, operationally it was
under the direct command of the air division commander, and sortie orders were
issued by the division commander.
About the 244th Air Group name
Almost
all commercial aviation publications use descriptions such as "XX Squadron", but
this is incorrect, since the squadron does not exist as a units after the
formation of the Air Group. However, it is true that, as a matter of custom,
phrases such as "my squadron" continued to be used in conversations and private
correspondence.
There
were several variations in how each squadron was called at the time, but
"Tsubakuro-tai" and "Toppu-tai" (Note 4) were the official names (Note 5), that
also served as radio call names, and each corresponding maintenance platoon was
also designated by the same name. However, the call name "Takane" for the Air
Group Headquarters Flight seemed to be a little unfamiliar, and it was common to
call it "Headquarters Flight" or simply "Headquarters".
In
addition, when addressing mail or telegrams or explaining to local civilians,
the Air Group personnel named themselves like this "108th Eastern Unit (or
Kobayashi Unit) Takeda Unit Second Lieutenant XX". This was because, apart from
his command in the air, Captain Takeda, the senior squadron commander (Note 6),
was in a position to supervise all pilots on the ground. In the case of a
maintenance team, it would similarly be "Corporal XX, Mitani Team".
The
common unit code name was the "108th Eastern Unit" until April 1945, and since
then the "34213th Marshal Unit" (Note 7) which was unfamiliar to many members,
many of whom remained unaware of this name until their demobilization. When the
unit moved to Hamamatsu, it was known as the "18931st Central Unit", and when it
moved to Chiran, it was known as the "108th Western Unit".
===============
Regarding the assignment of the aircraft
At the
time when air groups were organized from the independent squadrons, planes were
close to the property of each squadron, and were usually not transferred to
other squadrons.
However,
after the squadron formation was implemented, all airplanes were placed under
the control of the maintenance squadron commander, and the maintenance squadron
commander had the authority to decide which squadrons would receive airplanes.
In order to balance the forces quickly, especially during periods of intense
fighting, aircraft were relocated fairly frequently.
The
so-called "squadron colors" had a strong meaning as a symbol of the squadron
during the period of air groups' formation and should have been strictly
reflected on aircraft, etc. However, after the implementation of air group
formation, "squadron colors" became not a unit symbol, but only a mark of
convenience, and it is thought that the need to stick to this custom has
diminished, although it continued to exist.
======================
Author's notes:
Note 1:
Combat maintenance is what we now call line maintenance. Daily maintenance,
inspections, trial runs, fuel and ammunition replenishment, etc.
Note 2:
Intermediate maintenance refers to work beyond periodical inspections and combat
maintenance, including disassembly and maintenance of the cylinder heads.
Further rear maintenance (overhaul, etc.) is in charge of the air arsenals.
Note 3:
His predecessor, Major Fujita, was too ill for combat flying, so there was no
Air Group Commander’s formation.
Note 4:
Initially, the 2nd Squadron was called "Sakimori-tai".
Note 5:
The same names apply to the "Asahi-tai" and "Fuji-tai" of the 47th Air Group and
the "Matsuura-tai" and "Kongou-tai" of the 53rd Air Group.
Note 6:
Normally, there were three squadron commanders in the Air Group, but the senior
among them was called the Senior Squadron Commander, who held the position next
to the Air Group Commander, acted as acting commander in case of his absence,
etc. Also, the squadron, led by the Senior Squadron Commander, was called the
"core squadron".
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