Ukulwa nokusetshenziswa kwe-Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki, ingxenye yesi-2
I-Ki-44-II hei (2068) ithathwe abantu baseMelika e-Philippines futhi yahlolwa yi-TAIU-SWPA njenge-S11. Ku-Allied Codex, i-Ki-44 yayibizwa ngokuthi uTojo noJohn; kamuva yashiywa.
Ama-Ki-44 "Shoki" fighters avela ngaphambili ekuqaleni kuka-December 1941, kodwa aqala ukuhlomisa amayunithi ezempi ngamanani amakhulu kuphela ngo-1943. Ekuqaleni, iShayina neManchuria kwakuyizindawo zabo zokulwa eziyinhloko. Ekupheleni kuka-1944, i-Ki-44 yaba nengxenye ekuvikeleni iPhilippines, futhi ekuqaleni kuka-1945, ekuvikeleni izikhungo zikawoyela eSumatra. Ezinyangeni zokugcina zempi, umsebenzi oyinhloko wamayunithi e-Ki-44 kwakuwukuvikela iziqhingi zabo zomdabu zaseJapane ekuhlaseleni kwezindiza ezivela kumabhomu aseMelika e-B-29.
E-mpumalanga ye-Asia
Iyunithi yokuqala yokulwa ye-Imperial Army ukuthola i-Ki-44 kwakuyi-47th Dokuritsu Chutai (ibutho elihlukile), elakhiwa eTachikawa ngoNovemba 1941 ngaphansi komyalo kaShosa (Major) Toshio Sakagawa (kamuva i-ace eyawina cishe ukunqoba kwe-15) . ku-akhawunti yakhe). Eyaziwa ngokungekho emthethweni njenge-Shinsengumi (igama leyunithi ye-Edo ye-samurai eyakhiwe ukuze ivikele i-Kyoto) noma i-Kawasemi-tai ("Iqembu le-Kingfisher"), inhloso enkulu yeqembu kwakuwukuhlola i-fighter entsha ezimweni zokulwa futhi ithole ulwazi nge ukusetshenziswa kwayo. Iqembu lithole ama-prototypes ayisishiyagalolunye we-Ki-44, futhi abasebenzi balo bahlanganisa abashayeli bezindiza abanolwazi abathunywe u-Hiko Jikkenbu kanye namayunithi okulwa. Ihlukaniswe yaba izingxenye ezintathu (hentai), ngayinye inezindiza ezintathu.
Esinye sezibonelo ezengeziwe ze-Ki-44 (4408) ze-47th Dokuritsu Chūtai e-Saigon Airport e-Indochina, ngo-December 1941. Indiza yayindiza u-Taii (uCaptain) Yasuhiko Kuroe, umkhuzi we-3rd Hentai.
Ngo-December 9, 1941, ngemva kosuku iJapane iqale ukulwa eMpumalanga Ekude (ohlangothini olusentshonalanga lwe-International Date Line, impi yaqala ngoMsombuluko, 8 December), ibutho lamasosha lafika eSaigon, lapho lalingaphansi ngokuqondile kwe umyalo we-3rd Hikoshidan (isigaba sezindiza). Endizeni esuka eTachikawa iya eSaigon, yehlela e-Guangzhou, ama-Ki-44 fighters aphelezelwa amabhomu amabili kanye nendiza yokuthutha ethwele ukulungiswa kanye nemishini ebalulekile yaphansi.
Ingxenye enkulu kaDisemba, abashayeli bezindiza be-47th Chutai Regiment bazulazula endaweni ezungeze iSaigon. Kwaze kwaba umhla zingama-24 kuZibandlela lapho ithimba lamasosha ayalwa ukuba lidlulisele esikhumulweni sezindiza iDon Muang eduze kwaseBangkok, eThailand, ukuze libambe iqhaza ekugaseleni okukhulu kwenhloko-dolobha yaseBurma iYangon ngakusasa. Phakathi nendiza, ngenxa yezinkinga zobuchwepheshe, ama-Ki-44 amathathu (kuhlanganise no-Major Sakagawa) enze isimo esiphuthumayo. Ngenxa yalokho, ngoDisemba 25, ama-Ki-44 awazange ahlanganyele ekuhlaseleni, ahlala endaweni yaseDon Muang uma kwenzeka indiza yezindiza ihlaselwa yizindiza zesitha. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalesi senzo esingaphumeleli, i-47 Chutai yabuyela eSaigon.
Ukuhlangana kokuqala kweKi-44 nesitha kwenzeka ngoJanuwari 15, 1942 phakathi nendiza yokuqala ye-47th Chutai Regiment phezu kweSingapore. Ngalesi sikhathi, iqembu lathunyelwa eKuantan eMalaya, eduze nendawo yokulwa. Ngomhla ziyi-15 kuMasingana, okungenani amaKi-44 amabili ashayisana neBuffalo eyodwa engu-488. No. 47 Squadron, iRoyal New Zealand Air Force. Ngemva kokuqhuma kwamabhomu isikhashana, i-Allied fighter yawela phansi. Lokhu bekuwukunqoba kokuqala kwendiza okubizwa nge-Chutai yesi-XNUMX.
I-Ki-44s yahlala e-Kuantan kwaze kwaba nguFebhuwari, ibamba iqhaza kwezinye izindlela ezimbalwa, kokubili ekugadweni kwamahhala kwe-fighter kanye namabhomu kanye nesembozo sezinkampani zamasosha. NgoJanuwari 18, ngesikhathi kuphelezelwa amabhomu e-Ki-21 e-12th Sentai (Air Group) ehlasela iSingapore, abashayeli bezindiza be-47th Chutai Regiment babike ukuthi enye inyathi idutshulwe phansi. Ngokulandelayo, ngoJanuwari 26 phezu kwe-Endau, ngenkathi kuhoxiswa ukuhlasela kwamabhomu aseBrithani uVickers Vildebeest noFairey Albacore, abashayeli bezindiza ababili beqembu babika indiza eyodwa eyehlisiwe. Umshayeli wama-47 we-Chutai osebenza kahle kakhulu kwakungu-Tayi (Ukaputeni) u-Yasuhiko Kuroe obike ukuthi udubule izindiza eziyisitha ezintathu ekupheleni kwempi e-Malaya.
NgoJanuwari/Februwari 1942, amandla eqembu ancishiswa aba ngamaKi-44 amathathu kuphela asebenzayo, ngakho-ke amayunithi anikezela okwesikhashana ama-Ki-27 amadala, futhi ingxenye yabasebenzi yathunyelwa eJapane ukuze kudluliselwe okuphuthumayo kwe-Ki-44-I eminingana. indiza. Maphakathi noFebhuwari, iqiniswe ngemishini emisha, i-47th Chuthai Regiment yadluliselwa eMoulmein eBurma futhi yafakwa ngaphansi komyalo we-5th Hikosidan Regiment. Abashayeli bezindiza be-Ki-44 babambe iqhaza emikhakheni eminingi, kuhlanganise nokuhlasela enkundleni yezindiza yaseMingaladon ngoFebhuwari 25, bememezela ukudutshulwa kwezindiza ezimbili eziyizitha kule mpi. Lokhu bekuwukuhlangana kokuqala maphakathi nomoya phakathi kwe-Ki-44 ne-Curtiss P-40 evela ku-American Volunteer Group (AVG). Kule mpi, omunye wabashayeli bezindiza be-Ki-44 walimala. Ngakusasa, ukuhlasela kweMingaladon kwaphindwa.
Ngomhla zizi-4 kuNdasa abashayeli bezindiza bomhla zingama-47 ku-Chutai badubula uNombolo 45 phezu kwe-Sittang Blenheim 21 Squadron RAF. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, ingxenye yadluliselwa eKhleg (Pegu). Ngomhla zingama-47 kuNdasa, iqembu labhekana nokulahlekelwa okokuqala nokuwukuphela kwempi kulesi sigaba sempi lapho u-Chui (q.v.) u-Sunji Sugiyama ehluleka ukubuya endizeni yokuhlola emini phezu kwe-Taungoo. Imfucumfucu yendiza yakhe, nomshayeli eshonile esendlini yabashayeli, yatholakala kamuva ngaseBasin. Ekuqaleni kuka-Ephreli, i-Chutai yama-25 yadluliselwa kafushane eTaungoo. Ngo-April 1942, ngemva kwesonto i-Doolittle ihlasela eJapane, ibutho lamasosha labuyiselwa eJapane ngokushesha. Lolu phiko lwabelwa eChofu eduze kwaseTokyo, lapho lwahlala khona kwaze kwaba uSepthemba XNUMX.
Ama-Ki-44 aphinde avela eBurma kuphela ekwindla ka-1943. Ngo-Okthoba 10, izimoto ezine zalolu hlobo zaya ku-64th Sentai Regiment emi eMingaladon, ehlome nge-Ki-43s. Ukufika kwabo eBurma cishe kwakungenxa yokuhlasela kwezindiza kwe-Allied Airlines eRangoon nasezikhumulweni zezindiza zayo. Ama-Ki-43 fighters asetshenziswa yisizinda seSentai eBurma awakwazanga ukulwa namabhomu anamandla.
Ngomhla zingama-27 kuNovemba amabhomu e-American B-24 Liberator aphuma ku-7th kanye ne-308th Bombardment Groups kanye ne-B-25 Mitchells evela ku-490th Bomber Squadron esuka ku-341st BG, ephelezelwa i-P-38 Lightnings esuka ku-459th Fighter Squadron kanye ne-P-51th evela ku-A530 Musta Ithimba leqembu le-311th Fighter Group landizela e-Rangoon nomsebenzi wokuhlasela umgwaqo wesitimela wendawo kanye nezitolo zokulungisa. Ukuvinjwa kohambo lwaseMelika kwandiza, okuhlanganisa nezilwi eziyisishiyagalombili ze-Ki-43 kanye ne-Ki-44 eyodwa evela ku-3rd Chuchai ye-64th Sentai, kanye ne-twin-injini i-Ki-45 kai evela ku-21st Sentai. Ngemva kwempi eshubile, abashayeli bezindiza baseJapane babike ukuthi behlise ama-B-24 amathathu, ama-P-38 amabili, nama-P-51 amane. Ukulahlekelwa okwakho kwakunqunyelwe ku-Ki-43 eyodwa (enye yonakaliswe kabi), i-Ki-44 eyodwa (umshayeli wayo wabulawa) kanye ne-Ki-45 kai okungenani eyodwa.
Isithombe sengozi yemoto i-Ki-44-II idutshulwe phezu kweBurma nocezu lophawu olubonakala emzimbeni olukhomba ukuthi imoto ngeye-50th Sentai iyaziwa. Kwaziwa kuphela ukuthi lolu phiko - ngaleso sikhathi olwalumi eBurma futhi luhlome ngama-Ki-43 fighters - lwathola ama-Ki-10 amane ngo-Okthoba 1943, 44. Nokho, alukho ulwazi oluningiliziwe mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwazo. Ngokunokwenzeka, i-Ki-44s yahlala ne-Sentai yama-50 kuphela kwaze kwaba sentwasahlobo ka-1944 (efana ne-Sentai yama-64), ibamba iqhaza emisebenzini yokulwa nezindiza zokuthutha zase-US ezindiza phezu kwe-Himalayas. Phakathi nesinye salezi zenzo ngoJanuwari 18, 1944, abashayeli bezindiza bakaCurtiss P-40N abavela ku-89th Squadron / 80th FG babike, ikakhulukazi, ukulimala kweKi-44 eyodwa.
