In 1939, the Naval Aviation Headquarters conceived an idea of trial manufacturing a floatplane fighter, a new type beyond all precedents on the planet. On the assumption of landing and invading the Southern areas, japan Navy intended in those times to station float planes in waterways and bays near the landing places until the conclusion of land atmosphere bases for the true purpose of defending those under construction and occupied territories. Since the floatplanes may need to fight with enemy fighters floating around, they certainly were needed to be pure fighters comparing favourably with enemy fighters in performance. The Navy firmly believed that adequately armed floatplanes could fight on equal terms with fighters considering that Type 95 Scout Seaplanes shot down Chinese fighters as successfully as did land based fighters during the very early phase of the sino-Japanese incident. In 1940, the Naval Aviation Headquarters chose to test manufacture floatplane fighters and ordered Kawanishi Aircraft, that was well experienced in production floatplanes, to trial make them underneath the name of 15- Shi Floatplane fighter (later called Floatplane Fighter "Kyofu"). In the meantime, relations because of the United Sates, Britain, etc. were gradually deteriorated as well as the chance of rushing into war with them became larger everyday. Considering that war with all the United States and Britain will be unavoidable, the Department of Operations of military mapped down an agenda of campaign and asked for the Aviation Headquarters to immediately develop and finish floatplane fighters which, in case there is incading the Southern areas, had been to take cost of air defence for advanced level bases under construction and also at the same time demanded that temporary floatplane fighters ought to be made available in addition to the 15-Shi Floatplane Fighter that was then under purchase and had been expected to be sent to fighting units as late as 1943 (three years from then). The Naval Aviation Headquarters proposed remodelling the Type O Ship-Based Fighter Model 11 of Mitsubishi Aircraft, which exercised its power in Chinese Continent and had been named an excellent airplane, into floatplane fighter. This proposition ended up being officially accepted at the beginning of 1941. The remodelling would be to be carried out by Nakajima Aircraft that was also in charge of the mass manufacturing regarding the Zero Fighter. Like Kawanishi Aircraft, Nakajima was well skilled in make of floatplanes. Nakajima developers including Shinobu Mitsutake, head of Designing Department, had currently created the Type 90 and 95 scout Seaplanes of single-float type, the superiority of both having been fully recognized. Nakajima involved into the remodelling just work at Koizumi Plant all the time under the leadership of Shinobu Mitsutake, then main engineer, and young developers including Atsushi Tajima. The remodelled version had been tentatively called No.1 Suisen (A6M2-N). The remodelling work had to be made immediately, and three utilized Zero Fighters Modell 11 had been used and remodelled to the very first experimental planes.
The design of main float was accepted after model tests duplicated at the Naval Air Technical Institute. No more than twelve months after the start of the plan, the very first journey had been effectively made at an aquatic base in Kasumigaura on 8th December 1941, i.e. ab muscles time if the Pacific War started. After utility tests had been duplicated by seaplane units of Yokosuka and Oppama, the remodelled airplane had been officially accepted for mass manufacturing in name of Type 2 Floatplane Fighter on 6th July, 1942. It was somewhat lowered in performance as compared aided by the original Zero Fighter Model 11, e.g. the maximum speed was reduced from 534 km/h to 436 km/h and cruising consist of 2,220 km (whenever holding no auxiliary fuel tanks) to 1,778 kilometer. This is because the big float increased airplane weight and atmosphere resistance. They Type 2 Floatplane Fighter nevertheless inherited excellent manoeuvrability from the Zero Fighter and had good taking off and landing ability and ocean kindliness. The kind 2 Floatplane Fighter ended up being a well-timed superior airplane to be utilized the purposed of defending isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean and air bases under construction until the conclusion associated with 15-Shi Floatplane Fighter which was then being manufactured by Kawanishi. Powerfully armed with two 20 mm and two 7.7 mm device firearms, the Navy's expected new kind 2 Floatplane Fighter had become sent to remote islands into the South Seas and small islands into the north Seas in mid 1942 once the Japanese were still making brilliant drives in the enemy. In spiete associated with the handicap proper to a floatplane, it fought desperately with large bombers and fighters for the Allied Forces and rendered distinguished solution. Perhaps the Us americans praised the Floatplane Fighter because of its high end on a level with the Zero Fighter. Within last stage regarding the war, the majority of floatplane fighter units in the front side destroyed their planes and pilots, meeting with a glorious end.
Battles over the Solomon Islands
The Allies inititated a counterattack from the Japanese in a battle for Guadalcanal Island found at southeast end associated with the Solomon Islands inside Southern Seas. It was clear that, if the Japanese had occupied Guadalcanal, an crucial point regarding the communication line involving the usa and Australia, and completed air bases here, the Allies could have lost the command for the air from brand new Guinea to Australia and been brought into a critical situation. The Japanese Navy ended up being constructing Lunga Field (the Us americans called it Henderson Field) in Guadalcanal about 1,000km southeast of Rabaul, the important thing Japanese base for invading Australia, and Buin Field in Bougainville lying halfway between them. The atmosphere defense of Lunga Field, the Navy constructed an aquatic base at Tulagi of Florida Island near Lunga Field plus in mid June of 1942 stationed there an integral part of the 4th Air Fleet equipped with twelve Type 2 Floatplane Fighters and some Type O Observation Seaplanes and Type O Three Seater Scout Seaplanes. (The 4th Air Fleet ended up being the initial unit to utilize the kind 2 Floatplane Fighter). On 7th August when the airfields had been nearly completed, the Us americans attacked Guadalcanal and Tulagi of Florida and occupied them in two times. The twelve Type 2 Floatplane Fighters for the 4th Air Fleet which fought to repulse the enemy attack carried a No.3 bomb under each main wing. (The No.3 bomb is a time bomb containing tiny balls of yellowish phosphor. If dropped from above an enemy airplane development, it'll explode in the air and scatter the balls to shoot down numerous planes at any given time. The weight is 30 kg). They kind 2 Floatplane Fighters dropped No.3 bombs against enemy planes flying in development and utilized 20 mm and 7.7 mm machine firearms against those traveling separetely or scatteringly, inflicting great losings regarding the Allies. The detachment associated with the 4th Air Fleet, but lost all it guys and ended up being annihilated during the combat of 7th August. Japan straight away sent army troops from Rabaul to Guadalcanal with a view to recapturing Guadalcanal. Navy planes escorted them and bombed airfields under enemy occupation. Because the distance from Rabaul to Guadalcanal ended up being the restriction associated with the Zero Fighter's cruising range, but the Zero Fighter couldn't make adequate assault or escort. Thus the Navy constructed an aquatic base in shortland Island lying 470 km southeast of Rabaul and arranged the 11th Air Flotilla comprising planes of seven seaplane tenders like the Kamikawa Maru (19 kind 2 Floatplane Fighters, 54 Type O Observation Seaplanes and 13 kind O Scout seaplanes). Making Use Of the wonderful shoal of Shortland as a runway, these planes became popular to attack Allied planes from airfields that have been completed after being captured by the Americans and to escort the military reinforcements going to Guadalcanal in place of land based planes of Rabaul. From 4th september to 9th November of 1942, they repeated fierce atmosphere battles every single day with bombers and fighters like the Grumman F4F over Kolombangara and Shortland Islands. By 7th November, they encountered a lot more than 150 enemy planes and verified 17 shot down. On tenth October, Master Sergeants Kawai and Maruyama, each piloting a kind 2 Floatplane Fighter, involved with 20 Grumman F4F's and were killed, nonetheless they fought desperately and shot down four, certainly one of which by body cras. This particular fact eloquently speaks the skill and morale of Floatplane Fighter pilots. The Type 2 Floatplane Fighter was also widely used in bombing of Guadalcanal, reconnaissance, etc. through the use of Lekata, Santa Isabel Island as an intermediate base.
