Nakajima Tsunami

[comrade harps]

Nakajima Tsunami
Watatsumi Tokubetsu Kôgekitai (Water God Special Attack Forces), Japanese Imperial Navy
Akai, Honshu, Japan
1 March, 1946



Nakajima's Tsunami is often seen as the "Japanese Mistel". However, there are crucial differences between the Mistel and the Tsunami, starting with their mission. Whereas the Mistel's component aircraft were intended for separation to allow the pilot to return to base in the upper component fighter, the two planes that made up Tsunami remained together until the end; they could not part. Unlike the Mistel, the Tsunami was a suicide attack plane.




Various combinations of upper and lower component were proposed, but only two were produced. The most numerous combined Nakajima's Ki-49 Hilda bomber (mounting a large, hollow-charge warhead in the nose) with the same company's Ki-115 Tsurugi (Sabre), a plane designed specifically for the kamikaze mission. Various models of the new-built Ki-115 were used (depending largely on the availability of reconditioned engines) and both new and modified Ki-49s of various versions were used, resulting in a wide variety of models. The lower component in this instance appears to be based on a a Ki-49-II-Kai.




When the Allies invaded Honshu on 1 March, 1946, the IJA and IJN togather had 183 Tsunamis ready for action. Some crashed due to malfunction or pilot error, most were shot down by fighters or flack, but a few made it through to the Allied ships off Honshu, where they caused considerable damaged. The US Navy attributed 5 sinkings to the Tsunami (plus 3 more shared with other planes) and another 15 vessels damaged, with over 670 personnel killed. The US Army records that 4 Tsunamis impacted on the beachhead at Kujūkuri Beach, but amid the carnage being meted out on Y-Day they have been unable to provide a definite casualty count.

[crudebuteffective]

I like this the idea and the build     


There isn't enough japan 1946 stuff done as opposed to the luft 46


CBE

[Librarian]

Very nice. Mistels are a particular fascination for me and this colour scheme really works. I do so wish the USN had accepted the bubble-topped big engined Corsairs as this combination would have been fair game .

[NARSES2]

That is a really nice build. I wonder if in a latter variation the Ki 115 could detach it'self so as to attack a second target ?

[comrade harps]

I wonder if in a latter variation the Ki 115 could detach it'self so as to attack a second target ?

I thought of that, but figured that it might be bit advanced for their mostly inexperienced aircrew and a tad too much engineering for the time. I wanted to keep it simple and crude and give the pilot no means of escape (although cockpit here is open, remember that kamikaze pilots are said to have been often tied to their seat).

[NARSES2]

Yup good logic Comrade  Keep it simple as they say

[Army of One]

What a great build......very believable as well.....

[japsubshunter]

Nice topic, pity the images are unavailable. Am on Photobucket but somehow your images are not being made visible. I then visited your photobucket page, browsed through all your amazing builds , liked mainly the Japanese WWII Series. But still this particular build is not even visible anywhere in your photobucket albums ? Have you removed the images ?

Would it be possible to e-mail me the pics ? [klimeid@telkomsa.net] It would truly be well appreciated if possible.
Thanks Herman Moore
Cape Town
South Africa