Tachikawa Ki-100 To-Gō

[comrade harps]

Tachikawa Ki-100 To-Gō
Kiku Tokubetsu Kôgekitai (Chrysanthemum Special Attack Forces), Japanese Imperial Army Air Force
Annaka, Honshu, Japan
1 March, 1946



Tachikawa undertook licenced manufacture of Showa's Ki-61 from mid-1942, producing several versions on the Ha-40 powered aircraft. When Showa shifted production to the Ki-61-II, powered by the longer Ha-140, Tachikawa continued with its Ha-40 powered versions until the Ha-40 was withdrawn from production. With insufficient Ha-140s available to meet Tachikawa's demands, the firm adapted the Ki-61 to accept the Mitsubishi Kasei Ha-32 radial engine. This conversion was designated Ki-100 and proved reasonably successful, remaining in dispersed production until February 1946.




The To-Gō variant was a Special Attack (kamikaze) plane, produced from dispersed tunnel and outdoor sites from September, 1945. As the intended pilots were so poorly trained for their one-way mission that they had received no aerial gunnery instruction, the plane carried no gun or cannon armament, but could carry a bomb on the centreline and additional explosives in the rear fuselage. The bomb type seen here is an ANFO (fertilizer and diesel) type, identified by its yellow nose cap and light coloured body.



Like many Ki-100 To-Gō examples photographed, this aircraft was not numbered and wore a partially applied camouflage over its lacquer-protected metal finish. The canopy appeared to be damaged in the photo, probably from being exposed to the elements and to Allied bombing. However, it was clearly deemed to be sufficiently airworthy for its mission, as it is seen warming-up and taking-off with other Ki-100s for their one and only combat mission to engage the American invaders of Honshu. Some of the other Ki-100s also show signs of damage, corrosion and poor workmanship.



According to Japanese sources, the Ki-100s of Kiku Tokubetsu Kôgekitai were successful, with at least 6 of the unit's 47 Ki-100s that took-off on the morning of Y-Day finding targets. Two Ki-100s from Kiku Tokubetsu Kôgekita are believed to have struck the minesweeper USS Hopkins (DD-249), causing it to sink with the loss of 59 crew members dead. Just 2 minutes later, another Ki-100 hit the near-by destroyer USS Rowe (DD-564), resulting in 15 dead and many more casualties. Two LSTs, USS Middlesex County (LST-983) and USS Clarke County (LST-601) were struck next, resulting in a combined total of 115 dead: both ships were forced to withdraw from action for repairs. Another Ki-100 from the unit made a glancing blow on the light cruiser USS Vicksburg (CL-86), resulting in no significant casualties (other than the pilot).

Of the remainder of the Kiku Tokubetsu Kôgekitai's 47 Ki-100s flown on Y-Day, most were shot down by American fighters or anti-aircraft gunners. US Navy F4U-4 Corsair pilot, Ensign David Taylor, is credited with 3 Ki-100 kills on Y-Day, each of these likely to be from Kiku Tokubetsu Kôgekita. A few are also believed to have crashed due to pilot error or equipment malfunction.

[Captain Canada]

Nice one ! Love the camo pattern....

[Librarian]

Nice one ! Love the camo pattern....

Seconded. Very interesting scheme .

[dumaniac]

yes - nice camo

[NARSES2]

Oh I like that

[manytanks]

Nice!

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Interesting & great camo! 

[comrade harps]

Thanks for the congrats about the camo, but I must admit that I nicked the concept from here: http://imodeler.com/2012/12/kyushu-j7w3-shinden-japanese-jet-ace-1947/

The kit is the RS Regianne Re 2002 in 1:72nd scale, thus continuing my current WW2 Japanese obsession with foreign designs as Japanese types. I'm toying the the idea of the Ju-88 (and hence, -188 etc) being IJA types (not German at all). I've got a Ju-88 Mistel that's waiting for an upper component (and some propellers etc).