HDC trilogy Pt.2: Nippon Hikoki Bo-hiya "Elton"

[comrade harps]

Nippon Hikoki Bo-hiya Elton
Unit unknown,
"near Matsuda", Honshu, Japan
early May 1946



The Nippon Hikoki Bo-hiya (fire arrow) was developed to meet a requirement from Japan's Home Defence Command for a disposal, high speed taiatari (aerial ramming) fighter. Using the same rocket motor as the Kyushu Ya (arrow), Nippon developed the Bo-hiya as a vertically-launched, rocket-armed interceptor. In the case of no ramming being undertaken, the pilot could initiate a recovery sequence that jettisoned the nose and enabled both the pilot and rear fuselage to (separately) parachute to the ground. This "missile with a man it" was also used as "human artillery" for surface-to-surface kamikaze attacks following the Y-Day invasion Allied of Honshu. It's Allied code-named was Elton.




Built in dispersed and underground factories, about 530 of this simple but high-performance plane were produced between April 1945 and VJ-Day, May 1946. The type suffered many failures on take-off, as rockets misfired, the canopy opened or the autopilot malfunctioned. Pilot disorientation was another major factor in mission failures. Mostly used against twin- and four-engined bombers, they accounted for over 120 Allied planes and caused hundreds of Allied casualties in the weeks following the Honshu invasion.




This example was photographed, on a cradle with propulsion ready but unarmed, by US Army technical personnel about a week before the Japanese surrender.

[NARSES2]

Another one that looks more at home in Japanese rather then German colours  You are on a role sir

Never thought of the idea of "human artillery" before but it suits the mentality of the time. I wonder what the defence would have been ?

I'm just so glad that any histories of an Allied invasion of Japan are just fiction. Dad would been out there in the RN (he was in the BPF) and my uncle would have possibly been in the infantry out there as he served in the army of occupation so his battalion was presumably tasked for duties out East ?