Ki-46 Dinah with cluster bombs TYPE 2 "TA-DAN" and droptanks.
For the very longest missions, a 101 gallon drop tank could be carried underneath the fuselage.
Quote:
| When ALLIED forces captured the airfields in the MANILA area of LUZON, examples of at least three different models of the Mitsubishi Type 100 Headquarters Reconnaissance Aircraft (Ki-46, "Dinah") were found strewn about the bases. The vast majority of these Ki-46, Models II and III, "Dinah's," were configured for the reconnaissance role. However, "TA-DAN" cluster-bomb containers were also found and several of the Ki-46 II and III had been modified with wing racks to carry these containers. At least one cannon-armed Type 100 Model III-Otsu was also found in a NICHOLS Airfield hanger! The unit markings on the tail were those of No.106 Hiko Sentai. |
Imperial JAPANESE Army Air Force Air-To-Air Weapons, Tactics, & UnitsIntroductionFollowing the DOOLITTLE Raid in April 1942, the JAPANESE military high command was faced with the realization that the Homeland was vulnerable to Allied Air Forces bombing attacks. Preparations began for further research and development of air-to-air weapons and tactics that included air-to-air bombing, as well as the formation of additional Homeland air defense units.
I. Weapons and Tactics*
Air-to-Air Bombing
General:
Much attention was directed toward air-to-air technique, including free falling bombs, cable bombs, and parachute bombs; These very extensive developments were, however, limited in operational use by the poor high-altitude performance of Japanese aircraft.
Theory of free air-to-air bombing:
Research in 1941 by General [正木 博] Masaki [Hiroshi, Major-General, Head of 3rd Aeronautical Technical Research Institute] resulted in the following sound conclusions:
(1) Only the parallel-course approach would be effective when attacking single aircraft, or small units.
(2) Frontal attacks must be limited in use to large formations.
(3) Oblique attacks would be relatively inaccurate.
(4) The choice of time or impact fuze would depend primarily on:
(a) Probable error in time of the time fuze; (b) Effective, radius of bomb burst.
Ordinary demolition bombs with time fuse:
In 1942 and 1943 the time fuzed demolition bomb was used experimentally. This was employed in a manner similar to the basic Luftwaffe operational technique; whereby the fighter flew a parallel course, and released the single bomb from a height corresponding to the time fuze setting.
Multiple scattering bombs:
The first Army developments in multiple air-to-air missiles were the scattering "baby bombs" which were produced experimentally in 1941 and 1942. The To-3 was primarily for aerial targets, but the principal purpose of other small grenade like objects was to destroy parked aircraft in attacks upon airfields. These could be scattered in clusters of 30 to 40, or individually released in train from auxiliary bomb racks carried under the wings. The To-3 clustered together nose-to-tail in such manner that the arming vane could revolve only after break-up of the cluster.
Evolving from the scattering bomb, the Ta bomb [Type 2 Ta-Dan] was developed for use against aerial targets. The Ta-Dan was a 40 millimeter hollow charge streamlined bomb weighing one-third of a kilogram (0.74 pound).
TYPE 2, 0.33 KG., AIR-TO-AIR BOMB, "TA-DAN," SPECIFICATIONSType: Type 2 1/3-kg. "Ta-Dan" Cluster Bomb
Fuzes: B-5 (a).
Over-all length: 10 ¼ inches.
Length of body: 4 ¼ inches.
Diameter of body: 1 9/16 inches.
Thickness of wall: 1/32 inch.
Material of wall: Steel.
Type of suspension: Carried in clusters of 30 or 76 in a container.
Suspension lug: None.
Color and markings: Body is black with yellow band around center. The tail extension and tail are grey.
Length of tail: 6 inches.
Width of tail: 1 3/4 inches.
Width of tail fins: 7/8 inch.
Dimensions of tail struts: Diameter, 1 3/4 inches; width, 1 ½ inches; thickness, 1/16 inch.
Material of tail: Aluminum.
Type of filling: TNT, 60 percent; RDX, 40 percent.
Weight of filling: 4 ounces.
Total weight of bomb: 11 ounces.
Charge/weight ratio: 37 percent.These missiles were released, over bombers, in clusters of 30 or 76 (30 and 50 kilogram [66 and 110 pounds] cluster weight). Japanese Army reports indicate that these bombs brought down several U. S. [Army Air Forces] heavy bombers in the South Pacific, being especially effective against large close formations.
TYPE 2 "TA-DAN" 30-Bomb Container UnitA thirty-bomb container was designed to be fitted to standard IJAAF aircraft, such as the Nakajima Type 1 (Hayabusa, Ki-43 "Oscar), Type 2 (Shoki, Ki-44 "Tojo"), and Type 4 (Hayate, Ki-84 "Frank") Army fighters. The twin-engine, Mitsubishi Type 100 Headquarters Reconnaissance aircraft, with high-altitude capability, was modified to carry two cluster-bomb containers mounted inboard of the engines.
TYPE 2 "TA-DAN" 30-BOMB CONTAINER SPECIFICATIONSFuzes: None.
Over-all length: 43 inches.
Length of body: 37 inches (including nose piece).
Diameter of body: Maximum, 7 1/8 inches; Minimum, 4 11/16 inches.
Thickness of wall: 1/16 inch.
Material of wall: Corrugated sheet steel.
Type of suspension: Horizontal.
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug.
Color and markings: Black over all.
Length of tail: 6 inches.
Width of tail: 7 1/8 inches.
Width of tail fins: None.
Dimensions of tail struts: None.
Material of tail: Sheet steel.
Type of filling: 30 Type 2, 40-mm 1/3-kg. bombs.
Weight of filling: 22 pounds.
Total weight of bomb: 39 pounds.
Charge/weight ratio: 56 percent.Success with the use of the thirty-bomb cluster led to the development of a larger container with a capacity of 76 TA-DAN in four clusters of nineteen bombs.
TYPE 2 "TA-DAN" 76-Bomb Container Unit
TYPE 2 "TA-DAN" 76-BOMB CONTAINER SPECIFICATIONSFuzes: None.
Over-all length: 42 ½ inches.
Length of body: 42 ½ inches.
Diameter of body: 8 inches.
Thickness of wall: 1/16 inch.
Material of wall: Corrugated sheet steel.
Type of suspension: Horizontal.
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug.
Color and markings: Black over-all.
Length of tail: None.
Width of tail: None.
Width of tail fins: None.
Dimensions of tail struts: None.
Material of tail: None.
Type of filling: 76 type 2, 40-mm 1/3-kg. bombs.
Weight of filling: 56 pounds (approximate).
Total weight of bomb: 77 pounds.
Charge/weight ratio: 72 percent.IJAAF AIR-TO-AIR BOMBING TACTICS
From a theoretical standpoint the tail attack should prove most effective in employing the Ta-Dan. However, fighters were reluctant to approach too close, to the tail defenses without a 1,000 meter (3281 ft.) advantage in altitude, and such a procedure without a special sight would be futile. The Ta-Dan was therefore first used operationally in 1943, with a frontal diving attack employed in view of the lessened danger to the attacking fighter.
The frontal diving attack procedure is illustrated below (Figure X-I). The success of this technique was based on a set of tables; pre-calculated "direct aiming'' angles for various altitudes and target speeds. A gun sight was used and the bomb was released at a height H from the release angle MTC. If MTC was the "direct aiming" angle given in the bombing tables, then the time of fall MBC was equal to the time of flight of distance TC, and the bomb will hit the target. If the pilot found difficulty in realizing the "direct aiming" angle, he could make last minute adjustments by using a supplementary correction table.
An alternate method of employing a front horizontal attack was suggested (as shown above, Figure X-II). Here the fighter needed only to adjust his relative height. The bomb was released when the target wing span filled a preset reticle width. However, the desire of the fighter to retain freedom of maneuver precluded the use of this simpler method.
Just prior to the armistice, experimental employment of oblique tail attacks were begun against B-29s. This technique remained unperfected when the war ended.
I downloaded the material from this page:
http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=13793.msg98475#msg98475due to the size of the subject, I place in my opinion only the most important information .
Credit: Ed Strazdes and
http://www.inert-ord.net, Bunrindo Publications, NARA, US Department of the Army & Air Force, USSBS/MAD, Darryl Ford, James I. Long, Don Marsh, Juzo Nakamura, Shigeru Nohara, Ed Strazdes and
http://www.inert-ord.net/jap02h/t2sub/index.html, Summer-San, Yohji Watanabe, and LRA.
Jim Lansdale from
http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=13793.msg98475#msg98475*N.B.Portions of this article have been excerpted from "Japanese Explosive Ordnance/TM 9-1985-4:TO 39B-1A-11," Department of the Army and the Air Force, 1953 and "Japanese Air Weapons and Tactics/USSBS Report No.63," Military Analysis Division, 1947.
Piotrek
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Topic: Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah with cluster bombs TYPE 2 "TA-DAN" and droptanks (Read 3741 times)
