The other day I was watching a documentary about the sinking of the IJN bbattleship Yamato.
A line in the script was “Allied air attacks over the Japanese homeland…”
That got me wondering…did the RAF or Commonwealth ever operate heavy bombers over the Japanese home islands?
I know there were plans for Tiger Force Lancasters if an invasion was necessary, and I’ve never heard of any RAF aircraft working with the 20th Air Force and its B-29s.
What about smaller fighter or fighter-bomber aircraft?
By: Don Chan - 10th November 2008 at 15:27
] The other day I was watching a documentary about the sinking of the IJN bbattleship Yamato.
IIRC, the Yamato took fewer bombs and torps to sink than her sister, the Musashi at the Battle of Leyte.
] did the RAF or Commonwealth ever operate heavy bombers over the Japanese home islands?
Don’t know, but IMO, they were probably busy recovering Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, &c, in the SEA.
After WWII, ISTR they occupied part of western Japan, but withdrew after a few years, unlike the Yanks who are still all over there.
FWIW, during my research on military aircraft accidents in Japan, from after WWII to now, I’ve read only one accident:
14 January 1946:
C-47.
RAF.
Emergency landed, at Kitatatsushima, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture.
After 40 days, repaired and took off.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/aikokuki/aikokuki-top/NAH/ChronicleShouwa2.html
By: oz rb fan - 13th May 2008 at 14:44
no heavy bomber’s that i’m aware of other than the tiger force that would have been actve in1946
but the rn had firefly’s and seafires etc over japan before the atomic blast’s
paul
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May 12, 2008 at 10:06 pm