I recently got interested in building Japanese WWII planes so I’m learning as I go. I find the Kawanishi N1k2-J “George” very elegant and want to build a couple of them. I was wondering if the story of Warrant Officer Kinsuke Muto from the 343 Kokutai tangling with a dozen Hellcats and shooting four down is factual or myth. One web site says that it was more likely a myth to boost up Japanese morale. If this person really exhist, does anyone have any info on the markings and colors of his George? I haven’t been able to find much information.
It’s in pint, but that doesn’t mean a lot. About half way down the article.
Myth. However, the George turned out to be probably the best single engine fighter for the Japanese in the war; however, it arrived far too late on the scene to achieve more than localized success…there are confirned kills against Hellcats in the george, and many of the battles took place over mainland Japan late in the war…
I read this before, like all I’ve found is very limited.
Interesting. In _Samura_i by Sakai, he claims that it was Shoichi Sugita shot down the 5 hellcats with the Shiden. p-297-299.
The Matsuyama Kokutai 343rd defending the Kure naval base in southern Japan on march 109, 1945 40 planes in all attacked the Carrier based air raid probably hundreds of fighters and bombers. Sugita claimed 4 and 3 probables…athough modern research has disputed passages of this book which was ghostwritten my Martin Caidin and Fred Saito. [^o)]
WO Kaneyoshi Muto was one of the few remaining pre-war trained elite pilots of the JNAF in 1945. According to Henry Sakaida in Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-1945 he is credited with between 28 and 35 aerial victories. At the time of the encounter in question he was flying with Yokosuka Air Group and flew a Shiden Kai from the Evaluation Department of that Group. He did participate in a dogfight with VF-82 on Feb 16th 1945 with his Squadron in which 4 Hellcats were shot down. For propaganda purposes, the Japanese press reported that Muto alone had taken on the Hellcats and shot down four. So while there is a basis of truth, it was exaggerated. He later was transferred in June 1945 to the 301st Squadron, 343rd Air Group and was shot down on his first mission with the unit, during which two Corsairs, one Hellcat and three Shiden Kais were shot down in air to air combat. the 343rd was Japan’s “Squadron of Experts”, almost equivalent to JV-44 (sans jets) with all of Japan’s Navy aces concentrated in one group with top of the line aircraft.
A color profile in the same book for a Shiden Kai (unknown if it is the one he flew in February) has a very basic marking. The reversed “E” of the Yokosuka Air Group followed by a -104 in white and with a single yellow stripe above the tail code. Green spinner and upper surfaces, and the standard yellow wing leading edge ID markings.
stikpusher
Thanks for the detailed info you provided. I found a Japanese site that names a Muto but not with the same first name I posted. I’m trying to find that web site again.