The Japanese Army Air Force Hikōtai Unit was an
Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ) was the Military aviation, aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Its primary mission was to provide tactical close air support for ground ...
Air transport section (a
Hikōtai) whose mission was to transport personnel, weapons and equipment to occupied
territories or the combat front in wartime. Such units supported Army airborne forces during their missions as well.
Fleet
These service operated various types of aircraft:
*
Kawasaki Ki-3 (Liaison and communications)
*
Nakajima Ki-4
The Nakajima Ki-4 was the last biplane reconnaissance aircraft of the Japanese Imperial Army. It saw combat service in Manchukuo and in North China during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Design and development
The Ki-4 was in ...
(Liaison and communications)
*
Kokusai Ki-76 "Stella" (Liaison)
*
Kobeseiko Te-Gō (Liaison)
*
Mansyu Ki-97 (Communications)
*
Mitsubishi Ki-7 (Liaison)
*
Mitsubishi Ki-46
The Mitsubishi Ki-46 was a twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft that was used by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Its Army ''Shiki'' designation was Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft (); the Allied brevity code World War II Alli ...
"Dinah" (Liaison, communication and courier)
*
Tachikawa (Ishikawajima) Light Ambulance (Air Ambulance/liaison)
*
Tachikawa Ki-9
The was an intermediate training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies under the nickname of "Spruce" during World War II. This aircraft was mist ...
"Spruce" (Communications)
*
Tachikawa Ki-17
The was a basic training aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force built by Tachikawa Aircraft Company Ltd in the 1930s. It was known to the Allies under the nickname of ''Cedar'' during World War II.
Design and development
The Ki-9 ...
"Cedar" (Communications)
*
Kayaba Ka-1
The Kayaba Ka-1 and Ka-2 were Japanese autogyros, seeing service during World War II for artillery spotting.
Design and development
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) developed the Ka-1 autogyro for reconnaissance, artillery-spotting, and anti- ...
(communications helicopter)
*
Kawasaki Ki-56 "Thalia" (Merchant transport)
*
Kokusai Ki-59 "Theresa" (Light transport)
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Mitsubishi Ki-1
The Mitsubishi Ki-1, also known as Mitsubishi Army Type 93 Heavy Bomber, was a bomber built by Mitsubishi for the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1930s. The Ki-1 design was heavily based on the Junkers K 37, and the prototype flew in the early 193 ...
(Heavy Bomber/Transport)
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Mitsubishi Ki-7 (Light transport)
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Mitsubishi Ki-21
The was a Japanese heavy bomber during World War II. It began operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War participating in the Nomonhan Incident, and in the first stages of the Pacific War, including the Malayan, Burmese, Dutch East Indie ...
"Sally" (Heavy Bomber/transport)
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Mitsubishi MC-20 (Transport version of Ki-21 bomber)
*
Mitsubishi Ki-57
The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft, developed from the Ki-21 bomber, during the early 1940s.
Development
In 1938, when the Ki-21 heavy bomber began to enter service with the Imperial Japanese Army, its capability ...
"Topsy" (Personnel transport)
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Nakajima Ki-34
The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the Landing gear, undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies of World War II, Al ...
"Thora" (Personnel transport)
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Nakajima Ki-6 (Light transport, version of Fokker 8 Super Universal)
*
Nakajima Ki-49
The Nakajima Ki-49 ''Donryu'' (呑龍, "Storm Dragon")Francillon, 1970, p.223 was a twin-engine Japanese World War II heavy bomber. It was designed to carry out day bombing, daylight bombing missions, without the protection of escort fighters. C ...
(Transport modification of Ki-49 bomber)
*
Douglas DC-2
The Douglas DC-2 is a retired 14-passenger, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Company starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3 ...
(Transport, 2 purchased, 6 manufactured under license)
*
Douglas DC-5
The Douglas DC-5 (Douglas Commercial Model 5) was a 16-to-22-seat, twin-engine propeller aircraft intended for shorter routes than the Douglas DC-3 or Douglas DC-4. By the time it entered commercial service in 1940, many airlines were cancelin ...
(Transport, 1 captured at KLM, evaluated and used for transport services)
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Tachikawa Type LO Transport Aircraft "Thelma" (Personnel transport)
*
Tachikawa Ki-54
The Tachikawa Ki-54 was a Japanese, twin-engine advanced Training aircraft, trainer used during World War II. The aircraft was World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft, named Hickory by the Allies.
History
The Ki-54 was developed in resp ...
"Hickory" (Light transport)
*
Kokusai Ku-8
The (Kokusai Army Type 4 Special Transport Glider) was a Japanese military glider used during the Second World War. They were usually towed by Mitsubishi G3M or Mitsubishi Ki-21 aircraft.
Design and development
Design of the Ku-8-II began in D ...
"Gander" (Transport glider)
Manchoukuoan Air Transport Services
Within this unit in
Manchukuo
Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...
the
Manchukuo Air Transport Company developed. This unit functioned as a paramilitary transport service inside of
Manchukuo Air Force
The Manchukuo Imperial Air Force (; ) was the air force of Manchukuo, a puppet state of Imperial Japan. The air force's predecessor was the Manchukuo Air Transport Company (later renamed the Manchukuo National Airways), a paramilitary airline fo ...
for the transportation of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese and Manchu military personnel. They were equipped with Junkers Ju 86 Z-2, among other airplanes.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikotai Transport Unit
Units and formations of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service