Warplanes of Japan: Nakajima J1N Gekko

Nakajima J1N Gekko

(IJAAF Photo)

The Nakajima J1N1 Gekkō (月光, "Moonlight") is a twin-engine aircraft used by theImperial Japanese Navy during World War II. A prototype first flew in May 1941.The first full production variant of the Gekkō, the J1N1-C was a reconnaissanceaircraft, although many of these underwent field modification into nightfighters; in addition, a night fighter variant, the J1N1-S was later put intoproduction. Towards the end of the war, J1N1 pilots also undertook kamikazeanti-shipping missions.[citation needed] The Gekkō was given the Allied reportingname "Irving". (Under that system, reconnaissance aircraft werenormally given "female" names. While the Gekkō variant first known tothe Allies was the J1N1-C, this was assumed to be a dedicated night fighter).(Wikipedia)

In mid-1938 the Japanese Imperial Navy requested a twin-engine fighter designedto escort the principal bomber used at the time, Mitsubishi G3M"Nell". The operating range of the standard Navy fighter, theMitsubishi A5M "Claude", was only 1,200 km (750 mi), insufficientcompared with the 4,400 km (2,730 mi) of the G3M. Moreover, at the time, thepotential of the "Zero", then still under development, remained to beevaluated, stressing the need for a long-range escort fighter, much as theLuftwaffe had done with the Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer, introduced the yearbefore.

In March 1939, Mitsubishi and Nakajima began the development of a project13-Shi. The prototype left the factory in March 1941 equipped with two 843 kW(1,130 hp) Nakajima Sakae 21/22, 14-cylinder radial engines. There was a crewof three, and the aircraft was armed with a 20 mm Type 99 cannon and six 7.7 mm(.303 in) Type 97 aircraft machine guns. Four of these machine guns weremounted in two rear-mounted powered turrets, the weight of which reduced the performanceof the aircraft considerably. Because of the sluggish handling, being used asan escort fighter had to be abandoned. Instead, production was authorized for alighter reconnaissance variant, the J1N1-C, also known by the Navy designationNavy Type 2 Reconnaissance Plane. One early variant, the J1N1-F, had aspherical turret with one 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon mounted immediatelybehind the pilot.

In early 1943, Commander Yasuna Kozono (小園 安名) of the 251stKōkūtai in Rabaul came up with the idea of installing 20 mm cannons, firingupwards at a 30-degree angle in the fuselage.[1] Against orders of centralcommand, which was skeptical of his idea, he tested his idea on a J1N1-C as anight fighter. The field-modified J1N1-C KAI shot down two B-17s of 43rd BombGroup attacking air bases around Rabaul on 21 May 1943.

The Navy took immediate notice and placed orders with Nakajima for the newlydesignated J1N1-S nightfighter design. This model was christened the Model 11Gekkō (月光, "Moonlight"). It had a crew of two, eliminating thenavigator position. Like the KAI, it had twin 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannonfiring upward in a 30° upward angle, but added a second pair firing downward ata forward 30° angle, allowing attacks from above or below. This arrangement waseffective against B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and B-24 Liberators, whichusually had Sperry ball turrets for ventral defense. The Gekkō's existence wasnot quickly understood by the Allies, who assumed the Japanese did not have thetechnology for night fighter designs. Early versions had nose searchlights inplace of radar. Later models, the J1N1-Sa Model 11a, omitted the twodownward-firing guns and added another 20 mm cannon to face upward as with theother two. Other variants without nose antennae or searchlight added a 20 mmcannon to the nose.

The J1N1-S was used against B-29 Superfortresses in Japan, though the lack ofgood radar and insufficient high-altitude performance handicapped it, sinceusually only one pass could be made against the higher-speed B-29s. However,some skillful pilots had spectacular successes, such as Lieutenant Sachio Endo,who was credited with destroying eight B-29s and damaging another eight beforehe was shot down by a B-29 crew, Shigetoshi Kudo (nine victories), ShiroKurotori (six victories), and Juzo Kuramoto (eight victories); the last twoclaimed five B-29s during the night of 25–26 May 1945.[citation needed] AnotherGekkō crew shot down five B-29's in one night, but these successes were rare.Many Gekkō's were also shot down or destroyed on the ground.
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Variants
J1N1 : Three seater long-range fighter. Two of prototypes and seven of supplementary prototypes.
J1N1 KAI : Night Fighter converted from J1N1.
J1N1-C : Long-range reconnaissance aircraft. Later re-designated J1N1-R.
J1N1-C KAI : Night Fighter converted from J1N1-C.
J1N1-R : Long-range reconnaissance aircraft.
J1N1-F : Observation aircraft. A little number of prototypes only. EquippedG5N2 turret or G4M2 turret.
J1N1-S : Night fighter aircraft. Armed with 2 × 20 mm forward up-firing Type 99cannons and 2 × 20 mm forward under-firing Type 99 cannons.
J1N1-Sa : Night Fighter same as above, armed with 3 × 20 mm forward up-firingType 99 cannons.
Only one J1N1-S Gekkō survives today. Following the occupation of the homeislands, U.S. forces gathered 145 interesting Japanese aircraft and sent themto the United States aboard three aircraft carriers. Four Gekkō's were in thisgroup: three captured at Atsugi and one from Yokosuka. Serial Number 7334, theaircraft from Yokosuka, was given Foreign Equipment number FE 3031 (laterchanged to T2-N700). Records show that after arriving aboard the USS Barnes,air intelligence officials assigned Gekkō 7334 to Langley Field, Virginia, on 8December 1945. The airplane was moved to the Air Materiel Depot at Middletown,Pennsylvania, on 23 January 1946.

The Maintenance Division at Middletown prepared the Gekkō for flight tests,overhauling the plane's engines (the same make/model as the Zero had used) andreplacing the oxygen system, radios, and some flight instruments with Americanequipment. Mechanics completed this work by 9 April. The Navy transferred Gekkō7334 to the Army in early June, and an army pilot flew the Gekkō on 15 June1946, for about 35 minutes. At least one other test flight took place beforethe Army Air Forces flew the fighter to an empty former Douglas C-54 factory atPark Ridge, Illinois, for storage. The remaining three Gekkōs were scrapped.

In 1949, the Gekkō was given to the Smithsonian's National Air Museum, butremained in storage at Park Ridge, Illinois. The collection of museum aircraftat Park Ridge numbered more than 60 airplanes when the war in Korea forced theUnited States Air Force to move it to the Paul E. Garber Preservation,Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland. Gekkō 7334 was dumpedoutside the restoration facility in a large shipping crate in 1953 where itremained until building space became available in 1974. In 1979, NASM staffselected Gekkō 7334 for restoration.

Following restoration of the museum's Mitsubishi Zero in 1976, the Gekkō becamethe second Japanese aircraft to be restored by NASM. The airframe was found tobe seriously corroded from being outside for twenty years. At that time, it wasthe largest and most complex aircraft restoration project the NASM hadundertaken. Work started on 7 September 1979, and ended 14 December 1983,following 17,000 hours of work. Today, Gekkō 7334 is fully restored and ondisplay in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, US. (Wikipedia)

(SDASM Archives Photo)

Nakajima J1N1-S.

(IJAAF Photo)

Nakajima J1N1-S.

(IJAAF Photo)

Nakajima J1N1-S (Note victory markings on tail).

(IJNAF Photos)

Nakajima J1N Gekko, codenamed Irving in IJNAF service.

(USAAF Photo)

Yokosuka Naval Air Depot, 1945 after occupation by US Navy.  Note the Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko "Irving" night fighter. The pointed nose is obscured since the left engine is behind it, but quad radar antennae are clearly visible. Another J1N1-S nose is visible in the lower left corner.

Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko (Serial No. 7334), USAAF FE-700, later T2-700, in the USA post war.  This aircraft is now on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre, Chantilly, Virginia.  (USAAF Photos)

(Azu Photo)

(Ruhrfisch Photo)

(Sturmvogel 66 Photo)

Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko (Serial No. 7334), USAAF FE-700, later T2-770, restored and on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia.

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