Deck Aviation in World War II: New Airplanes. Part VIII (b)

7
Japanese carrier-based dive bombers (continued)

In the course of mastering and increasing the mass production of the D4Y1, the designers worked to improve its power plant. The result was the emergence of a new modification of the Atsuta-32 engine horsepower 1400 at the end of the year 1943.




Yokosuka dive bomber D4Y2 "Susi" ("Judy") (Fig. Wardrawings.be)

The installation of a more powerful engine on Susi marked the emergence of a new serial modification of the dive-gunner, D4Y2, whose mass production, due to the delay in mastering the Atsuta-32 engine, began only in April 1944. Together with the new D4Y2 engine, an increased fuel reserve was obtained (1660 l vs. 1070 l for D4Y1). The maximum speed of the aircraft increased to 579 km per hour. It was the fastest bomber modification "Suseev". The maximum take-off weight increased by almost 400 kg, and this adversely affected its flight range - it decreased to 2390 km (versus 2535 km from the “one”).


Yokosuka diving bomber D4Y2 "Susi" at the coastal airfield, 1944 (photo from www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org)

The armament and security of the D4Y2 corresponded to the previous modification, only on some aircraft (submodification D4Y2) instead of the rear 7.92-mm mobile machine gunner-radio operator installed a more powerful 13-millimeter.
Of the basic (non-deck) modifications of the “two”, the D4Y2-S is a night fighter interceptor. He owes his appearance to the excellent speed characteristics of the Susey and the urgent need to confront American night bombing.


Night fighter "Yokosuka" D4Y2-S "Susi" (Fig. From the site wardrawings.be)

A small amount of D4Y2-S was obtained as a result of reworking already built D4Y2. The fighter crew was reduced to one person, and in the back of the cockpit, instead of the gunner’s radio operator, they installed an 20-mm cannon, firing up-and-down at an angle of 30 degrees. To facilitate the aircraft, the bomber equipment and the brake hook (hook) were dismantled, the bomb bay was eliminated. Underwing holders adapted for suspension of anti-aircraft incendiary bombs. The height of the vertical tail slightly increased.


Night fighter "Yokosuka" D4Y2-S "Susi" (photo from www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org)

However, despite the high maximum speed (580 km per hour), the combat effectiveness of these night fighters was low. Insufficient for the interceptor, the climb rate often did not allow the fighter to take the position necessary for the attack.


The night fighter D4Y2-S "Susi" intercepts the American B-29 bomber (Fig. From the site www.bilek-eshop.cz)

The most successful Japanese pilot on D4Y2-S was Yoshimitsu Naka, who during 1945 of the year (according to the Japanese side) was able to shoot down five American B-29 bombers and damage four. Other Japanese pilots were less experienced and lucky in the night air fights.

The operation of liquid-cooled aircraft engines installed on the first modifications of the D4Y diving reconnaissance dumming bomber Susey, in addition to maintenance difficulties, revealed their lower reliability in comparison with the traditional star-shaped air-cooled engines for Japanese aircraft manufacturers.


Yokosuka dive bomber D4Y3 "Susi" ("Judy") (Fig. Wardrawings.be)

In June, the 1944 of the year began production of the D4Y3, a new version of the Sussey equipped with a star-shaped 14-cylinder 1500-strong air-cooled engine Kinsey-62 from Mitsubishi. Simultaneously with the new modification, until September 1944, the constantly decreasing release of D4Y2 was carried out.


"Yokosuka" D4Y3 "Susi" at the museum parking lot of the airport in Chino, California, USA, 6 in May 2012 (photo from deviantart.net)

The installation of the new engine required a change in the shape of the hood of the power plant, with increased aerodynamic drag, and a slightly worse view when landing. The maximum speed in horizontal flight, despite the increased engine power, decreased slightly (to 571 km per hour). The height of the vertical tail increased by the pattern of D4Y2-S.


Restored D4Y3 "Susi" ("Judy") warms up the engine on the territory of the air museum in Chino, California, USA (photo from imodeler.com)

Reducing the fuel supply by almost one and a half times (up to 1040 L) led to a sharp decrease in the flight range with a combat load up to 1520 km. To reduce the take-off distance during operations from the decks of light aircraft carriers and short coastal runways under the fuselage, three powder accelerators could be suspended by 270-kg.


D4Y3 "Susi" dive bomber with a mock 800-kg bomb (casement bomber case leaves removed) - an exhibit of an aviation museum in Chino, California, USA (photo from imodeler.com)

The small arms of the troika were similar to the D4Y2 / D4Y2. Bomb load D4Y3 increased - on reinforced underwing nodes could now hang bombs to 250 kg.


D4Y3 "Susi" ("Judy") dive bomber from the exposition of the aviation museum at the parking lot of the airfield of the city of Chino during an air show, California, USA, 2013 (photo from www.flickr.com)

By the end of 1944, the sharply reduced number of active Japanese aircraft carriers led to the deployment of most of the deck aviation at coastal airfields. Given the impossibility of fully training Japanese pilots on deck aircraft, the Sussei began to be used as kamikaze aircraft. So, on January 4, 1945, driven by a suicide bomber D4Y, he crashed into the deck of the American escort aircraft carrier Ommani Bay and sunk it. On January 21, 1945, as a result of a group attack by kamikaze on six Souseys that took off from Formosa Island, the Langley and Ticonderoga aircraft carriers were seriously damaged.


Fire on the Banker Hill aircraft carrier (CV-17) after the 11 Kamikaze attack in May 1945 (photo from wikimedia.org)

The last known successful attack of D4Y3, acting as dive bombers, was a strike on the Franklin 19 aircraft carrier in March 1945 of the year. Having broken through the dense barrage fire, one Susei managed to achieve two accurate hits at the moment of takeoff from the deck of the aircraft carrier of its air group. The 250-kg bombs in the hangar and on the flight deck, tightly packed with airplanes, caused serious damage to the aircraft and took 724 people to life.


Burning Franklin (CV-13) aircraft carrier after successful attack by D4Y3 diving bomber Susi, 19.04.1945 (photo from wikimedia.org)

In February, 1945 of the year began the release of D4Y4 - the latest production version of Sussey, intended for use mainly for attacks by kamikaze pilots. The power plant remained the same. The aircraft became single. The cockpit finally got armored (75-mm frontal armored glass and 7-mm armored armor). The survivability of the D4Y4 was also enhanced by installing better-designed fuel tanks (l. 1345).


Yokosuka dive bomber D4Y4 "Susi" ("Judy") (Fig. Wardrawings.be)

Bomb compartment doors were dismantled, which made it possible to hang a powerful 800-kg bombshell. At the same time strengthened landing gear. A radio station was taken off the plane, and even a bomb rammer (they are not needed by the suicide bomber!). Rifle armament was preserved as a pair of course 7.7-mm machine guns (in field conditions they were also often dismantled).


D4Y3 “Susi” with a mock 800-kg bomb (suspension type D4Y4), Chino, California, USA (photo from hiveminer.com)

As a result of all these alterations, the maximum take-off weight of the D4Y4 increased to 4746 kg, and the maximum speed dropped to 551 km per hour. The increased fuel supply provided a small increase in the flight range (in 130 km). As with the "troika" on D4Y4 retained the ability to install powder accelerators under the fuselage.

Deck Aviation in World War II: New Airplanes. Part VIII (b)

D4Y4 “Susi” (“Judy”), captured by the Americans in 1945 (photo from aviadejavu.ru)



The release of D4Y4 made up just 236 aircraft and was terminated in August by 1945 due to the complete destruction of Japan’s aircraft building capacity at the end of the war. The total number of Suseyev built during the war years was 2038 copies.



The late appearance of diving Yokosuka reconnaissance bomber D4Y Susey in the face of the rapid reduction of the Japanese aircraft carrier fleet and the acute shortage of well-trained and experienced pilots, the air supremacy of the Allied aviation did not allow him to fully demonstrate his high flight-technical qualities, surpassing in a number of indicators the similar deck aircraft of Great Britain and the USA.

To be continued ...

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Internet resources:
http://www.airwar.ru;
http://pro-samolet.ru;
http://wp.scn.ru;
http://deviantart.net ;
http://www.aviastar.org;
http://wardrawings.be/WW2;
http://www.axis-and-allies-paintworks.com;
http://www.airpages.ru;
http://www.airaces.ru.
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7 comments
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  1. +1
    17 July 2017 15: 31
    It’s strange ... It seemed to me that in the penultimate photo this plane looked like a Shiden.
    1. 0
      17 July 2017 18: 54

      Cavanisi N1K1-J Shiden
      1. 0
        17 July 2017 18: 59

        Yokosuka D4Y Sushi
        1. 0
          17 July 2017 19: 01

          N1K-J Shiden
          Maybe you are right.
    2. 0
      17 July 2017 19: 02
      And yet this is D4Y4 "Susy" ("Judy"). Thoughts about the "Shiden" are wound by the engine hood lining (different from that characteristic of the D4Y1).
    3. 0
      21 July 2017 20: 08
      No, this is "Susy" they have differently located small arms.
  2. 0
    21 July 2017 20: 36
    Thank you for the article! hi We are waiting for new ones. All the best!

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