Military Model Scene

Title: B-29 Superfortress vs Japanese Nightfighter
Author: Mark Lardas
Publisher: Osprey
ISBN: 978-1-4728-6560-1

Japan 1944-45, number 144 in the Duel Series from Osprey. An 80-page soft-cover book in the usual series style, with illustrations by Gareth Hector and Jim Laurier.
After an introduction and a chronology of key events, stretching from March 1937 through to August 1945, the topic is spread across another 7 chapters. As usual with these Duel books, each element looks at both sides of the story, so in this case both the American and Japanese points of view. Design & Development is followed by the Technical Specifications, considering not just the B-29, it's structure, engines, armament, crew and electronic equipment, but also the 2 key Japanese nightfighter types, the Ki-45 and the J1N1, both twin-engine aircraft. There is also the strategic situation at the late stages of the war in the Pacific and the state of the Combatants on each side. Amongst other things, this includes the training available to the US bomber crews, and the ever decreasing training available to the Japanese nightfighter crews, as fuel became increasingly scarce. Add the tactics used both sides, such as the move from mass daylight raids from high altitude, to the lower altitude night bombing missions flow by less aircraft. The nightfighters that hunted them used 20mm cannon, mounted to fire upwards (like the Luftwaffe Schrage Musik), and a few even had them downward firing as well. We get to see the tactics employed by both sides, and analysis which explores the failings of the Japanese nightfighters, including factors such as the rivalry between the IJAAF (Army) and IJNAF (Navy) and the lack of any GCI (Ground Controlled Interception) for them once they were in the air, in contrast to the organisations used in Europe by both the RAF and the Luftwaffe. Equally, few of the Japanese aircraft were fitted with AI (Airborne Interception) radar and they were short ranged. Also unusual, the B-29s operated with unloaded gun turrets, saving the weight of the ammunition, yet still flew with the gunners in the crews so a not to damage the whole crew 'spirit'. There are plenty of archive images throughout, and some very nice artwork. I particularly liked the cockpit illustrations, as well as the other artwork featured in the book.
These night missions by the B-29s were something I knew little of, and found it all interesting reading. Well explained and illustrated, I was a bit surprised at how poor the Japanese defences for their Home Islands were and the Statistics & Analysis show just how well the night missions worked for the US bomber forces as a low loss rate. The older nightfighter designs had trouble with the larger B-29, firstly with finding them in the dark, and that if spotted, the large bombers could simply open their throttles and beat them for speed. Quite different to the night bombing missions of the RAF over Europe, so a good comparison I thought.
Thanks to Osprey for the review copy.

Robin