[Milsurplus] WWII Japanese VHF?

[David Stinson]

Todd, KA1KAQ wrote:

> Even if they used VHF though, I'm not sure it would qualify for Dave's
> original question of widespread use.

Actually, all this continues to build the case for long-standing and
continuous use of HF in combat aircraft throughout WWII in the PTO.
What prompted the question was period literature I have that was
used to drill proper radio procedure among Navy fighter
and patrol aircraft pilots.  They speak of several documented
instances where the Japanese, having intercepted talk between
fighter aircraft, gleaned intelligence from it and used it.
That would be hard for them to do if the U.S. aircraft were on VHF,
since they had no wide-spread VHF intercept capability
(yes- I know about the illustration in the ARC-4 manual,
but that admonishmont is just common sense, and one funny
illustration cannot negate dozens of other documentations).
Perhaps, when people like the "Black Sheep" pilots and the manual
writers and the radio instructors all tell us in clear terms
they were using HF, we should consider believing them.

Mike Hanz graciously sent me photos of an APR-4 knock-off
done by the Japanese that now resides in the Smithsonian.
This had to have been late-war at best, because of the time
the APR-4 would have been deployed, time to capture one intact,
time to back-engineer, ramp-up and produce it.
Given that, I think it very likely Mike's APR-4 knock-off
is a "onesie-twosie" deal that didn't see wide production.
Has anyone ever seen another, anywhere?
We regularly see examples of their HF radios.

Just more evidence against the "No HF" myth.

73 DE Dave AB5S