[Milsurplus] Japanese Aircraft Communications

[Hubert Miller]

I realize that no one here besides myself is actually interested in the topic, "Japanese aircraft communications", but
anyway here goes, for the archive record anyway. A couple of YouTube videos, wartime Japanese films, all narrated
in Japanese, no subtitles. My notations:

"Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE6_s1Tg0Ps

Aircraft= G3M "Nell"
4:30 radio operator scene start. Radio is one smallish unit installed above radio op on left wall, behind greenhouse.
Radio type unknown to me.
5:15 observer using handhold strap on cockpit ceiling
5:38-5:46 pilot using acoustic speaking tube. Not large diameter of flex tube compared to electrical microphone cords.
also note 5:28 pilot apparently first picks up wrong voice tube - going to different crew position?
6:00 telegraph key being used. I believe this scene spliced in - the key is non-enclosed ground station type.
also note cheesy martial music rendering of "Flight of the Valkyrie" theme.
6:52 radio
11:20 family of serviceman listening to news report of victory
12:07 Japanese officers in lounge listening to news report of victory


"WW2 Japanese Mitsubishi G4M Betty"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gYkI_x1F68
[ Seems to be bombing mission to Sumatra ]

This film has quite good resolution. Be forewarned that the sound cuts totally out a couple times and there may be an
ad midway. Do not try to adjust your set.
6:27 speaking tube
6:35 loading aviation camera
6:44 radio suspended by bungee cords
7:50 radio operator. You can make out that the key is shielded ( boxed ) aircraft type.
9:01 using portable light signal gun
10:32 receiver at right side of plane, behind pilot in greenhouse. Receiver is 2-dial 2-band, longwave and shortwave.
( I don't want to look up the receiver type, but i have it in my docs. )
Receiver is suspended by bungee cords. There are 3 "buttons" that the bungees wrap: on the two sides of the receiver,
two buttons, one in each top corner; one midway in bottom of same side panel. You can see in the scene, the "V"
pattern made by the bungee that grabs the bottom button.
14:28 single barrel 7.62 or 303 MG
16:52 "mask microphone" looks like acoustic type, speaking tube.
20:55 Army observers crowd greenhouse. Radio receiver visible also.
Box suspended above receiver by bungee cords, may be power control for receiver ?
21:50 Radio transmitter ( ? ) fastened with bungee cords.
I believe this is across the aisle from the radio receiver position seen earlier.
The receiver seen there seems to have been more commonly packaged together with the transmitter in one case
and I have seen this one-cabinet format radio from the same type plane. Many Japanese radios both ground and
air seem to have been in both one-cabinet and separate receiver and transmitter packages.
Radio op in this scene looks about 15 years old.
22:22 MG firing a few rounds; staged, no actual enemy planes seen. The single barrel small caliber MG is one reason
these bombers were vulnerable targets for Allied fighters.

via: Hue Miller







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