Ki-43 I 50th Hiko Sentai 2nd Chutai Sgt Mjr Chikara Kotanigawa, Burma, 1942

by Nick Millman

 

 

 

This is the aircraft in which Kotanigawa was forced down and taken prisoner near Chittagong on 15 December 1942 and appears to be in a faded deep green or green-brown scheme with grey-green undersurfaces.  The yellow cowl ring and front spinner are not conclusive but conform to known 50th Sentai practice at this time and may identify a hentai (section) leader.  The Chinese character on the tail is "Kou" (reverence or filial piety) and is
typical of the ³names² applied to the aircraft of this Sentai  at this time.

The 2nd Chutai generally marked it¹s aircraft with classic moral exhortations whilst the 1st Chutai used the names of birds and the 3rd Chutai types of wind (such as Kamikaze) but there were exceptions.  Note that contrary to most JAAF practice and depictions in some recent publications the 2nd Chutai used yellow as an identification colour, with the 1st Chutai using red and the 3rd white.

Reference: Original IWM photographs and photographs/profile on pages 92-93
of Model Art 395

Return to Nick's Oscar Menu