Carrier based Jill tail codes????

 

Does anyone have a list of what carrires carried the Jill operationally, and the their tail codes and other markings? TIA. Did the Grace ever operate from carriers?

Re: Carrier based Jill tail codes????

 

I too am interested in the Jill. In The Japanese Navy in World War II (David Evans Ed.), the chapter on Ozawa in the Pacific has Jills in the First, Second, and Third Carrier Division (44, 15, and 9 respectively). If I get my Divisions right (April, 1944), that means:

Taiho, Zuikaku, and Shokaku (First).
Junyo, Hiyo and Ryuho (Second).
Chitose, Chiyoda, Zuiho (Third)

I assume that all three of the First Division had some Jills. I suspect that for the Third, only the Zuiho would have carried the Jill because they needed a fairly long run up for takeoff. I am not sure if all three carriers of the Second carried the Jill as well as. I have also wondered how many of the Jills at Phillipine Sea were still B6N1s rather than B6N2s.

I have the Hasegawa model of the B6N1 and the tail markers for the Zuikaku look like I2-382 (the first two is small) with a diagonal stripe across the tail. A picture of this plane with some other Jills in formation is on www.warbirdpix.com (http://www.ijnafpics.com/JB&W/B6N-4s.jpg).

HTH, Tom

Re: Carrier based Jill tail codes????

 

The Mamori engine, which powered the B6N1, was listed for removal from Navy service before May 1943. So it is unlikely that any B6N1s survived in service much after that date.

Cheers,

Mike