Aircraft production

Russia and Japan were underdeveloped with aero industry. I-16 showed its performance to other nations in Spanish Civil War and Nomonhan Incident. IJA lost a lot of pilots in Nomonhan. So next to Ki-27, Ki-43 equipped self sealed oil tank and armor behind pilot. Otherwise IJN did not learn as USN learned the Battle of Britain. So Zero had no sealed fuel tank and armor behind pilot till the end of the Pacific War.

Yak-7 fought Bf109F at first. At last La-5 was competitive in Stalingrad. La-7 and Yak-3 overwhelmed enemy in Berlin. Yak-3 was excellent aero dynamic and designed light. La-7 equipped an air cooled engine, ASh-82FN (1,850hp) and could climb 5,000m in 4min 30sec.

Otherwise Japan failed to product the 1,860hp engine designated Ha-45. Ki-100 exchanged liquid cooled to air cooled radial engine, Mitsubishi Kinsei-62 too late, as LaGG-3 did well.
Syoumou to hoten

Production of aircraft in US, Germany, UK and Japan and parity

Tbl.1 US vs Japan in 1944

^{Ishii, p243}

Aircraft	3.4
Alminum	5.4
Shipbuilding	10.9
Steel	39.0
Oil	209.1
Tank	100.0

Machining aircraft parts

Japan and US deployed almost the same at the Pacific War on 8 December 1941, though US made 3 folds of Japan in 1941. It meant Japan had to continue air combat with kill ratio of 3 to 1 to win the Pacific War. Education Ministry decided to make boys and girls work for military use in August 1944. Ninomiya was a minister of Education Ministry then. For example, 28,000 people labored at Handa Workshop of Nakajima Aircraft in February 1945. Half of them were school boys and girls. They were allowed to have a day for rest in a month. Handa Workshop of Nakajima Aircraft was destroyed by bombardment of B-29s on 24 and 27 July 1945. As for other workshops of Nakajima, Ohta Workshop was bombarded on 10 February and lost 74 half assembled Ki-84. Ohta was completely destroyed on 25 February. Koizumi Workshop was bombarded on 25 February by USN aircraft. It was difficult to assemble IJN Frances. Press workshop of Ohta was destroyed on 3 April. Utsunomiya Workshop was difficult to assemble aircraft on 10 July by USN bombardment. Musashino Workshop of Nakajima Aircraft stopped the production on 30 April 1945. Young unskilled pilots rode the rude aircraft by boys and girls. Most of them were shot down easily by enemies.
Morimoto, p202-205, p215, p224, p254
Kinrou douin-rei
Handa Seisakusyo
Kinrou douin no Ryou

Tbl.3 Aircraft in the Pacific

Date	US	Japan
1941Dec	1,692	2,625
1943Jan	3,537	3,200
1944Jan	11,442	4,050

Tbl.2 Aircraft production

Year	US	UK	Germany	Japan
1941	19,433	20,094	11,766	5,088
1942	47,836	23,672	15,556	8,861
1944	96,318	26,461	39,807	28,180

Tbl.2 shows aircraft production of US, UK, Germany and Japan. US aircraft production increased 246% in 1942, while Japan 175% only. Did Japan think she won the Pacific War? Japan made aircraft with desperate effort in 1944 and increased the production. How about other productions? Tbl.1 shows US vs Japan production ratio in 1944 fiscal year. Basic material for production decreased very few. Japan productioned only one fortieth of steel, compared with 17.7 in 1941^[1]. This might mean that merchant ships could not ferry iron to Japan mainland. Japanese leaders did not plan the war well, though Japanese researchers studied the total war in 1941. Tbl.3 shows how many aircraft US and Japan deployed in the Pacific^[2]. What happened in 1943? US and Australia could supplied with aircraft, but IJA failed to ferry and IJN lost too aircrews in 1943. 20 Ki-45 kai of 13th Sentai departed from Japan to Rabaul on 20 April, but only 6 arrived there because of unskilled pilots and out of order^[3].

IJA airforce
IJA had 1,800 operational aircraft on 15 September 1943. The force was despersed all around the Pacifice, as followed 36 SQ in domestic, 51 SQ in Manchuria, 24 SQ in China, 71 SQ in the Pacific. IJA 7th Wing Group moved to Buto from Ambon in July 1943, which had 250 aircraft. The 7th Wing Group moved to Ambon in November and its aircraft decreased to 150 in December.

Inspection tour
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt' wartime tour in September and October 1942. A site shows his inspection of Boeing Aircraft Plant Seattle Washington in WW II

[1] NHK1, p32
[2] Morimoto, p205, p215
[3] Ki-45 kai