Yokosuka D4Y Suisei
Open the military map彗星艦上爆撃機
Aircraft
The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (Comet) was a high-speed carrier dive bomber distinguished by its liquid-cooled engine. The fastest Japanese carrier bomber of WWII, it served from the Battle of Midway (as a reconnaissance aircraft) to the end of the war.
- Armament
- 7.7mm機銃2挺（機首固定）・7.92mm機銃1挺（後方旋回）・500kg爆弾または800kg爆弾1発
History
The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (彗星, "Comet"), codenamed "Judy" by the Allies, was designed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal and primarily produced by Aichi Aircraft. Its prototype first flew in December 1940 (November 15, 1940 according to Japanese sources); a reconnaissance version saw action at Midway in June 1942, and the type was accepted as a dive bomber in March 1943.
The D4Y was unique among Japanese carrier aircraft for using a liquid-cooled engine – the Aichi Atsuta 12 (a licensed copy of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601). This gave the aircraft a slim, streamlined profile and exceptional speed of 550 km/h for the D4Y2, making it difficult to intercept. Later variants (D4Y3, D4Y4) switched to the air-cooled Mitsubishi Kinsei engine for reliability.
The D4Y saw extensive action at the Battle of the Philippine Sea ("Marianas Turkey Shoot") in June 1944 and during the defense of the Philippines. In the final stages of the war, it was modified for kamikaze attacks (D4Y4 Tokkō-tai version). Total production of all variants reached 2,253 aircraft according to Japanese sources (2,038 in some English-language sources), manufactured mainly at Aichi's factories.
Related sites (3)
- Battle14.000, 145.000
Philippine Sea (Marianas) – D4Y Suisei participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 19–20, 1944.
- Deployed35.284, 139.669
Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal – design and development facility for the D4Y Suisei.
- Factory35.100, 136.880
Aichi Aircraft Factory, Nagoya – primary production site for the D4Y Suisei.
Sources
- 彗星 (航空機) - WikipediaWebsite
- Yokosuka D4Y Suisei - WikipediaWebsite