The Survivors: Mitsubishi J2M Raiden – The Last Japanese Thunderbolt
This is some of what our airmen were up against in the Pacific.
One of the better fighter designs operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War Two but not built in enough numbers, was the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (“Thunderbolt” – Allied Code Name: Jack) land based interceptor used to attack Allied bombers such as the USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress. It was designed to be fast with a top speed 596km/h (370 mph – examples captured and tested by the United States using 92 octane fuel plus methanol, flew at speeds between 655km/h and 671km/h!), with an excellent rate of climb, to quickly reach the enemy bombers at altitude and later variants packed a punch with 4 x 20mm Type 99 wing mounted cannons to bring them down. It was armoured but maneuverability was sacrificed for speed and this pilot protection. Unfortunately performance at high altitude was hampered by the lack of an engine turbocharger on the main production Raiden aircraft.
Mitsubishi…
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Posted on March 17, 2018, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged Air Force, Aircraft, History, Japan, Military, Military History, Thunderbolt, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 50 Comments.
Pacific Paratrooper 
Can’t get enough of Ace Flying High…
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After Jury duty (got out early!! eee-hah), I stopped in at Barnes and Noble – too many A.F. books I’d love to have!!
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Nice pics,so I commented on that blog:D
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I’m glad you found it interesting.
Nasuko, do you happen to know of a first hand story about Iwo Jima by a Japanese soldier or sailor?
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Dr.GP Cox,
one of first hand story↓
兵庫県の元陸軍工兵伍長勲八等・高橋利春
http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~iwojima/index.html
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I am translating now, but I post it in the original ↓
31歳の時に陸軍工兵兵長として硫黄島に配属された高知県須崎市出身の故高橋利春さん(1986年74歳死去）。
硫黄島戦で背中を撃たれる重傷を負いながら米軍の捕虜となり、
1946（昭和21）年2月に帰還。
その後、高知県土佐清水市の清水署に勤務。
孫の公務員、藤原貴宏さん；現38歳？＝岡山県在住が、高橋さんが遺した中国戦線と硫黄島戦、捕虜生活の手記「戦闘体験記」を公開。
＝高知新聞ＨＰより=
2007年01月30日
「凄惨な戦闘克明に 須崎市出身の故人が硫黄島生還記」
Access↓
高知新聞: https://www.kochinews.co.jp/corporate/contact.htm
Facebook 高知新聞 メディア: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007759786123
Twitter：高知新聞 (公式)Kochinews @Kochi_news
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This comment publish OK 😀
This author don’t write bad things about American in this Note.
He was matter-of-fact ,but this first hand story seems that he actually wrote his real feeling.
For example,
One Boss ditched his team member in Iwo Jima,
One Boss abused his team member,
In the American prisoner of war facilities,Japanese Navy lynched Japanese Army,
When he returned to Japan,In the train,nobody gave a seat to a sick veteran him,
Japanese woman and USA Soldier seemed to be touching.
He will be disappointed about that and bit get angry..but..
All Japanese had a hard struggle for existence at that time.
This first hand Note teach us which Japanese “reality ” lost the war,I think. 😀
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This comment publish OK.
About The war situation of “The Battle of Iwo Jima “,
It is written from the other(Japanese) side by Soldier of real experience in the field.
When the USA Army landed from the South coast,
USA thought that the Japanese Army on the land wiped out, but Japanese were in the basement,
There were Japanese Unit who attacked USA without( Ignore) General Kuribayashi’s orders,
The situation which the Japanese army was hiding under the ground when USA attacked 天山 with a tank …
Please have someone translate the whole sentence and read it,
I think that it is very interesting for you!! 😀
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これまでのところ私はGoogle翻訳に依存していましたが、何か助けが必要な場合は、私の友人の金本耕司も助けます。 彼は戦争の両側に家族を持っていた。
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Dr.GP Cox,
関東高知県民会Kanto Kochi Kenjinkai HP
http://kohchi-kenjinkai.com/
Access;
http://kohchi-kenjinkai.com/modules/pico/index.php/content0252.html
In 2013 · Inquiries about Late Mr. Toshiharu Takahashi
http://kohchi-kenjinkai.com/modules/pico/index.php/content0427.html
県人会means association of people who originate from the same prefecture.
LateTakahashi’s troops on Iwo Jima seems to have been organized by the same Kochi or Shikoku people.
I was worried about it, which I showed you are connected or not to strange thought groups.
I think provebry that there is connection with politics,but, Kenjinkai is a large organization in all over Japan, So ,as parent body is solid.
If you need,I think that it is best to access grandchildren and 県人会. 😀
P.S.
Whether or not the information below is true is not certain.
This site is written by whom had a relationship where the late Mr. Takahashi transferred to Iwo Jima with carrying goods. The site was stopped in 2009, the contact information is unknown….for your reference. 😀
https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/e882428/MYBLOG/yblog.html?m=l
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I thank you, Nasuko. I need to get off the computer for now, but I will return to read it.
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Thank you. Factual information, plus feelings put everything into perspective – especially when you are looking from all sides. You have gone to a lot of research here and time to answer my question, I greatly appreciate all your work and thank you.
このような素晴らしい友達であり、私のためにこのすべての仕事をしてくれてありがとう。
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I appreciate all your hard work here.
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Thank you very much, Nasuko. It is very interesting seeing the other side of the story – and it is important while relating the story. I appreciate you taking the time to do this.
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Very informative post gp, as one of your other followers stated, it is great to see at least one remaining example of this Plane still being preserved, another piece of the Jig Saw that illustrates the aerial warfare days of the Second World War.
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Exactly, Ian. I’m all-for recycling, but please leave us a piece of history now and again – am I right?!
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Spot on mate.
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Don’t worry! It all worked out OK with the B-29, the B-25 and the Hellcat. That’s more than enough for any situation!
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Oh yes, it worked out well for us!
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Fortunately, too little and way too late, like the Shiden-Kai (Violet Lightning) fighter.
Both needing much training and flight time, the loss of their experienced pilots was more of a factor than even lack of resources and fuel.
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True, too many of their pilots were killed earlier in the war.
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pretty plane and one i have never seen before, thank you for the article
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I love the research that Deano does. He has a great site, I’ve been following him for years!! Thanks for coming by to read his work.
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Thanks for the site, always informative
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They are rather good looking planes but I’m glad they did not make enough of those. Otherwise we would be in deep trouble.
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We could very well have been. We were lucky they were short on resources and fuel.
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Wow. It’s marvelous to see the old plane — although you’re right GP — our guys would not think so at all. Happy St. Patrick’s Day hugs! ☘️
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Thanks – I hope St. Patty treats you right this year, safe and happy (and free of snakes!). 🙂
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LOL. I’ll be free of snakes until I go back to the office. 😉 More hugs.
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Cute!! I’m glad I’m retired – I remember that breed of snake all too well! 🙂
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That was an impressively large fighter indeed. Whenever I read about any Japanese aircraft, it seems that pilot protection was always sacrificed for more speed. If they had given that some thought, more pilots might have been able to survive to return with their planes to fight another day.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Perhaps you’re right, Pete. But as we have learned, they felt differently about life and death than we did.
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Wow!
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Deano does some great research, eh?!!
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Yes!
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I had a plastic model of this plane when I was young. It was one of my favorite Japanese WW II planes.
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You learned of its existence long before I. I’m glad to hear of your interest!
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I’ve heard the same information that Japanese WW II planes’ performance could be boosted to another level with better fuel. I guess they did not have thought of or had not made any advancement in that area yet.
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They were extremely low on fuel and had to even curb the travels of their ships. When the American first landed at Atsugi airfield in Japan, most of the vehicles ran on coal or wood, just about anything that would burn.
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Forunate then that they had limited supply of these.
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You bet!
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Most of our historians believe that we were sitting ducks down here because we had no serious air power, and what we did have was a hodge-podge of slower aircraft, the Mitsubishi J2M would have knocked us about. I did wonder if they had a limited range?
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No matter what their range, the Japanese had limited resources to build these planes and even less fuel. It got so they had to limit the distance of their ships as well. Your air force may have been slow, but your pilots learned quickly!
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True, they did miracles.
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Thanks for the repost!
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It is ALL my pleasure!
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Interesting! I know the P38 Lightning, the P51 Mustang, and the F4U Corsair were not that fast, maybe 450 (+ or -). They must gave been tough to deal with.
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If they had been produced in mass – we would have had trouble!
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Yes, you are an Angel!
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