Mitsubishi Ki-21 IIb
Further revisions of defensive armament were made, the Ki-21-IIb replacing the dorsal gun position by a manually operated gun turret containing one 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-gun. The Ki-21-IIb was used during the series of Japanese bombing raids on Calcutta in December 1943, where it suffered heavy losses. During the Lae campaign, the IJAAF experimented with the use of the Ki-21 as a PT boat hunter, in an attempt to protect their barge traffic from Rabaul to New Guinea, which proved unsuccessful. With better equiped Allied aircraft, the Ki-21 suffered increasingly heavy losses and due to the lack of a suitable replacement meant that the Ki-21 remained in front line service in large numbers until well into 1944. With the arrival of the Mitsubishi Ki-67 'Hiryu', the Ki-21 was quickly withdrawn from front line operations, as the Ki-67 was a better replacement aircraft. Towards the end of the war, remaining Ki-21s were used by Giretsu Special Forces in strikes against American forces in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. One of the noted operations was an attack on the Allied-held Yontan airfield and Kadena airfield on the night of 24 May 1945. In spite of its shortcomings, the Ki-21 remained in service until the end of the war, being utilized as transport (along with the civil transport version MC-21), bomber crew and paratrooper trainer, for liaison and communications, special commando and secret missions, and kamikaze operations.
Production of the Ki-21 ended in September 1944.
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, aircraft flight files, and .dp
Wolfi: Crew figures and special thanks for guidance on what the cockpit looked like, based on his Ki-57 Topsy model.
Allen: Japanese bombs (included in zip file)
Gauges by: Robert L. Clark, FDG2 and Microsoft
Further revisions of defensive armament were made, the Ki-21-IIb replacing the dorsal gun position by a manually operated gun turret containing one 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-gun. The Ki-21-IIb was used during the series of Japanese bombing raids on Calcutta in December 1943, where it suffered heavy losses. During the Lae campaign, the IJAAF experimented with the use of the Ki-21 as a PT boat hunter, in an attempt to protect their barge traffic from Rabaul to New Guinea, which proved unsuccessful. With better equiped Allied aircraft, the Ki-21 suffered increasingly heavy losses and due to the lack of a suitable replacement meant that the Ki-21 remained in front line service in large numbers until well into 1944. With the arrival of the Mitsubishi Ki-67 'Hiryu', the Ki-21 was quickly withdrawn from front line operations, as the Ki-67 was a better replacement aircraft. Towards the end of the war, remaining Ki-21s were used by Giretsu Special Forces in strikes against American forces in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. One of the noted operations was an attack on the Allied-held Yontan airfield and Kadena airfield on the night of 24 May 1945. In spite of its shortcomings, the Ki-21 remained in service until the end of the war, being utilized as transport (along with the civil transport version MC-21), bomber crew and paratrooper trainer, for liaison and communications, special commando and secret missions, and kamikaze operations.
Production of the Ki-21 ended in September 1944.
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, aircraft flight files, and .dp
Wolfi: Crew figures and special thanks for guidance on what the cockpit looked like, based on his Ki-57 Topsy model.
Allen: Japanese bombs (included in zip file)
Gauges by: Robert L. Clark, FDG2 and Microsoft
