Everything about Z-739 totally explained
The
'Mitsubishi'
G4M1 "
Betty" marked
'Z-739' as unit of
1st Kokutai belonging in
21st Koku Sentai, Naval Air Service, detached in
Tainan, South
Taiwan, December 1941. your unit,the
1st Kokutai was equiped with 48 planes and your near group
Kanoya Kokutai if conformed with 72 aircraft based in
Kaohsiung and Tainan bases with Command in last airfield.these groups colaborated with
Toko Kokutai, at same time equiped with 24
Kawanishi H6K4 "Mavis" Heavy Bomber Flying Boats, based in
Toko naval base.
In particular these plane are one twin engined medium bomber G4M1,
Model 11 equiped with two
Mitsubishi MK4A Kasei
Model 11 of 1,530 hp,armed with four
Type 92 7.7 mm MG, one
Type 99 Model 1 20 mm cannon and carried 800 kg of explosives or 1 torpedo of same weight, with one crew of seven pilots, the same version used in first times in Chinese conflict. Mass production of the bomber began in 1940, and the first examples came off the production line in April 1941, probably why
Number 39 airplane as part of first bomber production batches.
Such example represent the first production airplane and oldest operative type of
Mitsubishi Navy land-based bomber type 4 ("
G4M")
model 11 used in wartime period between 1940-41,among your first standart camouflage scheme and markings in time.later between 1942-43 the proper aircraft changed to
Model 22 with new engines,equipment,defensive weapons and simplified colour scheme of IJN Green and simplified your signs and markings.
G4M "Number 39" operations
The "
Number 39" plane, among others units,joining with
H6Ks,
G3Ms and
Mitsubishi C5Ms of
1st,
Genzan,
Toko,
Mihoro and
Takao Kokutais joining land-based
Mitsubishi A6Ms of
3rd and
Tainan Kokutai and
Kokutai Annex of
22nd Koku Sentai departed from South Formosan airbases among
B5Ns and
Aichi D3As of
Ryujo Carrier,all under heavy scort of
Ryujo s carrier-based
A5Ms and A6Ms during December 8, 1941 to cross the
Luzon Strait and participated in the first strike waves against
Clark Field and other airbases and military installations in
Philippines.
Now based in
Davao,Philippines the same aircraft and your unit,acted in others operations over
Dutch Indies,
Malaya,
Singapore,anti-shipping strikes and sea recon over
South China,
Sulu and
Celebes Seas along served in during
New Guinea and
Salomon invasion, where it probably was destroyed parked on land or during air-naval combats against
Allied units in area.
At 0640 hrs,during February 19th,1942,the "
Number 39" and others 27 aircraft of
1st Kokutai joining others 27 planes of
Kanoya Kokutai departed from
Ambon and
Kendari airfields with destination on
Darwin in support of
Banda Sea,
Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force aircrafts.
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Later in same year,the "
1st" and "
Kanoya Kokutais" trasladed some "
Betty" units to
Gilberts and
Marshall Islands for supporting "
IJN" forces against
Allied operations in area.
Early G4M colour scheme and markings
According with model paint scheme drawn in "
Combat Aircrafts of World War Two" of Elke & Weal,the tail code in such plane has this meaning: "
'Z'" = 1st Kokutai, "
'7'" = Naval Land-based Attack Bomber and "
'39'" = identification plane number in squadron. The colour scheme as clasic standard camouflage in first period (since
Chinese-Japanese War) with upper surfaces in
IJN obscure green-brown bands with clear blue stretch lines between such bands and lower surfaces in clear gray along white thin line near at tail,with black usurface over prowl defensive position,for prevent sunligth reflects at pilots cabin during fligth,yellow identification bands in wings border and red bordered-white
Hinomarus signs in upper surfaces and red without-border white line
Hinomarus in lower wing surface.
Further Information
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