In the Japanese Wikipedia, I found a statement that “the swivel machine gun was changed to a single Type 1 7.9mm swivel machine gun from the late D4Y2 mod. 12.”
In addition, the website of weapons researcher Yasufumi Kunimoto states that “the D4Y began to be equipped with this device in April 1943.”
http://www.warbirds.jp/kunimoto/type51/KaiMG4.htm
Does anyone have a primary or secondary source that affirms this?
I would like to submit a bug report once the material is gathered.
I would think about submitting any bug report with regards to the gunners in D4Ys. Have in mind that the current firing angles (mainly 75° horizontally) are far away from being realistic / possible.
In the right hangs this leads to such effects:
I tried to use common sense in a bug report for the Ryusei firing angle and looked at similar planes (you might take a look) including the Suisei.
From my pov there is no significant increase in combat effectiveness if you convince gaijin to replace the 7.7 with a 7.92 mm defensive gun.
Even as i see it rather unlikely that they will look at your report and it is even more unlikely that they would actually follow your recommendation there is a small risk that the might take a look at the firing angle and see that the angle might need to get corrected (reduced).
If you really want to improve JP dive bombers: Try to find a source with larger firing angles for the Ryusei…compared to other aircraft with the same role the current 45° degree firing arc is way lower.
Have a good one!
U.S. military material, but we do have B7A documents.
I file bug reports not because they help me play, but because they reflect real-world factors as much as possible.
So it doesn’t matter if a Gaijin checks the report or not, and it doesn’t matter if it is accepted or not.
In addition, regarding this report, I also want to increase the number of aircraft equipped with the 7.92mm Type 1 machine gun.
(Currently, only the lower turret of the B6N2a Model 12Ko is equipped with it.)
Since the early model of D4Y2 was equipped with a Type 92 machine gun, I intend to make a report on “making a Type 1 machine gun researchable” or something like that.
According to this magazine, “There is a theory that from April 1943, some D4Y aircraft were equipped with the 7.92 mm Type 1 machine gun.” If you are going to submit a bug report, please use this.
Source: MILITARY CLASSICS Vol. 77 (Spring 2022), p. 28.
Thank you very much!
This is a secondary source, so if you have any more sources you can submit a report.
I heard that information is given in “Famous Airplanes of the World No. 69” (世界の傑作機 No.69) , do you have that book?
I don’t have that book on hand at the moment, but I can refer you to another one. According to this book, “The D4Y3 was equipped with a 7.92 mm Type 1 machine gun, and the D4Y3 Ko was equipped with a 13 mm Type 2 machine gun.”
Mechanism of Military Aircraft, “Suisei” / Type 99 Carrier Dive Bomber. Edit by Magazine Maru Editorial Department, Published by Ushioshobokojinshinsha Co., Ltd. June 2000. ISBN-13: 978-4769809203. pp. 38, 48
According to Famous Airplanes of the World No. 69, the late model of the D4Y2 appears to have been equipped with the 7.92 mm Type 1 machine gun. Unfortunately, I left this book on a bookshelf at my parents’ house, so it will take some time for me to retrieve it.
I found a primary source that might be useful, so I’d like to share it with you.
This is a translation of a Japanese document issued by the IJN Aviation Bureau, captured and translated by a US intelligence service. It explains that the 7.92 mm Type 1 MG was used as a substitute until the 13 mm Type 2 MG was supplied. In other words, aircraft capable of mounting the 13 mm Type 2 MG should also be able to mount the 7.92 mm Type 1 MG.
Type 1, 7.9 mm Flexible MG, Model 1
It is being used for the present as a flexible machine gun for small model planes until 13 mm class guns are supplied.
Japanese Aerial Ordnance and Equipmant; dated February 1944. Issued by Naval Air Hq. Captured on SAIPAN.
https://dl.ndl.go.jp/en/pid/4009533/1/31
