Japanese Brewster B-339D

[Grzegames]

Would you like to see this in-game?

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Japanese Brewster B-339D
The Japanese captured an indeterminate number of Brewster B-339C/D fighters during the battles for the Dutch East Indies. Approximately 10 Brewster B-339C/D fighters were likely repaired. The Japanese tested these aircraft and used them for various purposes. At least one Japanese B-339C/D survived until the end of the war.
History
The Dutch East Indies purchased between 92 and 144 Brewster B-339C aircraft with a 1,000 hp Wright GR-1820-G105 Cyclone engine and a B-339D with a 1,200 hp Wright R-1820-40 Cyclone engine in 1940. By December 8, 1941, only 71 B-339s had been delivered to the Dutch East Indies, of which only 30 were in operational service. On December 9, 1941, the Dutch sent a support of 9 or 12 B-339 fighters under the command of Capt. van Helsdingen to Singapore to Kallang Air Force Base. These planes fought alongside the British from 12 to 18 January as fighters and dive bombers, after which they returned to Java (not all Dutch fighters and Capt. van Helsdingen, who was killed on 15 January, did not return). The Dutch used their B-339s very effectively during the battle for Java, Borneo and other islands of the Dutch East Indies, where they fought alongside the Americans, New Zealanders and Australians (they also flew Brewster F2A and B-339E planes). The Dutch showed great adaptability and a lot of courage. Dutch B-339 fighters fought to the end, probably shooting down 55 Japanese planes. However, the losses were enormous: 17 Dutch pilots were killed, thirty planes were shot down, and fifteen destroyed on the ground, only four B-339 planes evacuated to Australia. Thus ended the fighting in the Dutch East Indies, but not the history of the Dutch B-339C/D. Japanese Army Command quickly sent a special commission from the Technical Research of Military Aviation to the captured islands to examine the captured aircraft to learn about Allied technologies. Technical Research of Military Aviation opened its test center in Singapore so that it would be easy and easy to test aircraft captured from the Allies in Southeast Asia. The Japanese sent all captured aircraft to Singapore for initial tests, and some that turned out to be more interesting went to Japan. The B-339 aircraft were first assembled in Bandung, West Java, where they were airlifted to Singapore. From there, one B-339 was sent to Japan along with P-40Es (four aircraft) and one B-17D, where all aircraft arrived in Japan safely. These aircraft were tested at Tachikawa Air Force Base. Then, from July 4 to 9, 1942, these aircraft were presented as war booty at Haneda Air Base. Subsequently, all captured Dutch B-339C/D and British B-339Es were sent to the Akeno Military Flight School as training aircraft, to learn how to fight enemy fighters (there were probably about 15 B-339 aircraft). From 1943 to 1945, one B-339D was used as the private aircraft of Colonel Toshio Kato, commander of the Akeno Flight School from April 1945. His B-339D was destroyed by the Americans in July 1945 due to misidentification as a J2M interceptor. The Japanese used Dutch B-339s as enemy aircraft in the propaganda films “加藤隼戦闘隊” (Kato Hayabusa Squadron) and “愛機南へ飛ぶ” (My Beloved Plane Is Flying South). Probably one B-339 captured by the Japanese survived until the end of the war.

Dutch Brewster B-339D

Japanese Brewster B-339D

Brewster B-339D shortly after capture ^


Brewster B-339D at Haneda Air Base 1942 ^

Brewster B-339D at Akeno Flight School ^

Brewster B-339D of Colonel Toshio Kato ^

Brewster B-339D painted for propaganda film ^
Other photos:

Art about the Japanese Brewster B-339D

Construction description
The Brewster B-339D is almost exactly the same as the Brewster F2A-1 from the game, except for a few minor differences.

1. There are two 7.62mm Browning machine guns in the nose of the aircraft
2. The aircraft is equipped with a 1,200 hp (890 kW) Wright R-1820-40 Cyclone engine instead of a 950 hp Wright R-1820-34 Cyclone
3. Two 50 kg bombs can be mounted under the wings

Technical sketches

Comparison of Brewster B-339D with the rest of the Brewster F2A family

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7,76 m
• Wingspan: 10,66 m
• Height: 3,66 m
• Wing area: 19,42 m2
• Empty weight: ?
• Take-off Weight: 2826 kg
• Powerplant: 1 x Wright R-1820-40 Cyclone 9 radial piston engine with 1,200 hp (890 kW)
• Propellers: Three-bladed metal propeller with variable pitch

Performance

• Maximum speed: 546 km/h
• Cruise Speed: ?
• Range: 692 km
• Maximum Range: 2317 km (?)
• Service ceiling: 10211 m
• Time to Climb to: 5,95 min to 4572 m
• Climb Rate: ?

Armament

1. Guns:

• 2 x 12,7 mm Browning M2 machine gun in the wings (400 (?) rounds per guns)
• 2 x 7,62 mm Browning machine gun in the nose (250 (?) rounds per guns)

2. Bombs:

• 2 x 50 kg bombs under wings
• 6 x 25 kg bombs under wings (?)

Special thanks

• @skultew1234

Summary
The Brewster B-339D is an interesting aircraft for Japan in War Thunder. This aircraft would be a great premium aircraft for Japan, which would provide an interesting story and similar gameplay to Japanese fighters. If the Dutch are reading this, please write suggestions for the Dutch B-339C/D and B-439. I encourage you to discuss in the comments and to share your own knowledge on this subject.
Finally, I apologize for the linguistic and logical errors because unfortunately English is not my main language and I had to use google translator.

Internet sources

F2A (航空機) - Wikipedia
Brewster F2A Buffalo - Wikipedia
Captured Buffalo
Brewster F2A (Buffalo): Photos, History, Specification
Brewster Buffalo: in Dutch service
Уголок неба ¦ Brewster F2A Buffalo
Brewster F2A Buffalo (1937)
Brewster B-339D : Brewster
Brewster B-339 Buffalo | The Java Gold’s Blog
Naval Aviation Resource Center - Brewster F2A Buffalo - A Warbirds Resource Group Site

Book sources

• 日本軍鹵獲機秘録 (Secret records of captured aircraft of the Japan army) page 44-47, 73, 80-81, 86, 92, 95-97
• 敵機解剖 : 大東亜戦・鹵獲・撃墜撃破飛行機写真集 - NDL Digital Collections

Thank you for reading the suggestion, see you in the next one. Good luck pilots

[lxtav]

+1, however one small thing

@Grzegames

whilst I cant speak Japanese, these images are almost 100% of RAF Buffalo Mk.Is, especially given the “AN” serial partially hidden by the guy in the second photo, all AN serial buffalos were Mk.Is (AN168 to AN217) and was the B-339E variant instead of D.

Most of the RAF buffalos were deployed to defend Burma and Singapore at the Japanese entry to the war, and by early 1942 with the fall of Singapore, many of the aircraft that could not be flown off were left to fall into japanese hands, so its not surprising they came into control of a handful.

the main reason I bring this up is that these aircraft had a nice upgrade in armament compared to the D, having 4 x 12.7mm guns over the mix of 7.62 and 12.7s.

[Pangolin_Fan]

Copy paste is bad.

-1

[Grzegames]

oops. And so I plan to write suggestions about B-339 E

[Grzegames]

B-339 D is not Copy Paste. It has different weapons than the F2A and a different engine.

[Pangolin_Fan]

Then just suggest it for the U.S tech tree instead.

[Nostalgistic]

The B-339D was designed and exported for the Netherlands. It never flew for the United States. Surely, you’d support its addition to France’s Dutch subtree, right?

[Pangolin_Fan]

Taken as it’d actually be useful in france (Japan already has a monopoly on dogfighters), yes I’d support it being added to the BeNeLux tree. My opinion has always been that copy paste should never be added if it doesn’t patch a gap in the TT.

Also just because it never flew for the U.S, doesn’t mean it can’t be added to the U.S if it’s still American built and designed.

[Grzegames]

I wrote this suggestion for Japan, but the B-339D could also go to the Netherlands (primary user) and the US (they had 1 in stock). I’m just writing suggestions for Japan and don’t feel like writing it for other countries

[Pangolin_Fan]

Shouldn’t have wrote it for Japan in the first place.

[SinisterIsRandom]

Don’t. Chances are Gaijin would make the B-339 if it went to Japan be like the Ki-43, aka weapons would be changed, and modifications would change the aircraft into the E variant.

[SinisterIsRandom]

The US didn’t use it.

[Pangolin_Fan]

Brewster is literally an American company.

[MAUSWAFFE]

• Plane never used by US
• Japan used the plane

What is so hard to understand here?

[Grzegames]

not really. The B-339E has different weapons, engines and a few other details. so it wouldn’t be the same as with the Ki-43-I

[ShermyDragon]

>American Ki-61
>American A6M2
>American Ki-43
>American BF109
>American FW190

And asking for a different Brewster Buffalo model that was captured by Japan is somehow bad when all these already exist?

[lxtav]

np man, always happy to see more buffalo representation, one of my favourite early war carrier aircrafts :D

If you need any info on the general specs heres a primary source to help:

Spoiler

[MightyBaozi]

Please avoid discussing about deleted/moderated messages.

[SinisterIsRandom]

Grze, I wasn’t comparing the aircraft. I was comparing how Gaijin would treat it.
Most of the aircraft you suggest for Japan can be treated like the Ki-43, which, if you are aware can swap its weapons. So its not too crazy to see the engine upgrade icon serving the role of converting this aircraft from he B-339D to a B-339E.

[SinisterIsRandom]

BF-109. It’s not ME-109. ME-109 came later on but isn’t necessarily right. It is only by technicality right. But i won’t get into it already had a discussion about this in another forum topic.