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Japanese DB-7B (DB-7C)
The Japanese army and navy captured six Douglas DB-7B bombers (Dutch designation DB-7C) after occupying the Dutch East Indies. Of these, two or three were repaired and went to Japan for testing. The Japanese copied the front wheel shock absorbers from these planes.
History
In October 1941, the Dutch government-in-exile decided that it was necessary to improve the defense capabilities of the Dutch East Indies by purchasing 48 DB-7C aircraft. These planes were to be used to destroy enemy amphibious forces, so the DB-7C ordered were to have a replaceable nose. There were to be two options, a glazed nose in the bomb version (the same as in the DB-7B) or an unglazed nose with four 20 mm cannons. These planes were also supposed to carry torpedoes. The delivery date of the Douglas DB-7C bombers to the Dutch East Indies was set for May 1942. However, on December 8, the war in the Pacific broke out and the Dutch urgently needed bombers (better than the Martin 166), so negotiations with the Americans quickly began to speed up the production of the DB-7C or to deliver something else immediately. On December 24, 1941, the U.S. agreed to divert 32 DB-7B bombers, which were originally to be sent to France and Great Britain. The Dutch gave this Douglas DB-7B bomber the designation DB-7C. On February 27, 1942, the transport ship MSS Kota Baru, with six DB-7B(C) bombers on board, arrived at the port of Tkilatjap in Java. These planes were sent in crates to the Surabayi airport in northern Java. However, due to the fighting with the Japanese and the fact that the Japanese troops landed on Java on February 28, there were problems with stingy ground crews to assemble the planes. This was not achieved until March 4, when the assembly of the first DB-7B(C) began, which was assembled on March 5. It is not known whether this aircraft took part in the fighting until March 12, when Java capitulated. At that time, two more transport ships sailed to the port of Tkilatjap, one with four DB-7s and the other with twenty-two DB-7s. The ship with four DB-7s returned to the U.S., and the other sailed to Australia. The Japanese army captured the undamaged Douglas DB-7B(C) at Surabayi Airfield, and the remaining five aircraft that had not been assembled. Using the services of prisoners, one or two more DB-7B(C) were assembled. Then these planes were sent to the airfield near Bandung, where all captured planes were sent to the Dutch East Indies (including B-17E, P-40E, CW-21 and others). It was the best well-lit airport, which is why the Japanese chose it for this purpose. There, the Japanese initially tested the DB-7B(C). There, one of the DB-7B(C) received a drawing of Fuku-chan in the nose area, made by Ryuichi Yokoyama, a manga artist and member of the press team. In May 1942, DB-7B(C) aircraft were airlifted to Japan, one or two (?) at the Tachikawa test site (where tests for the IJAAS took place) and one was sent to the test center in Atsugi (?) (this one was tested for IJNAS). One of the DB-7B(C) that went to Tachikawa was given the tail number J-D-A-1. The Japanese had researched and tested these aircraft thoroughly and were very curious about the front wheel shock absorbers that they copied. The overall Japanese rating of the Douglas DB-7B(C) was not very good. It was found to have poor performance, low maneuverability, poor defensive armament and payload (the DB-7C payload was 900 kg, and the basic Japanese bombers at that time were 1000 kg for the Ki-49 and 1000 kg for the G4M). During the trials, one DB-7B(C) bombers was loaned twice to be presented to the public. First, from 4 to 9 July 1942, they were presented as spoils of war at Haneda Air Base. And then on October 18, 1942, when he and five other captured aircraft (certainly with a B-17D bomber and a DB-5 transport plane) flew over Toiko in a mourning ceremony over fallen soldiers sponsored by Dai Nihon Hikokyokai (Greater Japan Aeronautic Association) and Asahi Shimbun. Members of the imperial family took part in the ceremony. In September 1942, one of the DB-7B(C) was still being tested at Tachikawa, and the DB-7B(C) J-D-A-1 was probably sent to Kakogawa Air Base in Hyogo Prefecture. After the end of the war in 1945, at the Japanese naval airfield Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Americans found the fuselage of the DB-7B(C) bomber. It is not known what happened to the DB-7B(C), which belonged to the Japanese army.
Photos of the Douglas DB-7B(C) bomber
Captured Douglas DB-7B(C) at Surabaya Airfield ^
Captured Douglas DB-7B(C) at Bandung Airfield ^
Fuku-chan painted on the nose of the Douglas DB-7B(C) by Ryuichi Yokoyama ^
Douglas DB-7B(C) on a captured aircraft display, from 4 to 9 July 1942 ^
Douglas DB-7B(C) during tests in Tachikawa ^
Douglas DB-7B(C) J-D-A-1 at Kakogawe Air Force Base ^
A Douglas DB-7B(C) just before flying over Tokyo, Haneda Airfield on October 18, 1942. ^
Douglas DB-7B(C) hull found at Atsugi Naval Base ^
Construction description
The Japanese Douglas DB-7B(C) is similar to the French DB-7, but there are some differences between them.
- Replaced the French Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC3-G engine with 1050 hp (783 kW) takeoff power for Wright R-2600-A5B Double Cyclone engines with 1600 hp (1200 kW) takeoff power
- The aircraft in the nose has four Colt-Browning 7.62 mm machine guns (500 rounds per rifle) instead of MAC 1934 7.5 mm machine guns
- The aircraft has larger fuel tanks
- The plane has better airlift (unfortunately I don’t know to what extent)
Cockpit photo
General characteristics
- Crew: 4 or 3
- Length: 14,42 m
- Wingspan: 18,69 m
- Height: 5,36 m
- Wing area: 43,2 m2
- Empty weight: 6827 kg
- Take-off Weight: 9507 kg
- Maximum Take-off Weight: 12,338 kg (?)
- Powerplant: 2 x Wright R-2600-A5B Double Cyclone fourteen-cylinder engine, with a take-off power of 1600 hp (1200 kW) each
- Propellers: Three-bladed metal propellers with a diameter of 3.43 m
Performance
- Maximum speed: 546 km/h
- Cruise Speed: 439 km/h
- Range: 845
- Maximum Range: 1 690 km
- Service ceiling: 7 225 m
- Time to Climb to: ?
- Climb Rate: 10,2 m/s
Armament
- Guns:
- 4 x Colt-Browning 7.62mm fixed machine guns in the nose (2000 rounds (500 per rifle))
- 2 x Colt-Browning 7.62 mm movable coupled machine guns in the upper gunner’s station (1000 rounds (500 per rifle))
- 1 x Vickers K 7.96 mm movable machine gun in the lower gunner’s station (500 rounds)
- Bombs:
- 2 x 227 kg (500lb) bomb (in the bomb bay)
- 2 x 114 kg (500lb) bomb (in the bomb bay)
- 2 x 227 kg (500lb) bomb + 2 x 114kg (250lb) bomb (in the bomb bay)
- 4 x 114 kg (250lb) bomb (in the bomb bay)
- 4 x 227 kg (500lb) bomb (in the bomb bay)
Armour
- Armor stronger than the DB-7
- Self-sealing fuel tanks
Special thanks
Summary
The Douglas DB-7B(C) is an interesting aircraft for Japan in War Thunder. It is a bomber/attack aircraft incomparably better than most Japanese attack aircraft or bombers of its tier (br 2.0-3.0). This aircraft also has an interesting history behind it. This aircraft is ideal to add to the game as a Premium aircraft. Preferably along with the Dutch and French versions of the Douglas DB-7. 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
A-20 (航空機) - Wikipedia
Douglas A-20 Havoc - Wikipedia
The idea to bring back Douglas DB-7B - Passed for Consideration - War Thunder - Official Forum
Douglas DB-7 in Japanese Service - Destination’s Journey
日之丸下——太平洋战争中被日本俘获的盟军飞机（轰炸机）_凤凰网历史_凤凰网
Douglas Boston
Boston/Havoc in Dutch Service
Captured A-20
Douglas DB-7B : Douglas
samolotypolskie.pl - Douglas A-20 (DB-7) “Boston”
Douglas DB-7/A-20 in Dutch service | Key Aero
Уголок неба ¦ Douglas DB-7/Boston
Book sources
- 日本軍鹵獲機秘録 (Secret records of captured aircraft of the Japan army) page 66,75,84,87,93
- Acquisition of the Douglas DB-7B and DB-7C for the Netherlands East Indies Navy
AAHS-DB-7-Original-Text.pdf - Kampanie Lotnicze 41 - A-20 Boston-Havoc
Kampanie Lotnicze 41 - A-20 Boston-Havoc | PDF - 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
