TAIU-SWPA (Technical Air Intelligence Unit–South West Pacific Area) was the first of the Technical Air Intelligence Units formed during World War II to recover Japanese aircraft to obtain data regarding their technical and tactical capabilities.
History[]
TAIU-SWPA was originally formed as ATAIU in November 1942 as a joint venture by the United States Navy (USN), the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the British Royal Navy at Hangar 7 of Eagle Farm Airbase, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[1][2] Aircraft tested at Hangar 7 of Eagle Farm Airbase carried a 'XJ' code. Known used codes are XJ001 till XJ005, preceding those used later in the Philippines.
In mid-1944, the US Navy personnel were withdrawn from the TAIU and reassigned to Naval Air Station Anacosta (NAS Anacosta), to form the Technical Air Intelligence Centre (TAIC) to centralise and co-ordinate the work of test centers in the United States with the work of TAIUs in the field. The original unit was then renamed TAIU for the South West Pacific Area (TAIU-SWPA).[2]
By the time of the invasion of the Philippines, Technical Air Intelligence operations in the South-West Pacific Area were fully developed. Considerable instructions were given to the troops in the field on the equipment likely to be found and the importance of its preservation. After the liberation of the Philippines, in early 1945, TAIU-SWPA was moved from Australia to Clark Field in the Philippines and there it gained an appreciation of the state of the enemy's technological and economic development, essential to the build-up for the planned invasion of Japan.[1]
Known Aircraft[]
| Type | Model | Serial number | Tail code | Notes | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A6M 'Zero' | A6M3 | 3030 (components from s/n 3028, 3032) | XJ001 | Rebuilt and tested by TAIU as aircraft no. XJ001, Eagle Farm Airbase, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. | C/n 3030: Q-102 of the 2nd Kokutai; C/n 3028: V-187 of the Tainan Kokutai; C/n 3032: V-190 of the Tainan Kokutai)[3] |
| Ki-43 'Oscar' | Ki-43-I Kō | ? | XJ002 | Repaired and restored using various airframes at Hangar 7, Eagle Farm and tested as aircraft no. XJ002, Eagle Farm Airbase, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. | Assigned to the 11th Sentai.[4] |
| Ki-61 'Tony' | Ki-61-I Kō | 263 | XJ003 | Rebuilt and tested by TAIU as aircraft no. XJ003, Eagle Farm Airbase, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. | Assigned to the 68th Sentai, 2nd Chutai |
| Ki-43 'Oscar' | Ki-43-II Kō | 5388 | XJ004 | Repaired by personnel from the USAAF 5th AF, 49th FG, 8th FS at Hollandia, New Guinea. Tested as aircraft no. XJ004, Eagle Farm Airbase, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. | Assigned to the 59th Sentai.[5] |
| Ki-43 'Oscar' | Ki-43-II Kō | ? | XJ005 | Repaired by personnel from the USAAF 5th AF, 317th Troop Carrier Group, 41st Troop Carrier Squadron at Hollandia, New Guinea. Tested as aircraft no. XJ005, Hollandia, New Guinea. | [6] |
| N1K1-J 'George' | N1K1-J | 5511 | 7 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no. 7, Clark field, Philippines, June 1945. | 1944 Assigned to the 201st Kōkūtai, with tail code 201-53.[7] |
| N1K1-J 'George' | N1K1-J | 7102 | S9 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no. 9, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | "341-S-23" from 341st Kokutai, 402nd Hikotai, captured at Philippines. |
| Ki-84 'Frank' | Ki-84-I | 1066 | S10 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.10, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | |
| Ki-44 'Tojo' | Ki-44-II Hei | 2068 | S11 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.11, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Assigned to Akeno Kyōdō Hikōshidan |
| J2M 'Jack' | J2M3 | 3008 | S12 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.12, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Attached to the 201 Kōkūtai. Previously been attached to the 381 Kōkūtai, S-602 Hikotai.[8] |
| J2M 'Jack' | J2M3 | 3013 | S13? | May have been tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.13, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Attached to the 381 Kōkūtai, tail code 81-124.[9] |
| Ki-45 'Nick' | Ki-45-Kai Hei | 3303 | S14 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.14, Clark Field, Philippines, 1945. | [10] |
| L2D 'Tabby' | L2D3 | 6240 | S15 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.15, Clark Field, Philippines, 1945. | |
| D4Y 'Judy' | D4Y3 | 3957 | S16 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.16, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Marked "57", captured at Philippines.[11] |
| Ki-84 'Frank' | Ki-84-I | 1446 | S17 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.17, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Assigned to the 2nd Chutai of the 11th Sentai, tail code '46'. |
| Ki-44 'Tojo' | Ki-44-II Hei | 2143[12] | S18 | Repaired, but not tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.18, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Assigned to the 29th Sentai. |
| B6N 'Jill' | B6N2 | Made with components from s/n 3779 and s/n 6745 | S19 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.19, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | "01-35" from 701th Kokutai, 252nd Hikotai, captured at Philippines. |
| Ki-45 'Nick' | Ki-45-Kai Tei | 4268 | S22 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA as aircraft no.22, Clark Field, Philippines, 1945. | |
| G4M 'Betty' | G4M2 | 2134 | Tested by TAIU-SWPA, Clark Field, Philippines, June 1945. | Assigned to the 702nd Hikotai, 763rd Kokutai. Tail 763-12[13] |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Technical_Air_Intelligence_Unit#Other_Technical_Air_Intelligence_Units
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/David_Trojan/Technical%20Air%20Intelligence%20Wreck%20chasing%20in%20the%20Pacific%20during%20the%20war.pdf
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m3/eagle_farm.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/ki-43/lae.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/ki-43/XJ004.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/ki-43/XJ005.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/n1k2/5511.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/j2m/3008.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/j2m/3013.html
- ↑ http://silverhawkauthor.com/japanese-warplanes-of-the-second-world-war-preserved-1-aichi-to-kawanishi-imperial-japanese-army-air-service-and-imperial-japanese-navy-air-service_490.html?printable_version=true
- ↑ http://arawasi-wildeagles.blogspot.nl/2015/02/yokosuka-d4y3-suisei-judy.html
- ↑ https://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/ki-44/index.html
- ↑ https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/g4m/clark.html
- ↑ http://www.risingdecals.com/DyingSun/DyingSun_A.htm
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