The Last Emily : Kanoya's Nishikawa H8K2 Type 2 Flying Boat



The Kawanishi H8K2 Model 12 Type 2 Flying Boat
Allied code name Emily at Kanoya Air Base Museum.
Source Wikipedia

Most of us are familiar with combat aircrafts of World War II like the North American P-51 Mustang, the Supermarine Spitfire, the Messerschmitt Me-109, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the Avro Lancaster and maybe even the Consolidated PBY Catalina. But how about the Kawanishi H8K? I must confess I did not know of its existence until my recent visit to the naval aviation museum of Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima, Japan.






The Kawanishi H8K2 Emily Type 2 Flying Boat. Source : Hasegawa Model Co.

Kawanishi H8K

The Kawanishi H8K was a large 4-engine maritime aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service ( IJNAS ) during WWII. It was commonly known as the Nishiki Hikotei ( 二式飛行艇 ) or Type 2 Flying Boat and its allied reporting name was " Emily ".

It was manufactured by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company ( 川西航空機 ) which was well known for its various seaplanes. Its chief designer was Kikuhara Shizuo ( 菊原静男 ).

The H8K was fast, has a large lifting capacity and very long range. It was robustly built and also has a very comprehensive set of defensive armaments. It saw service between 1941 to 1945 and was deployed in maritime patrol, bombing, reconnaisence and transport missions. Many including the aviation author René Francillon considered it to be one of the most outstanding maritime combat aircraft of WWII. A total of 167 H8K of different variants were built during the War but as of today only one has survivied and it is now displayed at the Kanoya Air Base Museum ( 鹿屋航空基地史料館 ).

Kawanishi H8K2 Model 12 Emily at Kanoya Air Base Museum. Source : Wikipedia

Emily of Kanoya 

The Kanoya Air Base Museum is one of three museums managed by the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ( JMSDF ) and is dedicated to the history of naval aviation. Kanoya Air Base itself was a major IJN airfield during WWII and was extensively involved with conducting Kamikaze suicide attacks during the closing years of the War. Today it is the headquarters of JMSDF's Fleet Air Wing 1 with its P-3C Orion anti-submarine unit, search and rescue unit and 2 helicopter training units.

The museum has a large collection of legacy Cold War era naval aircrafts and helicopters previously in service with the JMSDF but also a restored Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52c Zero fighter and as mentioned the H8K Type 2 flying boat.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the crown jewel of Kanoya has to be the one and only Kawanishi H8K left in the world so much so that the museum has made the flying boat the official museum mascot and has created a caricature in the form of a flying whale called Nishiki Don.

Nishiki Don : the whale mascot of Kanoya Air Base Museum

But how did this Emily, a H8K2 Model 12, end up at Kanoya? I discovered that there was a convoluted story behind the preservation of this Type 2 flying boat. One that began with long trip across the Pacific to the United States, an extended period of storage, a subsequent reunion with its designer and a long drawn campaign to bring it back to Japan.

Some significant land marks in the history of the last Emily.

Survivor

It was said that when Japan surrendered on 15th Aug 1945, there were only four surviving Kawanishi H8Ks in all of Japan. Three of them were air worthy and they were located at the Nanao Auxillary Seaplane Station in Ishikawa Prefecture. However, one crashed and sunk off the coast of Shimane in transit to Takuma Naval Air Station located in Kagawa Prefecture within the Seto Inland Sea. Takuma was then one of the major seaplane base hosting the Type 2 flying boats.

Kawanishi H8K2 Emily Flying Boat beached at a
damaged installation in Japan circa late summer 1945.
Source : Naval History and Heritage Command

By 22nd Aug 1945, all three surviving H8Ks were at Takuma. An unverified source mentioned the US commander only wanted to keep one aircraft for tests and evaluation so the other two were eventually destroyed. To maintain the H8K in flyable condition was a tall order as demobilization was on ongoing and the was just not enough manpower for the up keep of the huge plane. Somehow a seven man team of technicians was recruited from the Kure Naval Arsenal and they had the H8K fixed by October 1945. With a team of six flight crew, Lieutenant-Commander Hitsuji Tsuneo ( 日辻常雄 ) who was then commander Takuma Naval Air Group, successfully flight tested the Type 2 flying boat without any incidents. On 13th November 1945 Hitsuji and his team flew the H8K to Yokohama, tailed by a PBY Catalina. He noted that the journey took him about one and a half hours while the slower Catalina took slightly more than two hours. From Yokohama it was ferried to Naval Air Station ( NAS ) Whidbey Island, Washington, where she was found to be not air worthy. The Emily was then shipped via the Panama Canal to NAS Norfolk where the Overhaul and Repair Facility had the herculean task of overhauling and reassembling the aircraft without the benefit of blueprints, technical manuals and spare parts, starting December 1945.

The Emily had thus far accumulated 15000 flight hours and upon the completion of her refurbishment, she was flight tested on 23rd May 1946 during which she was flown from Hampton Roads to NAS Patuxent River less than 100 miles away. Two engines had malfunctioned during the flight while a third stalled shortly after landing but none of the American aviators were injured. It seemed the Emily would never fly again. At NAS Patuxent River, hydrodynamics tests began on 22nd Aug 1946. By 30th Jan 1947, the test and evaluation program was terminated. The aircraft was taken apart, wrapped up in protective coating, crated up and shipped back to NAS Norfolk where she was mothballed under the responsibility of the Naval Air Rework Facility.

The Hampton Roads Naval Museum blog has an excellent collection photographs and information of the Emily while in the custody of the Americans.

The Japanese Internet Aviation Magazine Contrail ( Hikoki Gumo ) 航空雑誌ヒコーキ雲 has large collection of photographs and information of the Emily after her return to Japan.





Hitsuji Tsuneo wrote the book
The Last Flying Boat ( 最後の飛行艇 )
published by Kojinsha （ 光人社 )



Post War Restructuring

Meanwhile aircraft manufacturing was completely banned beginning from December 1945 during the Allied Occupation and the Nishikawa Aircraft Company tried to transform its business model to cater to a completely different peacetime market. By 1946 it was churning out daily commodities to help alleviate shortages in goods and food. It also made motorcycles and three wheeled light trucks. It was renamed Meiwa Industries in July 1947. In 1949, in compliance with some corporate restructuring law, the company was split and renamed Shin Meiwa Industry Company. Its automotive arm Meiwa Automotive Industries was divested to a certain car company known as Hatsudori Seizo Co, which in 1951 would be renamed Daihatsu Motor Co.

Rid of the automotive arm and retaining its core aircraft manufacturing and overhaul business, Shin Meiwa  ( which means New Meiwa ) soldiered on with heavy machinery and aircraft component manufacturing and eventually saw a change of fortune with the end of the Allied Occupation and the lifting of the aircraft manufacturing ban in 1952. In 1953 it had started to research on a new generation of amphibious aircraft with greater sea-worthiness based on an initial idea by Kikuhara Shizuo, the chief designer of the H8K. By 1957 the research team had successfully overcome two technological hurdles by inventing a wave suppressor and a high lift device which allowed for low take-off and landing speeds, thus paving the way to developing a short take-off and landing seaplane.

However, Shin Meiwa would soon face a new challenge in securing the necessary funds to develop the amphibious plane and the company started pitching the seaplane as the most effective means of anti-submarine patrolling with the hope that the Japanese government would start placing orders. Its PR efforts eventually drew the attention of the US Navy who would then invite Kikuhara to Washington D.C. in 1959.

Reunion and Failed Repatriation  

During his one month tour of the United States, Kikuhara Shizuo had the opportunity to visit many American research facilities including those at NASA. He observed experiments conducted in large scale water troughs and various wind tunnels and spoke with researchers over technical issues. He had also met with high ranking US naval officers and managed to obtain the promise of total support in terms of technology and materials so long as the JMSDF would make an official request. He promptly asked to be given one the US Navy's seaplanes so that he could test the new technology on an experimental plane before further development. His request was eventually accepted and a Grumman HU-16 Albatross was given to the Japanese who reverse engineered and reassembled it to build the UF-XS testbed seaplane. Shin Meiwa would then go on to produce the PS-1 anti-submarine patrol plane and later its SAR variant the US-1.

Kikuhara also toured NAS Norfolk during his working trip to Washington D.C. where he found the mothballed Emily placed in the open. In an article he later wrote for the Japanese magazine Koukuu Jyouhou ( 航空情報 ) or Aviation News, he described the plane as being preserved in fairly good condition. It was wrapped in a special rubber coating like a cocoon and the entrances were sealed. Some kind of air conditioner blew dry air into the interior of the fuselage and kept the humidity level at 28% on the day of the visit and generally less than 30% during the more than 10 years of preservation. He negotiated for its return but was unsuccessful this time as the US had decided on its permanent preservation on American soil.

A year after Kikuhara's visit, in September 1960, the Emily would suffered extensive damage when Hurricane Donna struck and ripped it off its moorings and tipped it over to its starboard side breaking loose engine number 4. Donna was the strongest Atlantic hurricane of 1960 and the strongest to hit the eastern seaboard since 1935.

Photo of Kikuhara Shizuo in an article he wrote in
Koukuu Jyouhou ( Aviation News ) magazine on his American trip
Source Internet Avaition Magazine Hikoki Gumo ( 航空雑誌ヒコーキ雲 )

 

 

The H8K2 Emily at the Tokyo Maritime Science Museum

 

Return To Japan

In the following years, the campaign for the return of the H8K to Japan continued, lead by a prominent psychiatrist Dr Saito Shigeta ( 斎藤茂太 ) ( 1917 - 2006 ) who was also an aviation enthusiast and an essayist. The movement eventually bore fruit in 1978 when the Americans decided to do away with the aircraft due to cost cutting constrains. Of the various organizations and individuals that offered to get the Emily off the hands of the USN, the Tokyo Museum of Maritime Science ( 船の科学館 fune no kagakukan ) was selected as it fulfilled the transfer criteria : it was a non-profit organization and it had the funds for the relocation. The transfer was subsequently approved by Congress and a ceremony was held on 23rd Apr 1979 to mark the event. The Emily departed Norfolk on 31st May 1979 and was put on a cargo ship the New Jersey which arrived at the Oi Container Terminal in Tokyo on 13th July. One week later, the H8K was transferred to the Tokyo Museum of Maritime Science and Lt-Commander Hitsuji was in attendance at the receiving ceremony. Restoration works commenced on 20th Feb 1980. The restored H8K was unveiled to the public on 27th March 1982, becoming part of the outdoor exhibit of the Maritime Science Museum until 2004 when it was finally relocated to Kanoya Air Base Museum.




Dr Saito Shigeta was instrumental in
the eventual return of the H8K to Japan

The reasons for the transfer to Kanoya was not apparent to me but it may have something to do with the death of the Museum of Maritime Science's founding president Sasakawa Ryouichi ( 笹川良一 ) in 1995 and perhaps to the lack of funding from his Sasakawa Foundation ( later Nippon Foundation ) thereafter. The museum has been effectively closed since 2011 with only a few ships still open to the public at its annex location. Sasakawa was a shady and controversial Japanese businessman with connections with the political elites and the underworld. He was once imprisoned as a class A war criminal from 1945 to 1948 but was subsequently released without facing charges. He made his fortunes supplying the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria from 1932 and post war through monopoly of the betting activities on motor boat racing, among other things.

The Emily displayed at the Maritime Science Museum whose main building
takes the shape of a ship. This old image was dated Dec 1997 

 

 

 

The H8K2 Model 12 taking-off. Source : Hasegawa Model Co.

 

 

 

Aircraft Specifications H8K2 Model 12

Length  :  28.13m
Width   :  38.00m
Height  :  9.15m
Wing Area : 160m²
Empty Weight  :  18400kg
Gross Weight    :  24500kg
Maximum Weight : 32500kg
Powerplant : 4 x Mitsubishi Kasei MK4Q Model 22  14 cylinder air-cooled radial piston each 1850hp
Max Speed : 453 km/h at 5000m altitude
Range : 7200km
Armament : 5 x 20mm Type 99 cannon
                    4 x 7.7mm Type 92 machine guns with another 3 in reserve
                    2 x 800kg torpedoes or
                    2000kg of bombs and depth charges
Radar         : Mark VI Model 1 ASV radar.
Compliment : 10                    
Take-off Distance 295m


The photographs below from Hasegawa Model Co show the completed 1:72 scale model of the Nishikawa H8K2 Model 12 with decals exactly as the last Emily at Kanoya. The tail code T indicates this aircraft operated out of Takuma Naval Air Station. Earlier during the War the IJNAS used the hiragana たく ( taku ) instead on aircrafts from Takuma.

Seaplane Tender Akitsushima

When writing about the H8K, it is impossible to omit the mention of the seaplane tender that maintain, resupply and repair the Type 2 flying boat in theatre. The IJNS Akitsushima ( 秋津洲 ) was a seaplane tender specifically built to handle the large seaplanes of the IJN. Its most unique feature was the 35 ton crane near the stern that was capable of lifting the 31 ton H8K. The 5000 ton ship can carry 689 tons of aviation fuel, 36 torpedoes and almost 62 tons of bombs ( 100 x 60kg, 100 x 250kg, 15 x 500kg, 30 x 800kg ). It can accommodate the H8K on its deck but only when in anchorage since the wingspan of 38m was much greater than the beam of the ship at 15.8m. It was just not possible with the rolling motion when the ship was underway.

IJNS Akitsushima with its fancy camouflage. Source Wikipaedia

 

IJNS Akitsushima with its fancy camouflage 1:700 scale. Source : Aoshima Model Co

IJNS Akitsushima with H8K on deck. Source Aoshima Model Co.

Erroneous depiction : Akitsushima underway with Emily onboard!
Not possible! Source : Aoshima Model Co 

 

Preserving Emily

As usual, in the immediate aftermath of many conflicts, the last thing in the minds of either the victor or the vanquished would be to save some war relic for future historical and heritage purposes. There were just too many other urgent and pressing issues to settle, like the demobilization and repatriation of veterans and the resettlement of refugees, food shortages, re-establishing the healthcare system, nation rebuilding etc.

The Kawanishi H8K was a brilliant piece of aero-nautical engineering representing the best of Japanese wartime aircraft design and manufacturing capabilities. It was unfortunate that only one would survived the War and would be taken away from Japan, rightfully by the Americans as the victors.

To the credit of the Americans, they did not simply discard or scrap the H8K after toying with it but instead mothballed it. Since they were short on funds, the USN could have donated the Emily to the National Air Museum ( subsequently renamed Smithsonian Air and Space Museum ) whom I am sure would be very glad to have her, especially knowing that this was the last H8K in the world. However, should that have happened, the Emily would become just another aircraft among the thousands of equally rare and precious aircrafts in the Smithsonian collection.

It would have been more meaningful for the Emily to be returned to Japan, to be treasured and to be seen by the generations of Japanese who has never experienced the horrors of war. Fortunately the perseverance of Saito Shigeta and his follow countrymen eventually saw the Emily being returned her country of origin. I cannot imagine what would have gone through the mind of chief designer Kikuhara Shizuo when he found his Emily languishing in Norfolk and the anguish of not being able to successfully negotiate for her return. It was after all his creation. After 33 years of solitude in America, it was like a fairy tale ending that the Emily was received by her last Japanese pilot commander Hitsuji Tsuneo on her return to Japan.

The Emily has out-lived her designers, builders and the airmen and technicians that maintained and flew her. At Kanoya, she will continue to inspire future generations of aeronautical engineers, airmen and educate, Japanese and foreign visitors alike, about Japan's dark wartime history.

Foot Note

A flying boat is a fixed-wing seaplane with a hull that allows landing on water. Its purpose-designed fuselage gives the aircraft buoyancy and allows it to float on the water surface. It usually does not have any sort of landing gear to allow operations on land. The wheels on the H8K, known as beaching wheels, are not designed to withstand the impact of landing on an airstrip.

A floatplane in contrast uses floats beneath the fuselage to provide buoyancy. The fuselage is lifted above the water surface by struts and supports.

An amphibious plane is a seaplane, either flying boat or floatplane, that is also fitted with landing gear that allow for take-off and landing on land


Shin Meiwa Industries has been rebranded ShinMaywa Industries since 1992 in an attempt to make the company name more pronounceable for foreigners. It currently produces the US-2 SAR amphibian, an evolved version of the US-1.

The Wind Rises : Jiro, Zero And Contrails 風立ちぬ : 堀越二郎 . 零戦 . ひこうき雲

 



The Mitsubishi Zero A6M2b of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Zero fighter is also known as the Zerosen ( 零戦 ). Photo : Tamiya


 

The Wind Rises

The Wind Rises ( 風立ちぬ Kaze Tachinu ) is a 2013 Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki ( 宮崎駿 ) and animated by Studio Ghibili ( スタジオジブリ ). It is a fictionalized biopic about Jiro Horikoshi ( 堀越二郎 1903 - 1982 ), the principal designer of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter which dominated the skies of the Pacific Theatre at the beginning of World War II. The film is adapted from Miyazaki's manga of the same name which in turn was loosely based on the 1937 short story The Wind Has Risen by Tatsuo Hori ( 堀辰雄 1904 - 1953 ).

It won widespread critical acclaim, being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. According to the Motion Pictures Producers Association of Japan, The Wind Rises was the top grossing film in Japan for 2013, raking in a total of JPY12.02 billion ( USD120 million ).

Its success in Japan is no doubt aided by the beautiful animation rendered by the artists of Studio Ghibili, the gripping and thought provoking story line and the equally captivating theme song Hikokigumo ( Contrails ), composed and sung by Arai Yumi ( 荒井由実 ). It also helps when the Zero, Imperial Japan's best fighter aircraft of World War II, still lives in the hearts and minds of many Japanese, including the younger generation born after the War, attaining some kind of cult status.

Elsewhere, in North America, Studio Ghibili's films are distributed by Walt Disney through its Touchstone Pictures label. In the United Kingdom, the film was distributed by StudioCanal.

The Japanese movie poster for Hayao Miyazaki's
The Wind Rises. 



The Japanese movie poster for Hayao Miyazaki's
The Wind Rises. 




The Wind Rises is a Studio Ghibili film by the
award winning director Hayao Miyazaki.



Studio Ghibili and Hayao Miyazaki

It is not possible to fully appreciate The Wind Rises without understanding a little bit more about the studio and its famed director. Hayao Miyazaki was born on 5th Jan 1941 in Tokyo, Japan. The Miyazaki family owned an aircraft company, Miyazaki Aviation ( 宮崎航空興学 ), which had a profitable business making rudders for the Zero fighter during WWII. As a young child, he experienced the horrors of the night time firebombing raids by the USAAF on Utsunomiya, an industrial city 100km north of Tokyo. This would turn out to have a profound effect on Miyazaki for the rest of his life, contributing to his anti-war and pacifist outlook. Lacking physical prowess and frequently sick as a child, Miyazaki became an avid reader especially of illustrated books and had aspired to be a manga author from a tender age. His interest in animation started after being captivated by The Legend of the White Snake ( 白蛇伝 Hakujaden ), Japan's first full color animation, in 1958. He taught himself to draw, and was influenced by Impressionist such as Paul Cezanne.

After graduating from the prestigious Gukushuin University with a degree in Political Science and Economics in 1963, he joined Toei Animation ( Sailor Moon, Dragonball, Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999 ) as an artist. It was at Toei that his talents as an animator and a story teller was recognized. He directed his first feature anime film The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979. His next film, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, an adaptation of his science-fantasy manga of the same name set in a post-apocalyptic world full of strange plants and giant insects, was released in 1984. In it we could already see many of the recurring themes that Miyazaki would continue to explore in his later films, including his fascination with flight and flying machines, the impact of mankind and their interactions with the environment and his anti-war stance. The film's success paved the way for Miyazaki's co-founding of Studio Ghibili in 1985 with fellow director Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki and his life long collaboration with composer Joe Hisaishi ( 久石譲 ).

Laputa : Castle in the Sky, released in 1986 was Studio Ghibili's first film. It won the Animage Anime Grand Prix that year. What followed in 1988 was Grave of the Fireflies, directed by Takahata, about the desperate struggle for survival of two young siblings amidst the bombing raids on Kobe during the closing months of WWII with a very tragic ending. At the same time, Studio Ghibili released another film My Neighbour Totoro, directed by Miyazaki, about two young sisters in post-war rural Japan interacting with friendly forest spirits that would prove to be its greatest success, so much so that the iconic Totoro character, now a household name, even features on the studio's logo. Many more animated films followed, like Kiki's Delivery Service ( 1989 ), Porco Rosso ( 1992 ) from which we could sense Miyazaki's nostalgia for the scenes and traditional way of life in pre-war Japan and his love for old-styled European architecture.

From 1996, partnership with Disney to distribute Ghibili films outside of Japan enabled the studio to reach out to an international audience. Americans and Europeans were exposed to the Ghibili magic through films like Princess Mononoke ( 1997 ), Spirited Away ( 2001 ) which won the Acedemy Awards for best animated feature in 2003, Howl's Moving Castle ( 2004 ), Tales from Earthsea ( 2006 ), Ponyo ( 2008 ) and Arrietty ( 2010 ).

In 2001, the Ghibili Museum was established in Mitaka ( 三鷹 ), a suburb of Tokyo. Specially designed for children, it contains exhibits of Studio Ghibili's films and animations and features Ghibili's short films exclusive to the museum. The museum is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike and tickets have to be booked way in advance and are frequently sold out.

Throughout his career as a manga artist, author, animator, screen writer, producer and film director that has spanned five decades, Hayao Miyazaki has established himself as one of the greatest name in the history of animation. Now 75 years old, he had repeatedly tried to retire for a total of six times in the past, only to return to the studio each time after a short hiatus. After the release of The Wind Rises in 2013, he announced his retirement from making full length feature films and so far it seems for real. If so it could be the biggest lost for fans of Studio Ghibili because nobody it seems could step into the shoes of Hayao Miyazaki.

Hayao Miyazaki in a 2009 photo. Wikipaedia

Totoro, a cat-like guardian of the forest with a physique strikingly similar to
Snorlax of Pokémon Go, adorns the Studio Ghibili logo. In the animation
My Neighbour Totoro, it slumbers in its den beneath the roots of a giant
camphor tree. I suspect Snorlax has its origins in Totoro. Image : Studio Ghibili.

The Story

The year was 1918. Schoolboy Jiro Horikoshi wanted to be a pilot but was prevented from achieving his dream because of his severe short-sightedness. He read about the famous Italian aircraft designer Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni and dreamt about him. In his dream Caproni told him that he had never flown a plane in his life and that constructing them is far better than flying them.

Five years later, amidst the post-war economic depression of the early Twenties where poverty and diseases ruled, Horikoshi was travelling by train to study aeronautical engineering at the Tokyo Imperial University when he met a young girl Naoko and her maid by chance. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 struck, injuring Naoko's maid. Horikoshi helped to bring Naoko and her maid back to their home in Tokyo but left without leaving a contact.

In 1927, Horikoshi graduated from the university and began working at the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company. He was tasked to design a fighter plane for the Imperial Army but the aircraft broke apart during trials and was rejected by the Army. Dejected from the seemingly pitiful state of the Japanese aviation industry, Horikoshi was sent to Germany in 1929 to understudy the Germans and to obtain a production license for the Junkers G.38. He dreamt about Caproni again, who told him about the beauty of airplanes, even if humans subjected them to evil uses.

In 1932, Horikoshi became the chief designer for a new naval fighter, but his design again failed to impress and was rejected by the Navy. Depressed from his setbacks, Horikoshi took a break and went to the highland retreat of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture. There, again by chance, he was reunited with an older Naoko. They fell in love and became engaged, but Horikoshi learned that Naoko was suffering from tuberculosis, then an incurable infectious disease. Naoko had initially refused to marry Horikoshi until her illness was cured, opting to recuperate at the alpine sanatorium when Horikoshi returned to work on his prototype. However, unable to bear the pain of separation, Naoko eventually left the sanatorium for the city and the couple was married. They enjoyed a brief period of marital bliss until Naoko's illness deteriorated for the worst.

By 1935, Horikoshi eventually perfected his design, the Mitsubishi A5M, predecessor of the A6M Zero. At the test site, Horikoshi felt a gust of wind after the successful conclusion of the trials and he sensed the passing of Naoko.

Fast forward to the summer of 1945. Japan had lost the War and suffered untold destruction and loss of lives in the process. Horikoshi again dreamt of Caproni and told him that he regretted that his aircrafts had been used for war. A group of Zeros flew past and their pilots saluted Horikoshi. Caproni comforted him, saying that at least his desire for building beautiful planes was accomplished. In his dream, Naoko appeared and urged Jiro to live his life to the fullest. " The wind has risen, we must try to live! ". ( 風立ちぬ、いざ生きめやも )

Horikoshi Jiro and the Type 9 prototype that would evolve into the
Mishibishi Type 96 A5M Claude.

This is the official UK trailer with the film score only :

You can watch the official US trailer with the abbreviated Hikokigumo theme song below :

The Theme Song : Hikokigumo ( Contrails )

While most of Studio Ghibili's animated films have theme songs that were composed specifically for them, that of The Wind Rises was selected from an old album of famed singer and song writer Yumi Arai ( 荒井由実 ), also known by her nickname Yuming and married name Yumi Matsutoya ( 松任谷由実 ). That song was Hikokigumo, from the album of the same name released in Nov 1973 ( EMI Records Japan ). The word Hikokigumo ( 飛行機雲 ) literally translates to aircraft cloud, or contrail.

Born in 1954, Yumi had started her career in the song and entertainment industry at an early age of 14 years old. When she was 16 years old one of her acquaintance, an old classmate from elementary school, committed suicide by jumping from height after a long battle with muscular dystrophy, a hereditary degenerative disease that has no cure. She composed the song Hikokigumo out of sadness. Although beautifully written, Hikokigumo was never an initial success compared to her other songs. Almost four decades would have passed before Toshio Suzuki brought the song to the attention of Miyazaki in 2012, believing that it suited the film The Wind Rises very well.

When Miyazaki decided to use Hikokigumo as the theme song of his movie, Yumi was overjoyed not least because the song had finally received the recognition that it deserved. With the release of the feature film in the summer of 2013, Hikokigumo became an instant hit in Japan.






Cover art of Yuming x Studio Ghibili Hikokigumo 40th Anniversary
Commemorative CD+DVD Limited Edition 2013 featuring
 " Contrails " ( Hikoukigumo ひこうき雲 ) by Arai Yumi 荒井由実.

Many people would be moved to tears if only they could understand what the lyrics in Japanese were trying to say.

You can hear Hikokigumo being sung by Japanese singer Aya Matauura ( 松浦亜弥 ) at the Luxury Christmas Night 2013 Concert ( 21/22 Dec 2013 )  below :　




ひこうき雲
Hikoukigumo

作詞：荒井由実
Lyrics : Arai Yumi

作曲：荒井由実
Composed By : Arai Yumi

白い坂道が　空まで続いていた
Shiroi Sakamichi ga Sora made Tsuzuiteita

ゆらゆらかげろうが　あの子を包む
Yurayura kagerouga Anoko wo Tsutsumu

誰も気づかず　ただひとり
Daremo Kizukazu Tada Hitori

あの子は昇ってゆく
Anoko wa Nobotte Yuku

何もおそれない　そして舞い上がる
Nanimo Osorenai Soshite Maiagaru

空に憧れて　空をかけてゆく
Sora ni Akogarete Sora o Kakete Yuku

あの子の命はひこうき雲
Anoko no Inochiwa Hikouki Gumo

高いあの窓で　あの子は死ぬ前も
Takai Ano Madode Anokowa Shinu Maemo

空を見ていたの　今はわからない
Sora o Mi teitano Ima wa Wakaranai

ほかの人には　わからない
Hokanohitoni wa Wakaranai

あまりにも若すぎたと
Amari nimo Wakasugita to

ただ思うだけ　けれどしあわせ
Tada Omou dake Keredo Shiawase

空に憧れて　空をかけてゆく
Sora ni Akogarete Sora o Kakete Yuku

あの子の命はひこうき雲
Anoko no Inochiwa Hikouki Gumo

空に憧れて　空をかけてゆく
Sora ni Akogarete Sora o Kakete Yuku

あの子の命はひこうき雲
Anoko no Inochiwa Hikouki Gumo


Translated :


Contrails

The white sloping road continues on to the sky
The shimmering heat wave envelopes the child
Nobody seems to notice, she is all alone
The child ascends
She does not have any fears, she soars up high
Yearning for the sky, dashing across the sky
Contrails are the child's life
Through the high window, even before her death
She was gazing at the sky, nobody knows if she still does
The other people do not understand
Only thinking that she is too young
But she is happy
Yearning for the sky, dashing across the sky
Contrails are the child's life
Yearning for the sky, dashing across the sky
Contrails are the child's life

Farewell Masterpiece

How could one tell the story of the creator of the Zero without glorifying the War or the machine? Hayao Miyazaki had proven that it was possible, and he did it in his own stunning way. It celebrated the life and achievements of Jiro Horikoshi while reminding us about the fragility of the human life and the terrible consequences of war.

The Wind Rises had been hailed as Miyazaki's farewell masterpiece. Over the years he had established his unique style of storytelling and illustration that nobody could duplicate, not his long time partner Isao Takahata, not even his own son Goro Miyazaki. When combined with the beautiful film score composed by Joe Hisaishi and the heart wrenching theme song Hikokigumo by Arai Yumi, you get a rare timeless gem of an epic that everybody should watch.

My Blu-Ray + DVD from Amazon

 

Fine Molds has a 1/48 Scale model of the Type 9 Fighter.

Fine Molds also has a 1/48 Scale Jiro no Tori gata Hikouki ( Jiro's Bird Airplane )

 

 

Footnote

On Jiro Horikoshi


Dr Horikoshi Jiro was born on 22nd Jun 1903 in the city of Fujioka in Japan's Gunma Prefecture. He studied at the Tokyo Imperial University from 1924 and graduated with honors from the Faculty of Engineering's Aviation Department. After graduation, he joined the Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Company in 1927, the predecessor of today's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Nagoya Aircraft Manufacturing Plant which built the X-2 ATD-X experimental stealth fighter.

By 1932, five years into his employment, he was appointed the chief designer for the flawed Mitsubishi Type 7 Fighter ( aka A3M1 ) for the Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ), then an advanced single seat monoplane design in an era still dominated by bi-planes. The project unfortunately never went into fruition and was cancelled after two of the prototypes crashed. He was then sent on a study trip to Europe and America for a year and a half to learn cutting edge aviation technology.

In 1934, Horikoshi was involved in designing another fighter for the IJN. Initially known as the Type 9 Fighter, the first prototype had advanced features such as smooth surfaces to increase aerodynamic efficiency and an innovative inverted gull-wing design. This unusual wing shape was prominently featured in Miyazaki's animation, with gliders and Zero fighters all having this trait.

The Type 9 prototype with inverted gull wings. Image : Fine Molds

Success finally came in 1935, when Horikoshi's prototype number 2 with straight wings was adopted by the IJN as the navy's first all metal monoplane fighter. This carrier-borne fighter was also known as the Type 96 or the Mitsubishi A5M ( Allied code name Claude ).

The Type 96 or Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude at the Shizuoka Hobby Show 2016.
Photo : Response

The A5M barely entered service in 1937 when the IJN started looking for its successor, with special emphasis on great speed, high rate of climb, super endurance and with maneuverability at least on par, all with existing Japanese engine designs. Horikoshi, by then Mitsubishi's chief designer, achieved the near impossible by drastically reducing the weight of the aircraft through the use of new light-weight aluminum alloys and compromising on armour protection and self-sealing tanks. The result was the Type 0, otherwise known as the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, allied code name Zeke. The Zero or Zerosen as the Japanese called it was the most advanced carrier-based fighter at the outbreak of the Pacific War in late 1941. It could out-fly, out-climb and out-maneuver any of the Allied fighters of that time and it had the longest range of any single-engine fighter in the world. Its only weakness was ballistic protection, where the lack of self sealing tanks made the Zero likely to explode in a fireball after being hit by enemy fire.

Horikoshi would continue to design other fighters for the IJN throughout the War, including the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden ( 雷電 Allied code name Jack ) and the Mitsubishi A7M Reppu ( 烈風 Allied code name Sam ) which did not see service when the War ended. Despite his close working relationship with the Japanese military and his direct involvement in building some of Japan's war machines, Horikoshi was strongly opposed to what he regarded as a futile war against the United States. He was well aware of the industrial might of the United States and had fervently hoped that his country would have some sort of exit strategy from the Pacific War before its inevitable defeat and destruction. As the war progressed, he experienced first hand the horrific nature of the USAAF's bombing raids on Nagoya where his manufacturing plant was located.




The Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden ( Allied code name Jack ). 
Raiden ( 雷電 ) means thunder and lightning in Japanese. Photo : Hasegawa

After the War, he was involved in the design of the YS-11, a twin-engine turboprop airliner. He eventually retired from the restructured Mitsubishi and took up lecturing posts first at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Space and Aeronautics ( 1963 -65 ) and later at the National Defense Academy ( 1965 - 69 ) and finally at Nihon University's Faculty of Engineering ( 1972 - 73 ). He died of pneumonia in a hospital in Tokyo on 11th Jan 1982, age 78.

To set the records straight, Horikoshi married his wife Sumako Sasaki ( 佐々木須磨子 ) through an arranged marriage in 1932. They were blessed with six children. Sumako never had tuberculosis and therefore was never associated with any sanatorium stay. The Great Kanto Earthquake did happen in 1923 and caused widespread destruction in Greater Tokyo, but Naoko and the train journey were fictitious. The alpine resort of Karuizawa ( 軽井沢 ) does exist and today is only about an hour away from Tokyo by the Hokuriku Shinkansen（ 北陸新幹線 ). It is right at the foothills of Mount Asama ( 浅間山 ), an active volcano. Apart from the many hotspring ryokans, there is also a Premium Factory Outlet. The area is popular as a ski resort in winter.

Tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis germ is today curable through the use of special antibiotic regimes that usually involves the combination of two or sometimes three different drugs with long treatment durations of between three to nine months. Rifampicine, Ethambuthol and Isoniazid are some of the anti-tuberculous antibiotics available to the modern physician, but the disease is having a world wide resurgence due to the HIV epidemic and the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains. The movie is a powerful reminder that it wasn't too long ago that being diagnosed with tuberculosis was the equivalent of getting a death sentence ......

 

 

 

Horikoshi Jiro when he was student at the
Tokyo Imperial University in 1924. Wikipedia

 

Undated photo of Sasaki Sumako. Image : Nippon Television Network Corporation

 

Zerosen Forever



I wouldn't include the technical specifications of the different variants of the Zero Fighter in this article. You can read for yourselves here. I believe the Zero or Zerosen ( 零戦 ) as it is commonly called in Japan has a special place in the hearts of many modern Japanese, young and old alike. As Miyazaki himself puts it, the Zero is one of the few things that the Japanese people can still be proud of. Unfortunately, although the Zero was produced in greater numbers than any other Japanese combat aircraft during the War not many examples of this legendary aircraft survived. Many were sacrificed as Kamikaze suicide attack aircrafts ( 神風特攻隊 ) in the closing months of WWII. Only a handful escaped destruction and were preserved, some having been dredged up from beneath the sea or salvaged from tropical forests in the Pacific Theatre from their crash sites and carefully restored, sometimes with parts from different aircrafts. The only Zero with its original Sakae radial engine still in flying condition is in private collection in California.

Numerous books had been written about the Zero, but the most notable has to be the two books co-authored and authored by Horikoshi Jiro himself. In 1956 he co-wrote the book Zerosen with Okumiya Masatake, a general in the JASDF and a former naval commander who had led Zero fighters during the War. It was published in the US that same year as Zero: The Story of Japan's Air War in the Pacific. His memoirs on the development of the Zero was published in Japan in 1970 and was translated and published in English in 1981 as Eagles of Mitsubishi : The Story of the Zero Fighter.

Zerosen by Okumiya and Horikoshi.

The memoirs of Horikoshi Jiro.

Lastly, how could I be so sure that the iconic Zero still rules Japan more than 70 years after the end of WWII? Just consider this : Japanese plastic model maker Tamiya alone lists 13 different types of the Zero fighter of various scale on its website. I didn't even bother to check on Hasegawa, Fujimi and Aoshima Models. And then there was also another full length movie Eien no Zero ( 永遠の0 ), also known as The Eternal Zero adapted from the book of the same name and released in 2014 ..... but that could be for another article.

Various Zero scale models available from Tamiya.

 

The Eternal Zero French movie poster. Image IMDb

 

 

The Eternal Zero English movie poster. Image gstatic.com

The Eternal Zero clips and song in English :

Finally, try to beat this : the only air worthy Zero in Japan overflew the
quake damaged Kumamoto City on 31st May 2016,
sporting Kumamon next to the Rising Sun Roundel beneath the wings.
Kumamon, or Bear Monster is the official mascot of Kumamoto.

Japan's Soryu Class Submarine : Collins Replacement Prime Contender

The Collins Class Submarine

 

HMAS Sheean SSG-77 conducting air sea safety assessment with a Seahawk helicopter from HMAS Adelaide off Garden Island, Western Australia. RAN Photo.

 

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently has a fleet of 6 Collins class diesel-electric hunter-killer submarines (SSK) in its arsenal. They were designed in collaboration with Kockums AB of Sweden and largely built in New South Wales, Australia, by the then newly formed Australian Submarine Corporation. They are essentially enlarged versions of the original ( non-AIP )Vastergotland class submarine which then served the Royal Swedish Navy. The RAN classifies them as " Guided Missile Submarine, Diesel-Electric " or SSGs, obviously referring to the Sub Harpoon missile launching capability. The are named after distinguished former members of the Australian Navy. They have pennant numbers from SSG-73 to SSG-78.

At 3100 tonnes surfaced and 3400 tonnes submerged, they were then the world's largest modern non-nuclear submarines. Among the first to be totally designed with computer-aided techniques, they were supposed to be highly automated, have long endurances, quiet, fast and pack a powerful punch. From the RAN webpage "Designed to be as quiet as advanced technology can achieve, Collins Class submarines have been developed from five generations of submarines designed and built by the Swedish Navy."

However, the reality was that the entire Collins project was fraught with problems and delays right from day one and even to this day. The Aussies made the fundamental mistake of taking a completely new submarine design and having it built domestically at a new boat yard with no prior history or experience of submarine construction.

First of class HMAS Collins was laid down in 1990 and commissioned in 1996 while the 6th boat HMAS Rankin was laid down in 1995 and commissioned in 2003. Shortly after that in 2005 the boats were to undergo extensive upgrades to the combat control system just to remain operational, although they also gained additional weapons capabilities like the Mk 48 ADCAP torpedoes.

With availability between 0 to 2 boats at any one time in the past few years, the RAN's submarine force only exist on paper. It is no wonder that the planning for the Collins replacement started as early as 2009, barely 6 years after the last boat HMAS Rankin was commissioned.



SSG-78 HMAS Rankin, the newest of the six Collins class SSK. Royal Australian Navy Photo.

 

 

 

 

 

Ship's Crest of all six Collins boats according to seniority from top to bottom. Source : RAN

Australia's SEA1000 Future Submarine Project




Boldly sailing into the sunset? HMAS Waller SSG-75 off the Fremantle coast in preparation for submarine escape and rescue exercise. RAN Photo

 

The SEA1000 Collins replacement project, otherwise known as the コリンズ級潜水艦更新計画 to the Japanese, aims to have the 6 troubled Collins Class conventionally powered submarines replaced by 10 to 12 boats by the year 2030 - 2040. It is expected to cost the Australian Government an estimated A$36 to A$44 billion. The four broad options they have would include :

- Buying military off the shelf designs. Though safest might not meet RAN requirements.
- Buying military off the shelf designs modified to Australian specifications and built in the country of origin. This mitigates some of the risks relating to both the design and the construction.
- Buying military off the shelf designs modified to Australian specifications and built in Australia. Deja vu.
- Commissioning a completely new design solely for the RAN built anywhere. Synonymous with kamikaze.

With the Collins fiasco still fresh in their minds, the Aussies naturally would want to focus on a proven design this time round. To have made the same mistake twice would be really moronic and unforgivable. So the most likely option to be selected would be the modified off the shelf design built elsewhere.

 Like I have mentioned in my previous article, there are not many options when shopping for a submarine as there are only a handful of exporters worldwide. In the past 20 years since the commissioning of HMAS Collins, the submarine's designer Kockums AB had become part of the German ship building conglomerate ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) through a series of mergers and acquisitions. The submarine's builder the Australian Submarine Corporation which initially started out as a joint venture between Kockums AB, the Australian Industry Development Corporation and 2 other private companies was also nationalised and is currently known as ASC Pte Ltd.

TKMS actually has a design that is supposedly catered for Australia's special needs in its subsidiary Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft's (HDW) Type 216 diesel-electric submarine. Although its design is somewhat based on the existing Type 212A used by the German and the Italian navies, the Type 216 is substantially bigger ( 4000 tonnes versus 1800 tonnes ) and has yet to be built. That alone would make it much lass palatable to the Aussies.



Artist's impression of the TKMS HDW Type 216 SSK Source : TKMS

To sum it up, Australia needs a conventional diesel-electric submarine (SSK) with almost the size of a nuclear powered submarine (SSN), this to enable it to have the range and endurance to patrol her vast coastline. Australia also needs it fast, like yesterday. Ok I exaggerate, by 2025 or thereabouts, when the first Collins boat are due to retire, not a lot of lead time by naval procurement timelines actually. Lastly Australia is looking for a proven design, and that sole candidate came from an until recently unexpected source - Japan with her Soryu class ocean going fleet submarine with air-independent propulsion (AIP), quiet, big, lethal, in operation since 2009.

As an added bonus to the Aussies, the Soryu class SSKs have onboard the Sterling AIP engine made by Kockums AB / TKMS so in that sense there would be some continuity with the Collins class should the Soryu be chosen. Japanese? Hey, these guys were building fleet carriers during our grandfather's time.

The History of Submarine Building In Japan

Japan has a long history in submarine construction which started as far back as 1904 when 5 Holland  Class submarines were bought from the United States of America. They were originally built at the Fore River Ship and Engine Company in Quincy, Massachusetts and shipped to Yokohama in knock-down kit form from Seattle. They were assembled at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (横須賀海軍工廠), then Japan's largest naval shipyard, with the assistance of an American naval architect Arthur Leopold Busch.



The first Japanese submarine of the Holland Class, aka Type 1 Submarine ( 第一型潜水艦 Daiichi Gata Sensuikan ). Photo : Wikipedia

 

That same year, the Kawasaki Dockyard Company or Kawasaki Zosensho (川崎造船所) as it is known in Japanese, purchased modified plans of the Holland Class submarine from the designer John Philip Holland directly and went on to build 2 boats with the help of 2 American engineers who had been Holland's assistants.

The following year, Japan bought 2 British C class submarines from the shipbuilder Vickers, Sons and Maxim and went on to assemble another 3 from kits at the Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure Kaigun Kosho (呉海軍工廠),, as it is known in Japanese. By 1909, Japan had launched her first submarine tender ( support / supply ship ) and had built a sizeable fleet of ocean going submarines before World War I had ended.

As one of the Allied victor countries at the end of World War I, Japan not only took control of the numerous German territories in the Southern Pacific like the Caroline Islands ( modern day Micronesia and Palau ) as mandated by the League of Nations, she was also given several captured German submarines as the spoils of war. This greatly accelerated her submarine design and building efforts and by the outbreak of World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) would have the greatest variety of submarines available for all sorts of mission. From fleet submarines that could cross oceans to transport and supply submarines, mine laying submarines, even aircraft carrying monsters like the 6500 tonne I-400, midget submarines that are designed to infiltrate naval bases and harbours and eventually to suicide submarines like the Kaitens towards the end of the War.



Kaiten Type 1 human torpedo displayed at the Yasukuni War Memorial Museum in Tokyo. Kaiten (回天) literally means return to heaven but the name actually originated from an older man-of-war of the Edo era, a wooden steamer known as the Kaiten Maru (回天丸). Photo : Wikipedia 

  

The I-400 sea plane carrier submarine. Note the aft deck gun and the crane for lifting the Aichi M6A Seiran seaplane (see below). Photo : Wikipedia

  

The Aichi M6A1 Seiran (晴嵐) seaplane. The I-400 can carry 3 of these seaplanes internally. One of the M6A actually carried out a bombing raid on continental US, attempting to start a forest fire in Oregon by dropping incendiary bombs. Photo : Wikipedia

 

Following her defeat in World War II, the naval yards in Sasebo, Kure and Yokosuka were either converted to commercial entities or became facilities to support and maintain the ships of the US Navy and the newly formed Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), also known as the Kaijojieitai (海上自衛隊) in Japanese. There was a lapse of more than ten years where Japan did not build any submarines. That changed in 1957 when the first generation Oyashio (おやしお) class submarine was constructed by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe based on the old IJN I-200 design and some US innovations.

 

SS-511 JDS Oyashio ( first generation ) : The first post war Japanese built submarine. Source : Wikipedia

 

Since then, there had been several successive generations of diesel-electric submarines constructed by Japan, including the Oshio class (1963), the Arashio class (1964), the Uzushio class (1968), the Yushio class (1976), the Harushio class (1987), the new generation Oyashio class (1994) and of course the latest Soryu class (2005) with air-independent propulsion.




The new generation Oyashio Class SSK currently in service with the JMSDF. Photo : JMSDF




The new generation Oyashio Class SSK performing the emergency main ballast blow maneuver. Photo : JMSDF 

The Soryu Class SSK

The Soryu class submarine is the latest generation of conventionally powered hunter killer submarine with air-independent propulsion built for the JMSDF. It has a displacement of 2900 tonnes surfaced and 4200 tonnes submerged, the largest displacement of any submarine used by post war Japan. Although all previous generations of JMSDF submarines have been named after ocean currents ( 潮 shio in Japanese means current ), the Soryu class breaks away from this half a century old tradition by being named after auspicious mythical creatures, some of which might include the dragon, the phoenix, the pheasant and the kirin. In this case, the entire class is named after dragons (竜 ryu).

SS-501 Soryu ( そうりゅう, in kanji 蒼竜 ) Blue Dragon
SS-502 Unryu ( うんりゅう, in kanji 雲竜 ) Cloud Dragon
SS-503 Hakuryu ( はくりゅう, in kanji 白竜) White Dragon
SS-504 Kenryu ( けんりゅう, in kanji 剣竜) Sword Dragon
SS-505 Zuiryu ( ずいりゅう, in kanji 瑞竜) Auspicious Dragon
SS-506 Kokuryu ( こくりゅう, in kanji 黒竜) Black Dragon
SS-507 Jinryu ( じんりゅう, in kanji 仁竜) Humane Dragon
SS-508 Sekiryu ( せきりゅう, in kanji 赤竜 ) Red Dragon  ( named on 2nd Nov 2015 )

SS-509 is under construction and yet to be named. SS-510 and SS-511 are planned. Now I am no naval historian or ship naming expert but if I were to hazard a guess, likely names for these future boats may include Shoryu (翔竜) Flying Dragon, same pronunciation but in different kanji character, Shoryu (祥竜) Blessed Dragon, Hiryu (飛竜) Soaring Dragon, Tenryu (天竜) Heavenly Dragon, Kairyu (海竜) Sea Dragon.

Update 7th Jan 2017 - SS-509 had been launched on 12th Oct 2016 and is named the Seiryu ( せいりゅう, in kanji 清瀧, after 清瀧権現 Seiryugongen, the guardian goddess of a Kyoto temple ). The character 清 means clear but could also mean pure. So Pure Dragon be it. Note that 竜 and 龍 both mean dragon and could be pronounced as ryu. With three additional dots used to denote something to do with water, 瀧 could mean water dragon but is much more commonly used in everyday life to mean a waterfall ( 瀧 or 滝 pronounced taki ). Confused? Nevermind, that's Japanese for you.

Update 8th Nov 2017 - SS-510 had been launched on 6th Nov at KHI's Kobe facilities. It was named Shoryu, blessed dragon. Shoryu is expected to enter service with the JMSDF in 2019.

Note that the name Soryu had previously been used on 2 predecessors, including the World War II Imperial Japanese Navy fleet carrier the IJN Soryu, which took part in the Pearl Harbour Raid in Dec 1941 and was sunk during the Battle of Midway in Jun 1942.



The Soryu Class SSK underway. It has a conning tower with a shape resembling that of the Virginia Class SSN, minus the hydroplanes. JMSDF Photo.



Third of class SS-503 JDS Hakuryu arriving at Joint Base Pearl Harbour - Hickam, Hawaii for RIMPAC exercises.

Photo : USN / Wikipedia

 

Soryu Class Characteristics

Length : 84m
Beam : 9.1m
Draught : 8.5m
Displacement : 2900 Tonnes Surfaced
                         4200 Tonnes Submerged
Propulsion : 2 x Kawasaki 12V 25/25 SB-type diesel engines
                    4 x Kawasaki Kockums V4-275R Stirling engines ( air-independent propulsion )
                    producing 3900hp surfaced and 8000hp submerged

Speed : 13 knots Surfaced
             20 knots Submerged

Range : Unpublished but estimated at 6100 nautical miles at 6.5knots with AIP

Operational Depth : Unpublished but estimated at 500m.

Complement : 65 ( 9 officers 56 enlisted )

Radar : ZPS-6F Navigation / Surface Search Radar

Sensors : Hughs/Oki ZQQ-7B Sonar Suite with
               1x Bow Array
               4x Low Frequency Flank Array       
               1x Towed Array

Countermeasures :

ZLR-3-6 electronic support measures (ESM) system
2x 3 inch Underwater Countermeasure Launcher Tubes for acoustic device countermeasures (ADCs).                      
Torpedo Countermeasure System (TCM) for SS-508 and later

Communications :

X-band High Speed Satellite Communications Device for SS-507 and later

Armament :

6 HU-606 21 inch ( 533mm ) torpedo tubes with 30 reloads for the following
     
Boeing UGM-84C Submarine Launched Harpoon SSM
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Type-89 Heavy Weight Torpedo
Mines

Construction :

Kawasaki Ship Building Industries, Kobe (川崎造船 神戸工場)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kobe (三菱重工業 神戸造船所)



SS-502 JDS Unryu being launched. JMSDF Photo.

The Soryu Class SSK in ceremonial light-up. JMSDF Photo. 

Soryu Class : A Formidable Naval Deterrence

The Soryu Class submarine is the world's largest submarine equipped with air-independent propulsion, and it has been in serial production since 2005, in other words, a well proven design. This represents a tremendous leap in capability for the JMSDF as they never had such AIP capable boats before. Collaborating with Kockums AB to licence produce the Stirling AIP engine was a smart move that allowed immediate access to a relatively risk-free proven technology. Kockum's proprietary Stirling Engine is a silent and vibration-free external combustion engine that had already been installed on the Gotland Class SSK and was also later retrofitted on the older Swedish Navy Vastergotland Class and Singapore Navy Archer Class SSK. The air independent propulsion system drastically reduces the need for frequent battery charging with the air breathing diesel generator which requires the submarine to be either surfaced or in snorkeling mode. It effectively increases the submerged endurance of the submarine and makes its detection much more difficult.

Its large displacement translates to having an extremely long range of close to 11000km, exactly what the JMSDF needs to patrol the vast open ocean between the Ryukyu Island Chain ( Okinawa ) and mainland Japan. For littoral operations, like patrolling the shallow Seto Inland Sea, the Soryu is fitted with an X rudder to provide high manoeuvrability to the submarine when operating very close to the seabed. This X rudder configuration was initially developed by Kockums for the Swedish A-19 Gotland Class SSK.




The X Rudder of SS-505 JDS Zuiryu seen clearly in this JMSDF photo.



Close-up view of the X rudder. Photo : Wikipedia

The quietness of the air-independent propulsion and the advanced sonar suite would allow the Soryu to stalk Chinese ballistic missile boats and SSKs with relative ease.

They are armed with Japan's Type 89 torpedo which is wire-guided with both active and passive acoustic homing modes and has very similar characteristics as the USN's Mk 48 ADCAP ( Advanced Capability ) heavyweight torpedo. With a diameter of 533mm, a length of 6.25m and a weight of 1760kg, this torpedo has a 267Kg High Explosive warhead. The effective range is said to be 27 nautical miles (nm) at 40 knots (kts) or 21 nm at 55 kts. The maximum speed is in the range of 70 kts and the operational depth is up to 900m.

These very same torpedo tubes can also launch the Boeing UGM-84L Harpoon Block II all weather, over the horizon, submarine launched anti-ship missile which also has a land attack capability. So the Block II Harpoon is essentially a cruise missile in disguise. It has a range of 124km and will post a serious threat to any Chinese or North Korean surface ship or land installations. It is guided by a GPS/INS unit and also has active radar terminal homing. The Block IIs being available to the USN since 1998, I am assuming that Japan has already either bought the newer version or had already upgraded her Block I Harpoons to Block II standard by now. South Korean certainly had!

The only glaring deficiency of the Soryu Class is the lack of Tomahawk tactical cruise missile launching capability. This is most likely a self-imposed limitation as the Post War Constitution forbids Japan from arming herself with offensive weapons.



RGM-84 the surface launched version of the Harpoon anti-ship missile being fired from the decks of the USN Arleigh Burke Class destroyer USS John S.McCain ( DDG-56). USN Photo

The First Post War Major Weapon System Export?

The 1947 Japanese Constitution is most famous for its renunciation for the right to wage war contained in Article 9. Its recent reinterpretation by the Abe government also allowed an easing of the self imposed blanket ban for arms export which had been enforced since 1976. It made possible the July 2014 agreement between Japan and Australia to partner on marine hydrodynamics ahead of a replacement for the Collins-class boats which quickly morphed into what might become an outright buy of 10 to 12 submarines from Japan.  If this export deal is realized, it would the first and most significant post war foreign military sales by Japan and is said to be worth about 20 billion dollars, hard cash which Japan desperately needs for rebuilding after the Tohoku earthquake and reforming to cater to a rapidly ageing population. It would also be a devastating blow to the Australian ship building industry who in my opinion really deserves losing the deal.

Although the Abbott government had previously said that the Collins replacements would be domestically built, consistent poor performance by the state-owned ASC on not only the entire Collins project and its subsequent upgrade works but also on the current Hobart Class air warfare destroyer project which is suffering from delays and huge cost overruns ( A$600 million over budget and 3 years late ), makes it much easier for them to justify an outright purchase from Japan.

Also, to have the Soryu built in Australia would incur a much higher cost, with some estimates at AS80 billion, almost double the original estimate of A$36 to A$44 billion. As Prime Minister Tony Abbott puts it, "The most important thing is to get the best and most capable submarines at a reasonable price to the Australian taxpayer". It would be really tragic if all that money is paid and the RAN gets another 12 Collins II instead. With the quest for precision and quality being almost a national obsession, you can be assured that anything that is made in Japan is nothing short of perfection. The Soryu Class will be no different. The Japanese worker takes tremendous pride in his work. The Aussies shall not regret that decision should Tony Abbott make that announcement by year end.

But all is not lost for the ASC. With the projected savings from buying directly rather than building domestically, there may be plans to fast track the Australian ship building industry by getting ASC to build new "super" frigates using the hull design of the 6500 tonne Hobart Class destroyer. ASC will likely get service and maintenance contract for the upkeep of the new boats.

The extra money saved could also be used to fund further purchase of the F-35 joint strike fighter which the Australian government had already pledged to buy. Another likely development could be the creation of a new submarine base, possibly at HMAS Coonawara in Darwin, New Territories, though I really do not know how *. With 12 boats projected, the current submarine base at HMAS Stirling in Perth, Western Australia will be swarmed. Having a northern base in Darwin will greatly reduce the transit time to the area of operations in South East Asia and the Australian East Coast.



Aerial view of HMAS Coonawara. Darwin City's CBD can bee seen in the background 2km away. RAN Photo.

* HMAS Coonawara is currently a small naval base supporting 8 Armidale Class patrol boats, within walkable distance of Darwin's central business district and close to the famous Doctor's Gully fish feeding attraction. The seabed will have to be dredged, the Larrakeyah Barracks and the marina next door will possibly have to be relocated to make way for the submarine pens.

Possible Modifications of the Soryu for SEA 1000

The operating range of the Collins Class SSK is in the region of 11830 nm (21000km) at a speed of 10.5 kts while that of the Soryu Class is about 6100 nm at 6.5 kts. The Aussies will likely want a bigger boat with longer range. The magnitude of increase may well be determined by whether a new submarine base is going to be built in Darwin.

The Aussies will also want "inter-operability" with their greatest ally the US Navy. So sensors and weaponry will have to be as identical as possible. The Type 89 torpedoes may have to give way to Mk 48 ADCAPs which the Americans use and which the RAN already has a stockpile of.



A Mark 48 ADCAP heavyweight torpedo being offloaded from the Los Angeles Class nuclear attack submarine USS Oklahoma SSN-723. USN Photo.

 

The ability to fire torpedo tube launched (TTL) Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles on the Collins replacement could also be a likely modification. Unlike the Los Angeles Class Flight II boats and the follow-on improved Los Angeles Class boats which all have a 12 tube vertical launch system (VLS) for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Soryu Class lacks such a capability. It would be expensive to integrate a VLS into a mature design if not technically difficult. Fortunately the TTL version exist and is currently used on the Royal Navy's Astute Class SSN.



Model of the Tomahawk Block IV tactical cruise missile. USN Photo.



Vertical Launch System (VLS) in the fore section of the Los Angeles Class nuclear attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) Photo : USN

 

 

Final Words

The Collins project and the resulting 6 boats are a blemish to the proud reputation of Australian Navy and a disgrace to the entire ship building industry of Australia. It is a sad chapter in the long and illustrious history of the RAN that is best forgotten. The Australians should learn from their numerous mistakes committed in the past 2 decades and simply move on to the next chapter without making the same mistakes again. 12 boats sound like a huge fleet but I assure you it is not. Australia is Big, and the surrounding seas even BIGGER.

To Tony, please buy from the Japs, because if anything were to go wrong this time, it will be their problem, not yours.

To Abe the travelling salesman, you have done the sales pitch, please deliver well when the first order arrives, hopefully by Christmas. And may there be many more new orders for you to fulfill in the future.