General Discussion

[jcf]

No end of kamikaze whiffs we could create.
What's the Japanese for Mistel?

Mistel = mistletoe = yadorigi.

The Obariyon is a yokai that rides people piggyback. 

Obariyon

[jcf]

This site on Japanese folklore may be of use for naming equipment, units and defensive plans etc..

Yokai.Com

[Mossie]

Had a few thoughts but if I chip in it'll probably be with a Fairey Firefly.

[buzzbomb]

Challenge accepted! 

My offering;

Kaze ni mau ha  (風に舞う葉) - Leaf on the wind 

Watch how I soar

He gets it!       

You mean like

My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle
 


Hmmm British contribution like Churchill MkVII AVRE maybe.
To the stash !

[Rick Lowe]

- Douglas A-26 Invader - three squadrons for NZ (Named Rawaho)

Goggle translates this as 'Outside'... 
The mind boggles... Douglas A26 "Outhouse"?   

Rawhao = Midday
Rauwaho = Chimney
Rauwhao = Bullrush
Rauwho = Reed
Rauwao = Forest

OTOH, 'Invader' translates as  Kaiwhakamaori... that's a bit of a mouthful...

[Charlie_c67]

Was any form of recognition marking proposed for Operation Downfall aircraft?  Something along the lines of the stripes applied for Overlord and Musketeer maybe?

Well the Tiger Force was supposed to be White over Black for the Bombers. Not sure if that would've extended to the escort fighters, but maybe?

Twin Tempest Mk II à la the P-82?

[McColm]

I've got a Heller 1/72 DC-6B Super Cloudmaster in the stash so converting it into a bomber version based on the line drawings wouldn't be that difficult and I might have the parts in one of the spares boxes.


https://flic.kr/p/2rZTrAD

The second build could be something along the lines of an early AEW/AWACS.

Third option the US NAVY version of the Shorts Sunderland .

[NARSES2]

Well the Tiger Force was supposed to be White over Black for the Bombers. Not sure if that would've extended to the escort fighters, but maybe?

I did my previous Tiger Force escort fighters, Hornet and Tempest II, in the high altitude scheme of MSG and PR Blue

[Freightdog862]

Well the Tiger Force was supposed to be White over Black for the Bombers. Not sure if that would've extended to the escort fighters, but maybe?

I did my previous Tiger Force escort fighters, Hornet and Tempest II, in the high altitude scheme of MSG and PR Blue

Tiger Force markings were covered by Paul Lucas in a Colour Conundrum article in SAM from December 2018, that was reprinted in Compendium No.4. It only covers the bombers (white over gloss anti-searchlight black), including a nice Mosquito B.35 (or B.XXXV). Briefly air sea rescue, PR and transports get a mention.  The blue and white roundels look a bit odd, as they have US style 'bars' either side, which means the roundels have to be smaller to fit code letters on the fuselage sides. No mention of any identification markings, and no fin flash carried.

I'd agree with Chris on MSG and PR Blue on fighters. tempted to join in now..     

[kitbasher]

National markings are essentially a slight variation on the BPF 'roundels and bars'; RNZAF aircraft markings by that stage of the war were similar.  I guess the RAAF probably would have followed the RAF's lead had they ventured further north towards Japan.

I think the fighters were excluded from the article as its scope covers the period after Tiger Force plans were reduced in scope.

IIRC the MSG/Azure Blue scheme was a high altitude fighter scheme.  That said, some Hornet F.1s and F.3s were finished in that scheme. 

Tempest IIs in that scheme?  Real world, dunno, doubt it.    Whifworld?  Why not! 

[Charlie_c67]

Shame the Meteor and Vampire didn't have the legs to be considered. They'd have looked rather natty in that scheme.

[NARSES2]

The blue and white roundels look a bit odd, as they have US style 'bars' either side, which means the roundels have to be smaller to fit code letters on the fuselage sides. No mention of any identification markings, and no fin flash carried.

I'd agree with Chris on MSG and PR Blue on fighters. tempted to join in now..   

I used BPF national markings on mine.

You cannot view this attachment.

[NARSES2]

Shame the Meteor and Vampire didn't have the legs to be considered. They'd have looked rather natty in that scheme.

Very much so. However suppose the losses in the initial landings had been so horrendous* that MacArthur had been forced (or maybe replaced) to accept greater Commonwealth participation ? Especially when it came to Operation Coronet. No atom bomb ?

*Some of the projected losses in my copy of Operation Downfall, especially at the upper end of the estimates, are truely horrendous.

[kitbasher]

Was any form of recognition marking proposed for Operation Downfall aircraft?  Something along the lines of the stripes applied for Overlord and Musketeer maybe?

Thinking further about your question following a quick edit to my reply at https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?msg=1107679, I think the high degree of uniformity across national markings (USAAF/USN/Tiger Force/BPF/RNZAF) must have been to aid recognition.  Now, whether they in themselves would have proved to be sufficient recognition aids to obviate the need for campaign 'special markings' can only be open to speculation (were the BPF and RNZAF markings sufficient?).

[Old Wombat]

The D-Day markings were because the Allies expected to have (& did) air dominance over Normandy, but they knew that there would be (& were) German counter-invasion sorties, & the striped markings were to provide a quick visual Friend/Foe reference (much faster than looking for the US/RAF national markings), thereby enabling more rapid responses from AAA & friendly aircraft to Luftwaffe incursions (& it mostly worked).

A very similar scenario would be at play over Japan during the Downfall operations, so a similar quick reference marking scheme would have been applied.