Kawasaki Ki-100-I Ko “White 177” in the Colors of 2nd Chutai, 59th Sentai, Ashiya Airfield, Fukuoka, August 1945
In a previous note, I detailed how the 390 Ki-100-I Goshikisen aircraft came to be, comprising 272 Ko variants (with the raised spine) and 118 Otsu variants (with the “bubble” canopy). However, there have been requests to explore the circumstances surrounding their entry into service and their operational history during the final months of the war. Thus begins the first part of this story.
The first examples of the new fighter rolled off the production line in mid-March 1945. They were immediately sent to the Operational Training Centers in Akeno and Hitachi. These centers hosted groups of young pilots who were just completing their training before being assigned to combat units. Progress was poor. While the Ki-100 was far less temperamental than the Ki-61 and stable and reliable in flight, it proved far too challenging for novices at this late stage of their rushed training. Due to errors and accidents caused by inexperience, nearly half of the first 150 aircraft delivered to the IJAAF were lost.
Veteran fighter pilots, on the other hand, found the aircraft to be an excellent combat tool. The Army Air Force Command faced a dilemma, which they resolved by continuing the training of inexperienced “fledglings” while also conducting short, rotational courses for seasoned pilots from front-line Sentai.
The first batch of units equipped with the Goshikisen in April included the experienced 5th, 59th, 200th, and 244th Sentai, as well as the 81st Independent Fighter Squadron (Dokuritsu Chutai).
It might seem odd that units tasked with combating B-29 bombers at high altitudes were chosen to transition to the Ki-100, given its poor performance at 9,000 meters, where it flew like a “sack of stones.” However, certain circumstances had changed in the meantime. The Americans had shifted their bombing tactics to low-altitude incendiary raids, often conducted at night. The commander of the 244th Sentai, Major Kobayashi, admitted that out of the 50–60 pilots under his command, only 10–12 could be sent on night missions, as the others lacked any experience in this type of operation. As a result, a significant number of pilots were left underutilized.
A more pressing issue was the outbreak of the Battle of Okinawa, which required intensive escort support for kamikaze formations. Adding to the complexity was the increasing frequency of raids by enemy carrier aircraft, targeting both the capital region of Kanto and kamikaze staging areas.
As a result, all of the first-wave units equipped with the Ki-100 were deployed to the Okinawa campaign, leaving only a few Chutai in the Tokyo area to continue engaging B-29s with their trusty Ki-61s.
Among the notable aces who piloted the Goshikisen were:
- Lieutenant Mirikichi Kanae (32 victories) – a veteran of the Nomonhan Incident and the Burma campaign
- Captain Akira Onozuki (28 victories) – a veteran of China, Burma, and New Guinea
- Master Sergeant Goro Miyamoto (26 victories) – a veteran of Burma
- Captain Hideaki Inayama (22 victories) – an experienced defender of Palembang and the Philippines
- Major Kobayashi (12 victories) – the famed commander of the 244th Sentai.
However, the number of battle-hardened aerial warriors was relatively small. This shortage had a noticeable impact on the performance of the second-wave units equipped with the Ki-100, namely the 17th, 18th, 25th, 111th, and 112th Sentai. I will cover their history in the next installment of this “mini-series.”
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