[lanslide]

Originally Posted by Ara1

Really- I didn't know Claudes fought the US! Can you share more info about that, and plus, your own observations of the atoll? Very interesting Cruver!! Lanslide, do you mind if I ask CC such questions on yer thread? I'll take back calling the Tojo and Jack names...

No prob Ara - my threads are your threads! You know that!

[Cruver Collecter]

I think Kwajelein may have been the last places the Claude saw action. Kwajelein had and airfield as well as Roi (Which is now Roi namur connected to make one island). Also there were a few islands that had seaplane bases, one being on the Island of Ebey and another being on Beije (Did quite a bit of snooping around on this island). The US Navy carried out some operations during early part of 1942. During this period Enterprise launched attacks on Roi and Kwajelein and some of the engagements between the A5M Claudes and Dauntlesses occured. In one case a Lt. Best actually mixed it up with a pair of A5Ms and got away with just some holes in his tail of his aircraft. Not sure, but Kwajelein may have been one on the last few places that used the Claude operationally. Personally, Kwajelein was a fantastic place to spend two years as a kid. The walk to school went right by a Japanese Bunker. Roi namur had quite a few bunkers and a under ground hospital. Sure we were discoraged from crawling around in some of these places, but shoot what is a kid supposed to do when he finds a Japanese anti aircraft gun with ammunition still neatly stacked beside it. No I did not do anything stupid, but sure did spend alot of time around the anti aircraft gun.

[Epapazian]

I have read that the "Claude" was used briefly operating from a small carrier, during the Japanese invasion of Mindanao in 1941. Mushroom Model Magazine's special report ( no. 6107 ) on the Mitsubishi A5M mentions this and also contends that "Claudes" were sent to the Marshall Islands where they briefly saw action on February 1,1942 when a U.S. Navy carrier task force launched attacks on Japanese bases in the area. The Claudes claimed 17 U.S. planes shot down-----probably, a very inflated figure. The carrier Ryujo, carrying Claudes, also saw action in battles with the Dutch and against the British in the Indian Ocean, but the last of these planes were withdrawn from combat duties by April 1942, their place being taken by Zeros.

[Ara1]

Originally Posted by Cruver Collecter

Personally, Kwajelein was a fantastic place to spend two years as a kid. The walk to school went right by a Japanese Bunker. Roi namur had quite a few bunkers and a under ground hospital. Sure we were discoraged from crawling around in some of these places, but shoot what is a kid supposed to do when he finds a Japanese anti aircraft gun with ammunition still neatly stacked beside it. No I did not do anything stupid, but sure did spend alot of time around the anti aircraft gun.

This is fascinating. I am presuming this was the late 1960's, early '70's? Very cool, a kid's dream. Here in Massachusetts we used to play in forests, pretenting they were a Pacific island, and you had the real thing.

[flyXwire]

Ah scuse me...but I can't find no Mojo or Tojo on that Marushin brochure you talkin' bout??? What gives?

[lanslide]

Originally Posted by flyXwire

Ah scuse me...but I can't find no Mojo or Tojo on that Marushin brochure you talkin' bout??? What gives?

I have an old Marushin color brochure from before the Willow and special Pearl Harbor versions were made that has a photo of the Tojo bro! It also indicates future releases of the:

A5M Claude
A62M2-N Rufe
F1M2 Pete
K5Y Willow
H6K Mavis
H8K Emily
Ki-27 Nate
Ki-46 Dinah
Bf-109
P-38 Lightning
F6F Hellcat
F4U-1 Corsair

Now that's some serious Mojo!

[Ara1]

Great list ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ all are needed if we want to represent the planes of the world from WWII and a bit before. I own "0" Japanese planes due to their either being too expensive, lack of selection, or unacceptable quality.

I think an Emily is unlikely, but a Pete an Claude would be cool.

Mr. Marushin either ran out of money, enthusiasm, or inclination.

[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by Ara1

This is fascinating. I am presuming this was the late 1960's, early '70's? Very cool, a kid's dream. Here in Massachusetts we used to play in forests, pretenting they were a Pacific island, and you had the real thing.

Time spent on Kwaj was during 1974 and 1975 time period. It was a great place to live, but you had to get used to a few things. No cars, no TV and only fresh milk after the supply ship came in. There were several movie theaters on the Island and all were free. My favorite was the Richardson theater, it was an out door theater and great place to hang out with your friends (If it started raining, there were umbrellas sprouting up everywhere.). As far as WWII stuff goes, Kwaj proper only had a couple of bunkers on it, one being what is still called Bunker Hill (Just down the street from where I lived) and the other was on the northwestern side of the island. You could still find spent rounds and casings on the reef right around Kwaj though. The fun islands to go to were Roi namur and Beije. Roi Namur still had quite a pill boxes and blockhouses left, I had a lot of fun on that Island. Beije had to be another one of my favorite islands to snoop around on. That island still had some AA guns in the jungle with ammunition still next to them. There were also some oil storage tanks that had been destroyed during bombings of the island, and you had to be kind of careful around them, kind like one big tar pit. I was fortunate to make it to quite a few of the islands and saw some neat WWII items. When I first got there it was real exciting finding a spent WWII round, after a few of the islands the excitement diminished. One section of reef off of an island I visited had corroded live ammunition all up and down the ocean side of the reef. We were heavily cautioned about messing around with the live stuff. Kwaj did have its share of WWII aircraft wrecks, and not just the stuff that was dumped after the war. There were a couple of Mavises, a Jake and a Rufe off of Ebeye. Went snorkeling on the Rufe, shallow water, but also nasty, Marshallese had no real sewage system at the time, so just a one time thing. Also saw some wreckage on Roi namur that was said to be that of a Zero. Best place though was I on the Island of Wotje in the Wotje Atoll. This island was actually bypassed and still had airfield with some fairly intact aircraft left. I have see if I can find some of the photos from that trip, have one nice shot of a Zero cowling sticking out of the jungle. Island also had some other neat things like a concrete Pagoda style command post. Similar type structure on Roi to if I remember. Probably the most important thing about Kwaj was that the beach was just a 3 minute walk from my house and the water was bath tub warm. During school we had an hour off for lunch and sometime a few of us would go for a swim in the lagoon instead of going home for lunch. Oh and watching the ICMBs coming in from Vandeburg AFB was fun too.

[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by lanslide

I have an old Marushin color brochure from before the Willow and special Pearl Harbor versions were made that has a photo of the Tojo bro! It also indicates future releases of the:

A5M Claude
A62M2-N Rufe
F1M2 Pete
K5Y Willow
H6K Mavis
H8K Emily
Ki-27 Nate
Ki-46 Dinah
Bf-109
P-38 Lightning
F6F Hellcat
F4U-1 Corsair

Now that's some serious Mojo!

It is a real shame they did not continue with some of these.

[Ara1]

Thanks for taking the time to share those stories, CC. I have a 1969 hardcover book called "Pacific Island Battlefields" and I'll have to check if your atoll is covered. The photos are excellent and comprehensive. "After the Battle" mags (and books) also do great coverage.

We are about the same age. In 74 and 75 I was putting together my first Snap Tite Tiger and Patton tanks with a buddy, getting into armor in the backyard battlefields that rank with my fondest memories. Ah, the old days...

Back to the Ki-44 and lamenting it's delay...