An Apocalyptic Aircraft Produced In Oppama, Yokosuka

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-ohka-japans-flying-bomb-kamikaze-plane-208578

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== Meet the Ohka: Japan's 'Flying Bomb' Kamikaze Plane

-- The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka made its first unpowered flight on March 21, 1944, and its powered maiden flight in November of that same year.

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The Ohka was a desperate attempt by Japan to use terror weapons to win World War II. It failed.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” the saying goes.

And arguably nowhere else in the history of warfare was this more starkly and morbidly demonstrated that the kamikazes, Imperial Japan's WWII suicide pilots who – drawing their name from a “divine wind” that destroyed Kublai Khan’s would-be invading fleet of Mongols twice in the 13th century – embarked en masse on their one-way missions in an ultimately vain attempt to defeat the U.S. Navy as the latter entity closed in for the kill against the Japanese home islands. 

Most of the warplanes used in the kamikaze attacks were improvised for that purpose, such as the famous Mitsubishi Zero fighter. But at least one such warbird was specifically designed from the ground up as a suicide plane, in essence, a flying bomb. Say “ohayo gozai masu 、 sayonara (Good morning and goodbye)” to MXY-7 Ohka kamikaze plane. 

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (桜花; “cherry blossom”) made its first unpowered flight on March 21, 1944, and its powered maiden flight in November of that same year. The aircraft was officially introduced into operational status with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Air Service in 1945. Designed by IJN officer Ensign Mitsuo Ohta, it was a rocket-powered human-guided aircraft. 

It wasn’t unique, Japan designed an additional rocket-powered warplane during the war, the Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui [“Autumn Water/Sharp Sword’], but that one was not designed as a kamikaze craft. The Ohka was manufactured by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal in Yokosuka, Japan, which, plays host to United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka in modern Japan. 

The plane was nicknamed a “Baka Bomb” by the Americans, after the Japanese word for “foolish” or “stupid.” “Stupid” or not, the flying bomb mounted a large warhead in the nose and – owing to its inherently limited range – was intended to be carried to the target area by a Mitsubishi G4M2e “Betty” bomber; upon release from the mothership (so to speak), the Ohka would engage its rocket motors to make a high-speed dash to the target, usually a ship.

Specifications included a crew of one (no sense in wasting a twofer in a flying bomb), a fuselage length of 19 feet 11 inches, a wingspan of 16 feet 10 inches, an empty weight of 907 pounds, a gross weight of 4,718 lbs, 2,646-lb warhead, and a maximum airspeed of 615 miles per hour (Mach 0.80) in a powered dive, boosted along by Type 4 Mk.1 Model 20 rockets with a total of 1,764 lbs. thrust. 

There was also a trainer version called the MXY7-K1, which had a landing skid and flaps, and in lieu of the warhead and rocket motors of the operational version, used water ballast that was expelled before landing. It still challenged novice pilots with its 130 mph landing speed.

-- Combat Performance, i.e. Too Little, Too Late for WWII

Unfortunately for Imperial Japan, but fortunately for America as well as the then-captive nations suffering under Tojo’s so-called “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” the Ohka, along with the kamikaze campaign in general, was not enough to turn the tide in the mikado’s favor. Only 50 of the “Baka Bombs” saw actual combat, and their kill tally was a mere three enemy ships, none of which were capital ships. Then, of course, the timing of the atomic bomb raids and resultant Japanese surrender prevented the Ohka from making a more meaningful impact (either literally or figuratively).

-- Where Are They Now?

Out of the 852 “Baka Bombs” built, 15 survive today. That includes one in India, three in Japan, four in the UK, and seven in the U.S. To provide a more specific location from each country, military history tourists can choose from: the Indian Air Force Museum in Palam, New Delhi; the Usashi Heiwa Museum in Usa, Ōita Prefecture; the  RAF Museum Cosford in Cosford, Shropshire, England; and the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio.

U.S.Navy cooks up Yokosuka's Bespoke Curry Rice

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/457337/cfays-club-alliance-serves-up-yokosukas-local-cuisine-kaigun-curry

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka wrapped up a celebration of its friendship with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, or JMSDF, with a version of the city’s famous local cuisine: kaigun curry.

The installation’s Club Alliance, served Kizuna 111 curry Friday, July 28, to Yokosuka base community members.

Kizuna 111 is a recipe inspired by an actual recipe used by a local JMSDF ship. 

“We decided on the word kizuna, which in Japanese means, a bond that connects us,” said Capt. Les Sobol, commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. “It’s really the perfect word to describe our relationship with the JMSDF. Our alliance is an amazingly strong bond of friendship, partnership and professionalism.”

Each ship in the JMSDF has their own curry recipe uniqueness to that crew. No two curry recipes are the same. Kizuna 111 recreates that tradition of exclusivity through it’s preparation techniques using
equipment typically seen in JMSDF galleys. 

Every JMSDF ship’s curry recipe “is a point of pride,” said Capt. Les Sobol, commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. “Each chef is extremely proud to
perfect – and safeguard – their ship’s recipe.”

JMSDF curry recipes are a closely guarded secret and final products are generally only shared with the public at special events. The City of Yokosuka, never shy to self-proclaim itself as Japan’s curry town, traditionally hosts an annual curry festival often highlighted by various kaigun curries inspired by JMSDF ships based in Yokosuka. In the City of Kure, an important JMSDF port city in Hiroshima Prefecture, festivals occasionally invite local ship crews there for friendly cooking competitions and local establishments serve festival attendees kaiji curry, a very closely related naval dish that is so faithful in it’s reproduction of real JMSDF curries, that they’re worthy of being awarded the force’s certification of authenticity.

Club Alliance’s chef, Takashi Watanabe, follows cooking techniques used in actual JMSDF galleys as instructed by JMSDF culinary specialists from JS
Onami to make his Kizuna 111 curry. He also only uses ingredients JMSDF food service officers are able to procure. 

“I was only able to practice once with the Onami chefs,” Watanabe said after searing a small batch of beef and beginning to braise it in red wine for an hour. His kitchen, located in the back of Italian Gardens has some of the most high end equipment available to restaurant staffs. But Watanabe and his team limited themselves to equipment available on
JMSDF ships. “It was very interesting and fun working with Onami chefs because I learned why their process works.”

After an hour stewing, Watanabe poured the beef into a large pressure cooker with a combination of curry powder, garam masala, ginger, honey, butter and other secret spices.

Kaigun curry, or Navy curry, is Yokosuka City’s signature dish and a nod to its rich naval history according to previous articles written by CFAY's historian, Ryo Isobe, and only found in the Seahawk-Umitaka physical archives. 

Kaigun curry traces it’s origins back to the late 19th Century. Japanese sailors’ poor nutrition combined with the navy’s improving technology that allowed ships to stay at sea for longer periods of time unintentionally created deteriorating health conditions from a lack of protein. These issues were not previously documented when sailors weren’t able to be at sea for longer durations. Through trial-and-error, it was discovered that adding meat to standard rice rations would nearly instantaneously improve sailors’ health.

Another 30 minutes passed. Watanabe then added carrots, restarted the pressure cooker and prepared some caramelized onions to stir in once the carrots softened.

That’s pretty much all there is to Kizuna 111, although, like any great soup or curry, “it’ll taste better tomorrow morning,” Watanabe said.

When the customer orders the curry, Watanabe will fry some potatoes, put them on top of a serving of garlic rice and a serving of coffee rice, then pour the curry on top.

“If we add the potatoes now, they’ll be too soft later,” Watanabe said.

JMSDF crews traditionally eat curry every Friday. The routine gives sailors something to look forward to after a hard week’s worth of work and helps sailors at sea keep track of time. The routine adds to the legend of kaigun curry and makes it very special when the JMSDF invites the community to share a piece of their culture.

“When you get to break bread with somebody and you get to eat something that they’re very proud of and they’re proud of making, it’s really something magical,” Sobol said.

Club Alliance intended to model this tradition by also serving curry on Fridays, though it might be a last Friday of the month menu item rather than an every Friday schedule with different varieties eventually rolling out to all of the base MWR clubs including the Chief’s Club, the Officer’s Club, Club Takemiya in addition to Club Alliance.