The Japanese Air Force was established in the 34th year of Meiji (1901). At that time, it only had high-altitude balloons. It did not start to contact aircraft until 1905. At that time, the Japanese army believed that the aircraft could play a major role in the military, and then accelerated the development of aircraft.

Research. In 1909, under the supervision of the Japanese Army and Navy Ministers, the Japan Provisional Military Balloon Research Association was established to engage in the development of airships and aircraft suitable for military use.

Subsequently, a flight test ground was established in Sawa Town, Saitama Prefecture. At the same time, a large number of international students were sent to Europe to study. Soon, several aircraft were purchased from France, the world's largest aviation power, and then the development of aircraft was officially started.

and development work.

Before the Japanese-German War, the Japanese army had a total of 16 aircraft ready to participate in the war. Although the Japanese army believed that establishing a flying team was a top priority, because the Ministry of War budget did not approve it, it had to maintain the status quo. At that time, there were a total of 14 flying officers in the Imperial Japanese Army.

, there are 12 aerial scouts.[bsp; The main aircraft equipped by the Japanese Navy Flying Team are seaplanes. The airport is located in Uda Bay in front of Ururamura, Miura County, Kanagawa Prefecture. The aircraft are also purchased from France and are coached by French people.

In the autumn of the second year of Taisho (1913), Japanese naval seaplanes participated in the naval exercises in Sasebo. The navy had a total of 12 seaplanes and 11 pilots. The pilots also performed aerial reconnaissance missions.

Kanagawa Prefecture.

Oppama Naval Aviation Technology Research Institute is the first naval aviation center established by the Japanese Navy. It is mainly responsible for the research and development, investigation, and review of aircraft-related technologies related to the Japanese Navy.

A sidecar motorcycle roared into the Obihama Naval Technology Research Institute. The motorcycle kicked up clouds of dust and drove straight to the beach. Shoji, who was standing on the beach looking at the sky, heard the roar of the motorcycle and responded quickly.

Looking over, a naval officer jumped down from the sidecar.

"Where's the captain?"

"salute!"

Captain Hidesui Wada quickly greeted him and quickly stood at attention and saluted.

"I am, Hideho Wada, the acting captain left behind!"

"The gatekeeper is useless! Where is the real captain?"

After saying that, Staff Murata walked directly towards the office, leaving only the dumbfounded Captain Hideho Wada there to continue reporting.

"Now the whole team is off to participate in a week-long flight in Tokyo Bay!"

"What? The whole team?"

Murata turned around.

"Aren't there only four planes?"

Four toy-like aircraft roared over Tokyo Bay and flew towards Oppama. These were the first aircraft of the Japanese Navy, French-made Maurice Falman seaplanes.

An aircraft composed of wooden beams, cloth wings, ropes and an engine. As the sea breeze sways in the air from time to time, it is difficult for the light aircraft to maintain a stable flight. During the flight, the pilot always needs to constantly adjust the aircraft to keep flying.

It is so stable that anyone who sees the plane shaking up and down in the air will only have the illusion that the plane is about to fall.

Stretching his head and looking downward and in the rearview mirror, Major Kaneko Yossan patted the co-pilot in front of him.

"Ask them how they are doing!"

"Hi! Let me ask about the situation!"

Lieutenant Fujise Katsu responded, picked up a bugle from the side of the cabin, stood up, and blew the bugle.

"Beep, beep..."

The sound of the military bugle echoed in the air, and Lieutenant Takeo Takao, who was flying the plane behind, listened to the sound of the military bugle.

"The captain asked about our situation! Please reply!"

Soon, the three aircraft in the rear responded with bugles one after another. The Obihama Naval Aviation Technology Research Institute was engaged in various air tactics and aircraft application research. Although they learned the bugle communication in the air, they learned it from the French.

However, it was the Oppama Aviation Technology Research Institute that made Japanese improvements.

"Overtaken!"

When Osaki Kyounobu was contacting the captain, Takeo Takao looked to the left and suddenly said these words.

"Um?"

Osaki Kyounobu turned around and looked, right? A swallow was quickly overtaking the plane.

"Being swallowed?"

The Farman is a two-seat biplane with an engine of only 70 horsepower. Although it can reach a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour and a flying altitude of 2,000 meters, that is only the "maximum speed" and it can usually fly up to fifty or sixty kilometers per hour.

, is already considered a high speed.

"Haha, you will surpass us soon!"

"you do not say!"

Just as the two of them were laughing, there was a sudden explosion from the engine behind them.

"Tum, tom..."

When the engine made a popping sound, the engine speed began to drop.

"What's wrong?"

"have no idea!"

"The propeller is slowing down!"

When Takebe Takao and Osaki Kyounobu looked back at the engine in horror, they saw explosions coming from each cylinder when starting, and black smoke continued to be emitted.

"Quick, speed up quickly!"

Ten minutes later, on the beach in Tsuihama, a Falman seaplane was hooked up by the ground crew.

"One two, one two,"

At the command of the ground crew dressed in white, the plane was dragged onto the beach little by little.

"Captain, this return trip was a success! No detours were made at all!"

"yes!"

Kaneko Yangzo looked back and saw that the other two planes had landed on the sea and were taxiing towards the beach.

"It's a pity that Unit 2 is lagging behind!"

"Maybe they are flying around!"

Captain Hideho Wada, who was left behind, saw the captain jumping out of the plane and ran over quickly.

"Report, Staff Officer Murata of the Military Command Department is waiting for you in the commander's office!"

"Murata? I'll be there right away!"

After picking off the wind, Kaneko Yangzo walked towards the chief's office.

"Gold raises the third major!"

After giving each other a military salute, Murata took out a telegram.

"The Commander-in-Chief of the Second Fleet, Garten, sent a telegram, ordering you to go to Qingdao immediately!"

"Heading to Qingdao?"

"That's right!"

Murata nodded heavily and Kaneko Yozo asked immediately after being surprised.

"How to get there?"

In 1910, American pilot Eugene Ely flew a "Curtis" aircraft and successfully took off from the modified light cruiser "Birmingham". In January of the following year, he flew on the rear main deck of the armored cruiser "Pennsylvania"

, use the tail hook to hook the brake cable to complete the aircraft landing smoothly and safely.

These two incidents greatly stimulated the rapidly expanding Japanese Navy. The naval authorities responded immediately and established the "Naval Aviation Research Committee" in 1912 (Meiji 45) to study the use of aircraft. At the same time, in Yokosuka

A seaplane base was established in Oihama and seaplanes were introduced for training.

In the autumn of 1914, the Japanese Navy conducted a small-scale exercise. One of the subjects of the exercise was to study the role of aircraft under new combat conditions. At this time, a warship was needed to undertake the task of carrying seaplanes. The Japanese Navy chose Naval Transport

Ship "Wakamiya Maru".

The "Wakamiya Maru" was originally the British merchant ship "Risington" with a registered tonnage of 4,421 tons. The ship was transported by the 78th Japanese Navy in the western waters of Okishima in the Tsushima Strait on January 12, 1905 for transporting war contraband.

After the Russo-Japanese War, the ship was not returned to the United Kingdom. Instead, it was judged by the "Capture Tribunal" established by Japan to be confiscated by the Japanese Navy and used as a naval transport ship. On September 1, 1905, it was renamed "

"Wakamiya Maru". On March 22, 1907, the Japanese Navy temporarily leased it to Nippon Yusen Co., Ltd. for use as a civilian mail ship. On March 9, 1912, the ship was requisitioned by the Japanese Navy and was officially returned on the 22nd of that month.

It was subsequently refitted at the Sasebo Navy Yard to expand the hatch of the second cabin, making it a naval transport ship to undertake the task of transporting turrets.

Subsequently, the "Wakamiya Maru" carried two French-made Falman 1912 seaplanes through temporary modifications to participate in the exercise. During the exercise, the "Wakamiya Maru" joined the Green Army as the attacker and sent out the seaplanes it carried to attack

The Red Army target as the defender conducted reconnaissance. Judging from the aftermath, the Japanese Navy was quite satisfied with its performance, and the commander who commanded the Green Army especially praised it. Therefore, the Japanese Navy proposed the construction of a seaplane carrier the following year.

plan. Due to Japan's very tight financial situation at the time and insufficient naval funding, the plan was shelved.

After the outbreak of World War I, when news of the war reached Japan, the Japanese government immediately began preparations to participate in the war in accordance with the terms of the Japan-British alliance. As a result, the Navy immediately received the funds it needed, and the shelved seaplane carrier plan was launched.

Get up. On August 16, "Wakamiya Maru" was urgently towed into Yokosuka Shipyard for modification. Since the war was imminent, the seaplane carrier needed to be able to enter the battle immediately, so the modification was as simple as possible without large-scale changes to the hull structure.

The modification mainly includes two contents. One is to set up a hangar made of iron canvas on the upper deck in front of the foremast and mizzen mast. The front hangar is smaller and can accommodate a small 70-horsepower aircraft.

It is a Falman 1912 seaplane. The rear hangar is larger and can accommodate a large 100-horsepower RO B seaplane. In order to effectively use the seaplane, the cranes on the front and rear masts have been modified.

The "Wakamiya Maru", which has just been refitted today but has not yet officially entered service, was ordered to leave Yokosuka, carrying an aviation unit of 53 people. This aviation unit was only officially established yesterday, including 7 pilots and 46

The ground crew rushed to Qingdao to join the main force of the navy that had already sailed to local waters to participate in the offensive operation against Qingdao, China. "Haha, we are going to China. Are there any planes in China?"
To be continued...