Mitsubishi G4m Hamaki
by Mitsubishi G4M Hamaki (cigar) was the most famous Japanese all-metal long range bombers during the Second World War in the Pacific. It flew most Japanese long range missions during the Pacific War and called by the Allied code name Betty. The G4M was also used as a torpedo bomber.
Mitsubishi G4M Hamaki (Betty)
Mitsubishi G4M Hamaki was built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. According to the plans by Mitsubishi, the machine is equipped with four engines, but the Navy opted for a twin version. The special feature of this bomber was its great reach, through integrated into the wing tanks.
After the first flight on 23 October 1939, the G4M has its first highly successful war effort in Southeast China in May 1941.
Mitsubishi G3Ms and its successor G4Ms had their greatest success when it on 10 December 1941 in the waters of Malaysia, the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser HMS Repulse were sunk with armor-piercing bombs and torpedoes attack, two days after the raid on Pearl Harbor. The Prince of Wales and Repulse was the first battleships sunk exclusively by an air attack on the open sea.
More than 250 units were available during the invasions in the Philippines and Malaysia. But after the Battle of Guadalcanal in August 1942, it turned out to be a large, slow and sluggish bomber, that is easily burnt due to lack of armor and large fuel tanks. This brought the G4M an additional nickname the One-Shot Lighter.
On 18 April 1943, Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Pacific Fleet and initiator of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died amidst the wreck of a G4M – after a group of U.S. twin-hunters Lockheed P-38 Lightning conducted a surprise attack.
With increasing deterioration of the war situation and heavy losses, daily attacks became virtually impossible, so only more night operations were made. In addition, a special version of the G4M was created against US carrier aircraft by carrying the manned Ōhka-kamikaze aircraft (Yokosuka MXY-7).
Mitsubishi G4M was in four major versions were built. These were the G4M1 Model 11, G4M2 Model 22, G4M3 model 34 and the G6M1. In addition, there were some minor versions, such as the G6M1-L2, as a transport plane was designed. A total of 2,479 machines and in the end of the war only about 160 machines were available.
On 19 August 1945 it is used to transport the Japanese surrender delegation in two G4M1 aircrafts to Ie Jima on the Ryukyu Islands. The aircraft is painted white with green crosses as a mark of capitulation.
Technical Data
- Length 20.00 m
- Wing span 25.00 m
- Height 6.00 m
- Two MK4A drive Mitsubishi Kasei 14-cylinder radial engines with 1,530 horsepower (1,825 hp at G4M2d Model 27, G4M2c model 26 and G4M3 Model 36)
- Top speed 455 km/h at 4,500 m altitude
- Range 5,040 km
- Seven-man crew (ten men in the G6M1)
- Ceiling 9,000 m
- Two 20-mm guns, four 7.7 mm MGs and up to 2,200 kg bombs (including a 800 kg torpedo)
- Total weight
* Empty weight between 6,800 kg and 8,350 kg (depend on the version)
* Full Load between 9,500 kg and 12,500 kg (depend on the version)
Liked it
