IJAAF evaluated several Luftwaffe aircraft during WWII and they received Allied code-names. The Focke-Wulf was ''Fred'' and the Messerschmitt was tagged ‘Mike.’ Hasegawa continues a stream of Limited Edition subjects with this interesting 1/72 set of a Bf 109E and an Fw 190A in Imperial Japanese Army Air Force markings.

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Very interesting release. I just read an identification document in which Allied pilots reported encountering what they thought were 109s and 190s, or modified Japanese copies, in the Pacific, particularly in the Solomons.

I think I remember reading somewhere that the IJAAF received some 190 & 109 for evaluation, but I didn't think they used them in combat. It seems to me that the A6M Zero & the Ki-43 Oscar were better suited to the long-range combat of the Pacific Theater. This is a cool subject, though.

Jim

They may have received a 109 but I would be amazed if they received a 190. By the time the 190 was available it was very very difficult to get stuff from Germany to Japan. It was done by submarine, but most were sunk on the journey and only a couple got through with anything. A few drawings got through as once the sub was within in the Japanese flight area the important bods caught a plane back to Japan to seed up the trip and took some drawings with them. This is how some drawings of German jet and rocket technology got to Japan. The balance was all via a remarkable code system for describing 3 dimensional objects via radio.

Can anyone refer to some evidence of the 190 getting to Japan?

The Fw190A-1 entered service in August 1941, the A-5 in November 1942. Neither introduction was late enough for any significant shipping issues, it wasn't until mid 1943 that the USN really began to dominate in the Pacific. With production terminating in June 1943, the A-5 would have been ending production around the time that shipping became an issue.

For now, just photographic:

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-markings-camouflage/foreign-aircraft-japanese-markings-10759-2.html

The IJAAF received one Fw 190A-5 in 1943 as part of a technical exchange program. The Germans were reluctant to share their technological achievements with japan which is why only one example was received. The fate of the Fw-190 is not fully known. It was examined by engineers from Kawasaki at Kagamigahara. According to some publications it flew comparison tests with Nakajima Ki 84 Hayate and proved superior. A Maj Katakura discovered that it was possible to land it at high speed without the use of flaps, when a wrench carelessly left in the mechanism prevented him using them. His final reports were not enthusiastic, the maneuverability described as poor. It finally ended its days as a wreck in early 1945 at the Akeno Air school experimental facility. Some sources say another, A-8, was sent to Japan by submarine in early 1944 but there is no proof of this in Japanese documents.

A researcher I know is preparing a blog about the IJAAF Focke-Wulf and he was kind enough to share these details:

It arrived in the late summer of 1943 via a blockade runner and the programme of testing and fighter evaluation began at Fussa in September 1943. The idea that it was tested in December comes from the fact that the 47th Sentai's 2nd Chutai moved to the airfield at Tokorozawa in December 1943 because Chofu was too crowded. ...it was demonstrated to and flown by some of the 47th's leading pilots...captioned 'December 1943' have created the belief that the testing occurred then and the recent Hasegawa double-kit also uses this date.

I have photos showing the Fw 190 together with the 47th's Ki-44 aircraft and I can't see what better proof there would be that it existed...