RARE Aug. 1944 WW2 Japanese Naval Airmens Float Vest Pilot Equipment IJN
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:153764 |
We are pleased to offer an outstanding authentic WW2 Japanese Naval Pilots Float Vest. Sewn in White Tag from Yokosuka Naval Supply Depot - Showa Date 19.8 . August 1944 . Left chest area of the vest shows a shadow of where a Japanese Naval rayed flag was painted. Due to time it has faded away. On the reverse is a Green Identification Sewn in Tag reads "CARRIER BOMBER GROUP". Not all IJN airmen were Carrier qualified. In fact only the best and most well trained were selecte...d for Carrier duty and these Airmen of the fleet came to be looked on as the elite of the service. The level of flying skill among carrier pilots of IJN remained high during the Pacific War throughout most of 1943. There after it feel off markedly as attrition among seasoned veterans and the effects of shortened training programs took their toll. By spring 1944 when the carrier fleet entered training in preperation for what became the battle of the Phillippine Sea that summer, pilots were being introduced to actual flight deck landings with barely 150 hours of total flight time behind them. Training accidents, including fatalities, were numerous. Scarce vest that could have present onboard an IJN Naval Fleet Aircraft Carrier as well as worn in the aircraft cockpit during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. This vest shows clear signs of use. Scattered Period patch repairs and strap repairs. Honest wear due to its honest wear during the war. We can be certain that this Float Vest was connected to an IJN Carrier Bomber Group (Aircraft Carrier) after August 1944. Following the Battle of Midway , in which four Japanese fleet carriers were sunk, the IJN suddenly found itself short of fleet carriers (as well as trained aircrews), robbing them of a strategic offensive capability. The IJN consequently undertook an ambitious set of projects to convert commercial and military vessels into carriers, such as the Hiryu. Another conversion project, Shinano, was based on an incomplete Yamato-class super battleship and became the largest-displacement carrier of World War II. One exception which was the only Japanese carrier with an armored flight deck and first to incorporate a closed hurricane bow. All three mid-war designs were sunk in 1944, with Shinano and Taih being sunk by U.S. submarines, and by air attacks. The IJN also attempted to build anumber of fleet carriers called the Unryu-class, mostly based on the older Hiryu for the sake of reducing construction cost and time. Most carriers were still under construction or cancelled by the end of the war, while the few completed ships never embarked air groups due to severe shortages of carrier-qualified aircrew. October 23 1944 was the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Leyte Gulf was decisive in that it destroyed much of the remaining Japanese surface fleet while virtually ending Japans ability to move resources from Southeast Asia to the home islands. Japanese losses included four aircraft carriers, three battleships, six heavy and four light cruisers, and eleven destroyers, along with several hundred aircraft and over 10, 500 sailors. Allied losses were one light carrier, two escort carriers, two destroyers and one destroyer-escort. Despite overall failure, however, the Japanese showed that with determination they could still press home attacks against an Allied armada with huge technical and material advantages.IJN Navy Pilot Float Vests are not offered on the market often. This example is identified to a Carrier Bomber Group. White Tag is faded but there is faint evidence of it being filled out. One day maybe it could be Identified to a specific Pilot. We start this at a $1 with no reserve. Make sure to take this rare oppurtunity to bid on a piece of WW2 Japanese Aviation History. WE WELCOME INTERNATIONAL BIDDING. Please send us a message before bidding for an accurate shipping cost. Our items are antiques and sold as is. They will have nips, distress, and show honest wear due to its age. Vintage/Antique military items should not be worn but admired from handling and on display. Mannequin, flight uniform , helmet, googles in photos are not included. It is used as visual aid for this scarce float veat. We take pride in finding antique and historic items in the South Eastern Pennsylvania area. We thank you for looking and wish you luck with your bidding.
