H8K Archives - Aviation Wings

Lt Graham Squires reduced power to avoid overshooting the flying boat, but as he was about to cross over the H8K, its pilot pulled his aircraft up sharply in an attempt to crash into the PB4Y

During World War II, air combats between large, four-engined aircraft were a comparatively rare occurrence. Allied and Axis bombers had few opportunities for such encounters, but there were clashes between maritime patrol aircraft. These aerial engagements are unique in the annals of air warfare. Patrol aircraft most often faced enemy single- and twin-engined fighters, but there were occasions when rival maritime machines encountered each other during their patrols.

According to Edward M. Young’s narrative in his book H6K “Mavis”/H8K “Emily” vs. PB4Y-1/2 Liberator/Privateer Pacific Theater 1943-45, the majority of these clashes occurred over the wide Pacific Ocean. Aggressive PB4Y Liberators, the US Navy’s name for the B-24, shot down 15 Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) Kawanishi H6K “Mavis” and H8K “Emily” flying boats without losing a single one between August 1943 and the end of the final combat in May 1945—a remarkable record.

These amazing pictures from December 30, 1944, show a H8K crashing after it was attacked and struck by a PB4Y’s guns.

That morning, while on patrol off Formosa, Lt. Graham Squires and his crew, flying a PB4Y from a VPB-117, saw a H8K. Squires and his crew were flying at 6,000 feet on a westerly course between two layers of cloud over the South China Sea, southwest of the southern tip of Formosa. When the top turret gunner alerted the aircraft to an “Emily” flying at its “three o’clock” position, about eighteen miles to the southeast, the PB4Y was just below the upper layer of clouds.

On December 30, 1944, Lt. Graham Squires and his crew from VPB‑117 engaged an “Emily” southwest of southern Formosa. The PB4Y‑1’s search radar had been used to locate the flying boat in the cloud. The Liberator’s
gunners set the H8K’s No. 3 engine on fire, and possibly the
No. 2 engine as well. (80G‑311301, RG80, NARA)

Squires quickly climbed into the clouds to avoid being spotted by the flying boat. Making effective use of the cloud layer, Squires had closed the range to just six miles when the “Emily” crew spotted the approaching PB4Y. The flying boat immediately turned and headed back in the direction of Formosa, with Squires in pursuit, diving into the lower cloud layer to escape. The radar operator on board the PB4Y quickly found the “Emily” on his AN/APS 15 radar scope and directed Squires toward the enemy aircraft, which had descended below the lower cloud layer and dived down toward the ocean, pulling out at 150ft. Squires closed the range and leveled off above the H8K at 200ft.

Although the PB4Y was still out of 0.50 cal range, the “Emily’s” dorsal and tail 20mm turret gunners opened fire but scored no hits on the Liberator. Coming in quickly, the PB4Y’s bow turret gunner shot out the dorsal turret, then set the No. 3 engine on fire. The top turret gunner also hit the “Emily” moments later. Squires reduced power to avoid overshooting the flying boat, but as he was about to cross over the H8K, its pilot pulled his aircraft up sharply in an attempt to crash into the PB4Y. Squires slammed the throttles forward and pulled the Liberator up and over the “Emily,” missing the Japanese aircraft by just 25ft.

The mortally wounded H8K, from the 801st Kokutai, fell away to starboard and crashed into the ocean.

H6K “Mavis”/H8K “Emily” vs PB4Y-1/2 Liberator/Privateer is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by NARA

The Japanese launched a fairly daring plan in March 1942 to send a flight of two Kawanishi H8K long-range flying boats to inspect the damage they had caused to Pearl Harbor and to drop bombs on the 10/10 repair dock

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service employed the Kawanishi H8K flying boat for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was “Emily”.

Designed for long-range and extended endurance on patrols or bombing missions, the Kawanishi H8K was a large, four-engine aircraft that was usually flown alone over the ocean. The prototype first flew in January 1941, and H8K1s made their first combat sortie in March 1942. The robust H8K2 “Emily” flying boat was also fitted with powerful defensive armament, which Allied pilots had substantial respect for wherever this aircraft was encountered in the Pacific theater. The H8K was called “the most outstanding water-based combat aircraft of the Second World War” by aviation historian René Francillon.

On the night of March 4, 1942, there was another raid on Pearl Harbor using the H8K.

‘In March 1942, they [the Japanese] staged a somewhat audacious plan of sending a flight of 2 Kawanishi H8K long-range flying boats to reconnoiter the damage they had done to Pearl Harbor and drop bombs on the 10/10 repair dock.

‘The planes launched from the Marshall Islands met a Japanese submarine for refueling in the French Frigate Shoals and proceeded to fly to Hawaii. The raid was largely a failure, as they were unable to locate Oahu due to the nighttime blackout conditions. The raid was planned for a Moonlit Night, but they misread the US Navy’s coded weather reports and instead picked a cloudy evening. One plane is believed to have dropped its bombs in error over the ocean before heading back out to sea. The other crashed into Hawaii’s Tantalus Peak volcano, just north of Honolulu, in the darkness. Thus alerting the Americans to what was going on.

‘From the Japanese standpoint, the raid was a failure. But they planned to do it again in June. For the Americans, it was an intelligence windfall. It allowed the Americans to work out how the H8Ks got to Hawaii. The June flight was to be Yamamoto’s reconnaissance flight to determine if the American Carriers were in port at Pearl Harbor right before the Midway attacks. The pilots had to abort the mission when their refueling submarine discovered French Frigate Shoals occupied by an American Destroyer and Minesweeper. This prevented Yamamoto from knowing that the American Carriers were already at sea, laying a trap for him at Midway.’

Aviation stories, Aviation glories

H8K

This Japanese H8K flying boat that tried to collide with a US Navy PB4Y but crashed

Lt Graham Squires reduced power to avoid overshooting the flying boat, but as he was about to cross over the H8K, its pilot pulled his aircraft up sharply in an attempt to crash into the PB4Y

In March 1942, Japanese Kawanishi H8K flying boats conducted another raid on Pearl Harbor

The Japanese launched a fairly daring plan in March 1942 to send a flight of two Kawanishi H8K long-range flying boats to inspect the damage they had caused to Pearl Harbor and to drop bombs on the 10/10 repair dock