Author Topic: Peruvian A5M  (Read 9576 times)

Offline Acree

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Peruvian A5M
« on: January 24, 2015, 05:10:38 PM »
This will be my next project in my World War II goes hot in Latin American scenario.  The two bottom profiles below depict the next model I will build.  I can't decide whether I want the enclosed cockpit or not.

The story: In order to secure a foothold in the Americas, Imperial Japan began taking an active interest in Peru in the early 1930s.  There were a large number of Japanese immigrants in Peru, and the Japanese government worked hard to develop close ties with the Peruvian government, even supporting Japanese-Peruvian political candidates at all levels.  The Japanese were interested in having safe harbors in the western hemisphere, securing strategic metals and petroleum, and, most of all, in creating a diversion and distraction from their activities in Asia.  They hoped to accomplish these goals with a minimal expenditure of resources and manpower.  As part of this effort, in the late summer of 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy transferred 18 Mitsubishi A5M4 fighters to the Cuerpo de Aeronautica del Peru (CAP) during a port visit to Callao by the carrier Soryu. The Soryu was to be re-equipped with A6Ms on return to Japan. 

By mid-1942, the limited spare parts available for the A5M4's Kotobuki engines were causing availability problems, so the CAP sent the aircraft to the Fábrica Nacional de Aviones Caproni Peruana for re-engining.  Caproni Peruana designed a new installation of the Fiat A.74 engine, this giving a significant increase in horsepower, but also a significant weight increase.  As a result, performance of the new modification was little changed, although pilots complained that maneuverability was decreased.  The newly modified aircraft were known in Peru as A5M5-P, although this was never recognized by the Japanese. 
« Last Edit: January 24, 2015, 06:00:29 PM by Acree »

Offline perttime

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2015, 07:38:46 PM »
I like this!
The A5M has something that appeals to me very much, and the Peruvian scheme looks good on it.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2015, 02:40:17 AM »
I like! 

Lots of directions this scenario could take…especially if you introduce other Japanese equipment…hint, hint!
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Offline Acree

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2015, 03:03:48 AM »
Thanks, guys!  The Soryu did drop off some B5N1s at the same time. I'm also planning some other Japanese equipment for Peru, as well as the Italian influence. Others will have greater German influence (e.g., I have an Ar 96 in the stash destined for Chile and converted for light attack). 

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2015, 03:57:32 AM »
Thanks, guys!  The Soryu did drop off some B5N1s at the same time. I'm also planning some other Japanese equipment for Peru, as well as the Italian influence. Others will have greater German influence (e.g., I have an Ar 96 in the stash destined for Chile and converted for light attack).

Oh yeah! :)
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2015, 08:24:05 AM »
I like this! One of my favorite scenarios. Maybe some crappy Japanese tanks as well.

Offline Acree

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2015, 10:50:06 AM »
One of the B5N1s which were transferred to the CAP at the same time as the A5Ms (see above)...

Offline lauhof52

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2015, 05:35:42 PM »
Nice work!

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2015, 01:54:31 AM »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2015, 02:01:53 AM »
I like this! One of my favorite scenarios. Maybe some crappy Japanese tanks as well.

I'm with you there.  Some japanese tanks such as the Type 97 ShinHoTo Chi-Ha instead of the LTPs they had in the real world.  I'm thinking the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War could take an interesting twist in this story.  Moreover, a significant Japanese presence in Peru especially if it included some naval platforms (say a cruiser and maybe some destroyers and submarines) would certainly complicate USN operations/plans.

Loving this whole thread and those profiles are great! :)
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Offline Acree

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2015, 04:53:10 PM »
Six Mitsubishi C5M2 long range reconnaissance aircraft were delivered to Peru aboard the Shigeno Maru in May, 1940.  After assembly and testing, they were assigned to 72 Escuadrilla de Informacion Terrestre at Chiclayo.  They were used to great affect in strategic reconnaissance missions over Ecuador and Colombia where their impressive speed kept them safe from interception until the arrival of more modern fighters in those nations in 1942.

Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2015, 01:10:49 AM »
Love your mods to the A5M!

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2015, 04:42:43 AM »
 :)
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Offline cptmike2012

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2015, 05:04:58 AM »
Any chance of a Peruvian Zero or Val?

Offline Acree

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2015, 12:23:17 PM »
Well, it's a definite possibility (especially the Zero), but I want to draw up a complete timeline for my scenario before I leap to any conclusions. 

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #15 on: January 29, 2015, 06:06:47 AM »
I really like this scenario, since Japanese intervention/support/trouble was a real concern in the US. While looking for early Peruvian AF pictures, I found this article on basically, a Peruvian Panzer 38(t):

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czech-republic-to-obtain-rare-czechoslovak-built-tank-from-peru

So Japanese tanks may not be unreasonable... although in real life, the Japanese-Peruvian-relationship was not all that warm:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Peruvian

Offline Acree

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2015, 05:42:46 AM »
It's true that the Japanese - Peruvian relationship IRL was not great.  In real life, the Japanese intentionally focused on the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and did not attempt to meddle in the western hemisphere much at all.  They apparently did make efforts to help the Japanese in Peru to maintain their Japanese cultural heritage.  However, in my scenario, the Japanese government takes a wholly different approach to Japanese - Peruvian relations and sets out to build close ties that will allow Peru to become a foothold in the Americas.  This involved encouraging Japanese-Peruvians (issei and nissei) to partially assimilate and work toward leadership positions in Peruvian culture.  It also involved military aid, of course.  In my scenario the Japanese will seek to get detailed intel on Panama Canal transits and perhaps even threaten the canal itself later in the war.  They may also attempt to create a second foothold closer to the US mainland in Mexico, but will be ultimately unsuccessful. 

I'm not much of a tank guy, but from what I read, the LTP was specifically developed for Peruvian conditions and was quite successful and well-liked.  Of course with a larger scale conflict to deal with, the Peruvians would have had need for more tanks, which could not come from Czechoslovakia.  So, Japanese tanks like the Type 97 may make an appearance, but would change the nature of the conflict as they would be restricted to the lower-elevation coastal plains (whereas the LTP could operate in the high-elevation mountains). 


Offline Acree

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Peruvian - Japanese Connection
« Reply #17 on: January 31, 2015, 09:24:32 AM »
By 1936, the Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú was extremely unhappy with the Ca 111 which had been procured from Italy as bombers.  In negotiations with Caproni (through the Peruvian subsidiary, Caproni Peruana), a specially modified version of the Ca 135, known as the Ca 135 Tipo Peru, was created.  This had many of the qualities that the Peruvians desired, but proved unreliable in Peruvian service.  As a result, only the six Italian-built Tipo Peru were purchased.  All six had been delivered by 1937.  Planned production in Peru was cancelled.

[all of the above is true in the "real world" - the following is NOT!]

Besides their reliability problems, the Ca 135s were disappointing in both range and service ceiling.  With potential targets in surrounding nations as high as 10,000' elevation, the Ca-135's 21,000' ceiling was insufficient, and it's range of only 727 miles was even worse.  Therefore, in 1939 the Peruvians turned to the Japanese, with whom a growing military relationship had been developing.  After extended negotiations, the Japanese agreed to sell the Peruvians a manufacturing license for the Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 21, which had by then been superseded on the Mitsubishi lines by the Model 22 (and the G4M ("Betty") was in flight test).  The Japanese also sent two disassembled G3M2 Model 21s as pattern aircraft. 

The G3M was much more satisfactory in Peruvian service, with a service ceiling of over 30,000' and a range almost four times that of the Tipo Peru.  Reliability was also much improved. 

Caproni Peruana assembled the imported G3M2s, and began tooling up for full scale production.  Progress was slow, and Peruvian production G3Ms did not begin to enter service until mid-1943.  The two pattern aircraft though, were pressed into CAP service and served alongside the Ca 135s in the 1941 war with Ecuador.  One of those aircraft is shown in the profile below. 

More to come...

« Last Edit: January 31, 2015, 09:29:10 AM by Acree »

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Peruvian A5M
« Reply #18 on: January 31, 2015, 10:21:15 AM »
Outstanding!  I think I just worked out what to do with my 1/48 kit...
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Offline Acree

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Re: Peruvian A6M
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2015, 04:04:24 PM »
By 1944, Japanese exports to Peru were nearing an end.  Nevertheless, 26 surplus Mitsubishi A6M2 fighters were delivered to the CAP in May of 1944, were they were known as the Cero.  Shown here is one of the Ceros serving with the 43 Escuadrilla at Chiclayo.