Aichi E13A Jake

1940

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Aichi E13A Jake

Numerically the most important of all Japanese float seaplanes during World War II, the Aichi E13A monoplane (of which 1,418 were produced) originated in a naval staff specification issued to Aichi, Kawanishi and Nakajima in 1937 for a three-seat reconnaissance seaplane to replace the six-year-old Kawanishi E7K2 float biplane. A prototype was completed late in 1938 and after competitive trials with the Kawanishi E13K in December 1940 was ordered into production as the Navy Type 0 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 1. Early aircraft were embarked in Japanese cruisers and seaplane tenders the following year and, carrying a single 250kg bomb apiece, flew a series of raids on the Hankow-Canton railway. Soon afterwards E13A1 floatplanes accompanied the Japanese 8th Cruiser Division for reconnaissance patrols during the strike against Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Thereafter, as production switched to Kyushu Hikoki KK at Zasshonokuma and accelerated, the seaplanes (codenamed 'Jake' by the Allies) were embarked in the battleships and cruisers of the Kantais (fleets), including the battleship Haruna and cruisers Chikuma and Tone of Vice Admiral Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force at the Battle of Midway. Because of mechanical problems with the ships' catapults there were delays in launching one of the four E13Als to search for the American carriers at dawn on the crucial 4 June 1942, depriving the Japanese of the vital initiative during the early stages of the assault on Midway. Furthermore the Chikuma's E13A1 was forced to return early when it suffered engine trouble, further reducing the all-important search area. One of the other 'Jake' pilots, from the cruiser Tone, eventually sighted the American fleet but at first failed to report the presence of carriers, causing a further 30-minute delay in arming the strike aircraft awaiting orders to launch from Japanese carriers. As it was, when the Americans launched their first strike, the pilots found the decks of the carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu clogged with aircraft which should have been attacking the American fleet.

In all, it is estimated that by mid-1943 more than 250 E13A1s were at sea aboard Japanese ships, though their use was severely curtailed whenever American fighters were in evidence. Nevertheless they continued to serve right up to the end of the war, many of them being ultimately used in suicide attacks on the huge American invasion fleets closing on the Japanese homeland.

Aichi E13A Jake

Specification 
 MODELE13A1
 CREW3
 ENGINE1 x Mitsubishi Kinsei-43, 750kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight4000 kg8819 lb
  Empty weight2642 kg5825 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan14.5 m48 ft 7 in
  Length11.3 m37 ft 1 in
  Height7.4 m24 ft 3 in
  Wing area36.0 m2387.50 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed375 km/h233 mph
  Cruise speed220 km/h137 mph
  Ceiling8730 m28650 ft
 ARMAMENT1 x 20mm cannon, 1 x 7.7mm machine-gun, 1 x 250-kg bomb

3-View 
Aichi E13A JakeA three-view drawing (752 x 1105)

Comments
L. B. Dorny, e-mail, 25.09.2014 11:35

An E13A flying from seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru with the Malaya invasion force attacked a British Catalina flying boat of No. 205 Squadron, RAF over the Gulf of Siam mid-day on 7 Dec 1941 (East Longitude date), 18 hours in advance of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

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B7ARyusei, e-mail, 21.08.2010 01:14

Is a fantastically aircraft.Despite of today nothing E13A example survives that plane was more efficient what the E16A

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Mick Dunne, e-mail, 29.12.2007 04:46

I love this plane too Jacob! By far the best ship borne scout plane of WWII (maybe Arado had its equal) They were brilliantly used by the IJN in night ops in the South West Pacific. Terrific design!

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Jacob, e-mail, 08.10.2007 04:16

I love this aircraft, its awesome I an RC version could be made,I also wish i could own one.

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