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World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft facts for kids

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WW2 Japanese Aircraft Poster Chart Newsmap Vol 2 No 17 1943-08-16 US Government National Archives NARA Unrestricted Public domain 26-nm-2-17 002
Identification chart of Japanese aircraft
G3M Type 96 Attack Bomber Nell G3M-18s
Mitsubishi G3M aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy were nicknamed "Nell" by Allied forces during World War II.

The World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft were reporting names, often described as codenames, given by Allied personnel to Imperial Japanese aircraft during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The names were used by Allied personnel to identify aircraft operated by the Japanese for reporting and descriptive purposes. Generally, Western men's names were given to fighter aircraft, women's names to bombers, transports, and reconnaissance aircraft, bird names to gliders, and tree names to trainer aircraft.

The use of the names, from their origin in mid-1942, became widespread among Allied forces from early 1943 until the end of the war in 1945. Many subsequent Western histories of the war have continued to use the names.

History

During the first year of the Pacific War beginning on 7 December 1941, Allied personnel often struggled to quickly, succinctly, and accurately identify Japanese aircraft encountered in combat. They found the Japanese designation system bewildering and awkward, as it allocated two names to each aircraft. One was the manufacturer's alphanumeric project code, and the other was the official military designation, which consisted of a description of the aircraft plus the year it entered service. For example, the military designation of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter was the "Navy Type 96 Carrier Fighter". Type 96 meant that the aircraft had entered service in Imperial year 2596, equivalent to Gregorian calendar year 1936. Other aircraft, however, which had entered service the same year carried the same type number; aircraft such as the Type 96 Carrier Bomber and the Type 96 Land Attack Bomber. Adding to the confusion, the US Army and US Navy each had their own different systems for identifying Japanese aircraft.

In mid-1942, Captain Frank T. McCoy, a United States Army Air Forces military intelligence officer from the 38th Bombardment Group assigned to the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit in Australia, set out to devise a simpler method for identifying Japanese aircraft. Together with Technical Sergeant Francis M. Williams and Corporal Joseph Grattan, McCoy divided the Japanese aircraft into two categories; fighters and everything else. He gave boys' names to the fighters, and girls' names to the others. Later, training aircraft were named after trees, single engine reconnaissance aircraft were given men's names and multi-engine aircraft of the same type were given women's names. Transports were given girls' names that all began with the letter "T". Gliders were given the names of birds.

A6M3 Model32-common
A6M3-32 "Hamp" fighters

McCoy's system quickly caught on and spread to other US and Allied units throughout the Pacific theater. By the end of 1942, all American forces in the Pacific and east Asia had begun using McCoy's system, and British Commonwealth nations adopted the system shortly thereafter. The list eventually included 122 names and was used until the end of World War II. To this day, many Western historical accounts of the Pacific War still use McCoy's system to identify Japanese aircraft.

In an effort to make the names sound somewhat comical, McCoy gave many of the aircraft 'hillbilly' names, such as "Zeke" and "Rufe," that he had encountered while growing up in Tennessee. Others were given names of people the creators of the system knew personally; the Mitsubishi G4M bomber, with its large gun blisters was named "Betty" in homage to a busty female friend of Williams. The Aichi D3A "Val" got its name from an Australian Army sergeant.

Not all of McCoy's chosen names caught on. Many Allied personnel continued calling the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter "Zero" instead of McCoy's name of "Zeke." Also, McCoy's name for an upgraded version of the Zero, "Hap," in tribute to US Army general Henry H. Arnold, had to be changed to "Hamp" when it was learned that Arnold disapproved.

List of names

Allied reporting name Aircraft Type designation Notes
Abdul Nakajima Ki-27 Army Type 97 Fighter see "Nate"
Abdul Mitsubishi Navy Type 97 Fighter Fictional type.
Adam Nakajima SKT-97 Navy Type 97 Seaplane Fighter Fictional type.
Alf Kawanishi E7K Navy Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane
Ann Mitsubishi Ki-30 Army Type 97 Light Bomber
Babs Mitsubishi C5M Navy Type 98 Reconnaissance Aircraft
Babs Mitsubishi Ki-15 Army Type 97 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft See "Norma"
Baka Yokosuka MXY7 Navy Attacker Ohka
Belle Kawanishi H3K Navy Type 90-2 Flying Boat
Ben Nagoya-Sento KI-001 Army(?) Type 1 Fighter Fictional type.
Bess Heinkel He 111 Army Type 98 Medium Bomber
Betty Mitsubishi G4M Navy Type 1 Land-based Attack Aircraft
Bob Nakajima E2N Navy Type 15 Reconnaissance Floatplane "Aichi Type 97"
Buzzard Kokusai Ki-105 Otori Army Transport
Cedar Tachikawa Ki-17 Army Type 95-3 Basic Grade Trainer
Cherry Yokosuka H5Y Navy Type 99 Flying Boat
Clara Tachikawa Ki-70 Army Reconnaissance
Claude Mitsubishi A5M Navy Type 96 Carrier Based Fighter
Clint Nakajima Ki-27 Army Type 97 Fighter
Cypress Kokusai Ki-86 Army Type 4 Primary Trainer
Cypress Kyushu K9W Navy Type 2 Primary Trainer
Dave Nakajima E8N Navy Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplane
Dick Seversky A8V Navy Type S Two Seat Fighter
Dinah Mitsubishi Ki-46 Army Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft
Doc Messerschmitt Bf 110 Unknown
Doris Unknown Unknown
Edna Mansyu Ki-71 Army Type 99 Assault aircraft
Emily Kawanishi H8K Navy Type 2 Large Flying Boat
Eva/Eve Mitsubishi Ohtori n/a civil record aircraft misreported as operated by the IJNAS
Fran Yokosuka P1Y Navy Land-based Bomber
Frances Yokosuka P1Y Navy Land-based Bomber
Frank Nakajima Ki-84 Army Type 4 Fighter
Gander Kokusai Ku-8 Army Type 4 Special Transport Glider
George Kawanishi N1K-J Navy Interceptor Fighter
Glen Yokosuka E14Y Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane
Goose Kokusai Ku-8 Army Type 4 Special Transport Glider
Grace Aichi B7A Navy Carrier Attack Bomber
Gus Nakajima AT-27 Fighter Fictional type.
Gwen Mitsubishi Ki-21-IIb Army Type 0 Medium Bomber
Hap Mitsubishi A6M3 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 32
Hamp Mitsubishi A6M3 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 32
Hank Aichi E10A Navy Type 96 Night Reconnaissance Seaplane
Harry Mitsubishi TK-4 Army Type 0 Single Seat Twin-engined Fighter Fictional type.
Helen Nakajima Ki-49 Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber
Hickory Tachikawa Ki-54 Army Type 1 Trainer
Ida Tachikawa Ki-36 Army Type 98 Direct Co-operation Aircraft
Ida Tachikawa Ki-55 Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer
Ione Aichi AI-104 Navy Type 98 Reconnaissance Seaplane Fictional Type
Irene Junkers Ju 87 Unknown
Irving Nakajima J1N Navy Type 2 Land Reconnaissance Aircraft
Jack Mitsubishi J2M Navy Interceptor Fighter
Jake Aichi E13A Navy Type 0 Reconnaissance Seaplane
Jane Mitsubishi Ki-21 Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber
Janice Junkers Ju 88 Unknown
Jean Yokosuka B4Y Navy Type 96 Carrier Attack Bomber
Jerry Heinkel A7He Navy Type He Interceptor Fighter
Jill Nakajima B6N Navy Carrier Attack Bomber
Joyce Nakajima Unknown Army Type 1 Medium Bomber
Judy Yokosuka D4Y Navy Type 2 Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft
Julia Kawasaki Ki-48 Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber Misidentified – same as Lily
Kate Nakajima B5N Navy Type 97-1 Carrier Attack Bomber
Laura Aichi E11A Navy Type 98 Reconnaissance Seaplane
Lily Kawasaki Ki-48 Army Type 99 Twin-engined Light Bomber
Liz Nakajima G5N Navy Experimental 13-Shi Attack Bomber
Lorna Kyushu Q1W Navy Patrol Aircraft
Louise Mitsubishi Ki-2-II Army Type 93-2 Twin-engined Light Bomber
Luke Mitsubishi J4M Navy Experimental 17-Shi Interceptor
Mary Kawasaki Ki-32 Army Type 98 Single Engine Light Bomber
Mabel Mitsubishi B5M Navy Type 97-2 Carrier Attack Bomber
Mavis Kawanishi H6K Navy Type 97 Large Flying Boat
Mike Kawasaki Ki-61 Army Type 3 Fighter Interim designation, also used for Bf 109
Millie Vultee V-11GB Type 98 Showa Light Bomber
Myrt Nakajima C6N Navy Carrier Reconnaissance Aircraft
Nate Nakajima Ki-27 Army Type 97 Fighter
Nell Mitsubishi G3M Navy Type 96 Attack Bomber
Nick Kawasaki Ki-45 Army Type 2 Two-seat Fighter
Norm Kawanishi E15K Navy Type 2 High Speed Reconnaissance Seaplane
Norma Mitsubishi Ki-15 Army Type 97 Command Reconnaissance Aircraft
Norma Mitsubishi C5M Navy Type 98 Reconnaissance Aircraft
Oak Kyushu K10W Navy Type 2 Intermediate Trainer
Omar Suzukaze 20 Fighter Fictional type.
Oscar Nakajima Ki-43 Army Type 1 Fighter
Pat Tachikawa Ki-74 Army Fighter Initially misidentified – same as Patsy
Patsy Tachikawa Ki-74 Army Reconnaissance Bomber
Paul Aichi E16A Navy Reconnaissance Seaplane
Peggy Mitsubishi Ki-67 Army Type 4 Heavy Bomber
Perry Kawasaki Ki-10 Army Type 95 Fighter
Pete Mitsubishi F1M Navy Type 0 Observation Seaplane
Pine Mitsubishi K3M Navy Type 90 Crew Trainer
Randy Kawasaki Ki-102 Army Type 4 Assault Aircraft
Rex Kawanishi N1K Navy Fighter Seaplane
Rita Nakajima G8N Navy Type 18 Land Based Attack Aircraft
Rufe Nakajima A6M2-N Navy Type 2 Interceptor/Fighter-Bomber
Ruth Fiat BR.20 Army Type I Heavy Bomber
Sally Mitsubishi Ki-21 Army Type 97 Heavy Bomber
Sam Mitsubishi A7M Navy Experimental Carrier Fighter
Slim Watanabe E9W Navy Type 96 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane
Sonia Mitsubishi Ki-51 Army Type 99 Assault Aircraft
Spruce Tachikawa Ki-9 Army Type 95-1 Intermediate Trainer
Stella Kokusai Ki-76 Army Type 3 Command Liaison Aircraft
Susie Aichi D1A Navy Type 94/96 Carrier Bomber
Tabby Douglas DC-3/
Showa/Nakajima L2D
Navy Type 0 Transport
Tess Douglas DC-2 Navy Transport
Thalia Kawasaki Ki-56 Army Type 1 Freight Transport
Thelma Lockheed Model 14 Army Type LO Transport
Theresa Kokusai Ki-59 Army Type 1 Transport
Thora Nakajima Ki-34 Army Type 97 Transport
Tina Yokosuka L3Y Navy Type 96 Transport
Tojo Nakajima Ki-44 Army Type 2 Single-seat Fighter
Tony Kawasaki Ki-61 Army Type 3 Fighter
Topsy Mitsubishi Ki-57 Army Type 100 Transport
Topsy Mitsubishi L4M Navy Type 0 Transport
Trixie Junkers Ju 52 Unknown
Val Aichi D3A Navy Type 99 Dive Bomber
Willow Yokosuka K5Y Navy Type 93 Intermediate Trainer
Zeke or Zero Mitsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter

See also

  • List of Japanese aircraft in use during the Second Sino-Japanese War
  • List of aircraft of Japan during World War II
  • 'Type' designation in Japan
  • Japanese military aircraft designation systems
  • NATO reporting name – a similar system implemented in the Cold War for Soviet and Chinese aircraft
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