Country of origin:

Japan

Description:

Two-seat military reconnaissance biplane

Power Plant:

One 433 kw (580 hp) Nakajima Kotoobuki 2 KAI-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

One 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun fixed firing forward; one 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun on flexible rear facing mount; up to two 30 kg (66 lb) bombs

History:

The Japanese Navy issued a specification in 1933 for the development of a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft to operate from vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Three new types were entered in the competition, from Aichi, Kawanishi and Nakajima. The latter entrant, developed from the earlier E4N-2 biplane, had wings of reduced chord and area, had an increased sweep on the upper wing and had taller tail surfaces. Design of the E8N was completed by a team lead by Kishiro Matsuo. The prototype flew in March 1934 and was tested against the Kawanishi E8K-1 and the Aichi E8A-1, both of which were monoplanes.

In October 1935 the E8N-1 was accepted as the Navy Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 1, becoming known to western sources as the ‘Dave’. It received some development during its life, in 1940 being fitted with the up-rated 2 KAI 2 engine providing 470 kw (630 hp), this model becoming the E8N-2. Its initial operations were in China, and it operated throughout the war from naval ships, including warships, and from sheltered lagoons throughout the Pacific. A total of 755 was completed by the time production ceased in 1940, 700 by Nakajima at Kaisumi, 48 by Kawanishi at Konan, and seven prototypes.

Following the attacks on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii in December 1941, and Darwin, NT in early 1942, the United States through its carrier group sought to stem the tide of conquest of the Japanese forces in the Pacific. Part of a task force, which included HMAS Australia, was the aircraft carriers USS Yorktown and USS Lexington. These ships were equipped with the Douglas Dauntless, Douglas Devastator and Grumman Wildcat. On 10 March 1942 a large force of these aircraft left the carriers near the northern most point of Australia and flew over the Owen Stanley mountains to attack Japanese forces at Lae and Salamaua, NG. The Japanese force at Lae included a number of cruisers, destroyers, troop transports, etc involved in the invasion of Papua New Guinea. One Japanese vessel was the Kiyokawa Maru, a seaplane tender, which had on board for reconnaissance duties one F1M ‘Pete’, five E8N ‘Daves’ and three E13A ‘Jakes’.

The American force had complete surprise and the Japanese attempted to launch the seaplanes in defence. One E8N (tail no R-18) was shot down by a Wildcat into the Huon Gulf; and two others (R-19 and R-22) were also lost. They attempted to attack the American aircraft, R-22 firing and hitting a number of Devastators before, on landing, it turned over and sank. Serial R-19 attacked a flight of three Hudsons before having to make an emergency landing. The type continued in service during the war but was obsolescent by 1942.  The type ended its days in communications, liaison and training duties.

It is interesting to note that the German auxiliary cruiser Orion operated a Nakajima E8N during its operations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, particularly around Australia and New Zealand. It, along with the the similar auxiliary cruiser Komet, accounted for the loss of a number of ships, including the Rangitane and five ships off Nauru. In order to have a capability to carry out aerial reconnaissance, the German Naval Attache in Japan, Vice Admiral Wenneker, in early 1941 purchased a Nakajima E8N which was placed on board the German supply ship Munsterland, which rendezvoused with the Orion on 1 February 1941 at the Maug Islands in the northern Marianas where the aircraft was transferred to the Orion. It subsequently became the only German vessel to operate a Japanese floatplane during World War II. On 26 May 1941 while proceeding to a new operational area in the South Atlantic the E8N overturned in the sea before being able to be winched on board the ship, the aircraft sinking but the crew being rescued.