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Kawanishi H8K “Emily” Boat Plane.
The marine air strike on December 7, 1941 wasn’t the only Japanese strike on Hawaiian atoll Oahu. On March 5, 1942, early in the morning, bomb explosions echoed there again. It was the Japanese “Operation K”. The strike was made by the “Kawanishi H8K1” boat planes. They had enormous range of 6256 km, but even this wasn’t sufficient for the flight both ways – distance from Pearl Harbor to the nearest Japanese base “Vautier” on Marshall Isles is 3700 km. So the refueling point was provided from the I-15, I-16, I-26 submarines at one of the deserted atolls 925 km northwest of Hawaii. Sky was overcast above Pearl-Harbor, and the bombing didn’t do any damage to the Americans.
The aircraft’s history began in August 1938, when the “Kawanishi” company got the order on development of the boat plane, superseding USA and UK “Consolidated Catalinas” and “Short Sutherlands”. The team completed the task excellently. The new boat had remarkable characteristics: enormous range, capacity, speed and durability, had excellent defensive weapons. The boat could carry two 800 kg – torpedoes or two 800 kg – bombs on the pylons between the engines. The aircraft was modified numerous times, already high characteristics being perfectioned.
During the war, the aircraft served not only as long-range scout, but was also being used for patrolling inner naval communications and as a transport aircraft. The patrol variant carried the extra fuel tank within the hull, which allowed the aircraft to be in air for more than a day and cover 7150 km! The transport variant had an extra deck, and the fuel supplies and defensive weapons were reduced. This type was called “Transport Boat Plane Marine Type 2 Sheiku” (Pure Sky), or H8K2-B. Such a boat could carry 29 passengers, or 64 soldiers, or 6.5 tons of cargo.
“Emily” was effectively used throughout the war, but even its durability could not let her survive the mass attacks of the American fighters. Only three of them survived in the war. And in total there were made 167 aircraft, which is rightfully considered to be the best boat plane of WWII.
Kawanishi H8K “Emily” in the "Pacific Storm"
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