The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service was Imperial Japan's land based aviation force. Imperial Japan did not maintain a separate and independent air force so both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy maintained their own air services. The IJA's Army Air Service was mainly responsible for the provision of tactical air support for ground troops while maintaining a limited air-to-air capability. The IJN was responsible for strategic bombing and national air defense. The Army Air Service also did not control the light aircraft deployed and operated by the artillery as spotters or observers.

Organization

The Army Air Service was organized into 5 Air Armies with each maintaining a clear area of operations(ie, one per theater of war). Each Air Army contains 2 or more Air Divisions containing 2 or more Air Brigades each. Optiminally, an Air Division was assigned to each Group Army and an Air Brigade was assigned to a Field Army. Each Air Brigade contained a Headquarters responsible for tactical planning and 3 or 4 Air Regiments called sentai, plus some reconnaissance and transport aircraft units. Air Regiments usually contained only one type and brand of aircraft, such as Nakijima Tony fighters or light or medium bombers. Air Regiments consisted of 3 or 4 Air Companies of, usually, 9 aircraft. However, fighter Air Regiments contained 45 to 48 aircraft and the Bomber and/or Recon Air Regiments contained 27 to 36 aircraft. These Air Companies contain 3 sections of 3 aircraft each.

Strength

• 1940 - The Army Air Service contained 33,000 personnel operating over 1,600 aircraft(including 1,375 first line combat aircraft). The aircraft were organized into 85 Air Companies; 36 fighter, 28 light bomber, and 22 medium bomber.

Uniforms and Equipment

As part of the IJA, the Army Air Service wore the standard army uniforms, Flying personnel wore theirs with sky blue trim and stripes, while officers wore their ranks on sky blue patches.

See Also

• List of military aircraft of Japan