Mitsubishi G3M (Type 96) "Nell" Specifications:

General

• Length: 53 ft. 11 in.
• Wingspan: 82 ft.
• Height: 12 ft.
• Wing Area: 807 sq. ft.
• Empty Weight: 10,923 lbs.
• Loaded Weight: 17,600 lbs.
• Crew: 7

Performance

• Power Plant: 2 × Mitsubishi Kinsei 45 radial engine, 1,075 hp
• Combat Radius: 2,730 miles
• Max Speed: 233 mph
• Ceiling: 30,200 ft.

Armament

• Guns: 1 × 20 mm Type 99 cannon in rear dorsal turret, 4 × .303 in. Type 92 machine guns

• Bombs: 1,764 lbs. bombs or 1 torpedo

Mitsubishi G3M Design & Development:

In 1933, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, then the chief of the Technical Division of the Bureau of Aeronautics for the Imperial Japanese Navy, successfully sought permission to begin pursuing designs for long-range, land-based aircraft to support the fleet. This was ultimately granted and a team at Mitsubishi led by Sueo Honjo began designing a twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft. Internally designated Ka-9, the project produce a sleek aircraft which incorporated twin tails and two Hiro Type 91 engines. Intended as a demonstration aircraft, the Ka-9 first flew in April 1934.

Impressing IJN officials, Mitsubishi soon received a new set of specifications which called for the Ka-9 to be adapted into a medium bomber capable of carrying a load of 1,760 lbs. or one aerial torpedo. In order to accommodate this load, Mitsubishi strengthened the fuselage, enlarged the tails, and reinforced the landing gear. While early prototypes depended on their speed and high altitude performance for evading potential enemies, a defensive armament was incorporated in the final design which was known as the Ka-15.

Possessing a solid nose, the bombardier aimed his drop through a clear panel in the cockpit floor.

Moving to Production:

Powered by improved Hiro Type 91 engines driving fixed, four-bladed propellers, the Ka-15 prototype first flew in July 1935 with Yoshitaka Kojima at the controls. Extremely pleased with the aircraft, an order was placed for twenty additional prototypes in various configurations. Of these, the #4 prototype, which featured 950 hp Kinsei 3 radial engines, was moved into production in June 1936 as the G3M1 (Navy Type 96 Attack Bomber Model 11). Only 34 of this type were built before Mitsubishi again upgraded the engines to create the G3M2 Model 21. In 1937 and 1938, 343 of this type were built.

Based on combat reports, the aircraft was again modified to the G3M2 Model 22. This type saw a major re-thinking of the aircraft's defensive armament including the addition of a Type 99 Model 1 20 mm cannon on a flexible mount. Other additions included a new autopilot system and radio direction finder. The Model 22 was the last type built by Mitsubishi as further G3M production was licensed to Nakajima. In 1941, this company introduced the final variant, the Model 23, which was powered by 1,300 hp Kinsei 51 engines and had an extended range. A total of 1,049 of all types were built by 1943.

G3M Nell - Operational History:

With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the G3M was quickly thrust into service. On August 14, G3Ms successfully crossed the East China Sea and began bombing raids over China. In the course of the campaign, they became an effective terror weapon as G3Ms attacked cities and other population centers. During the fighting, G3Ms also suffered heavy losses due to their relatively weak defensive armament as well as a lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. The latter two protective measures had been omitted from the design in an effort to save weight.

The aircraft also suffered from a relatively primitive bombsight which made precision strikes difficult. As a remedy, the G3M began to fly in waves to eliminate the need for a high degree of accuracy. By 1940, G3M2 Model 22s had arrived and were operating from bases in occupied China. With war looming with the United States, the IJN formed a special reconnaissance unit of G3Ms. Flying unmarked aircraft, IJN pilots flew photo and intelligence gathering missions over Allied areas in the months before World War II. For identification purposes, the Allies assigned the G3M the name "Nell."

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the G3M began to see action across the Pacific. Though increasingly antiquated, the type took part in the Battles of Wake Island and the Philippines. Nells also struck Singapore and took part in the Japanese efforts to capture the island city. The high point for the aircraft came on December 10, 1941, when 60 G3Ms took part in the sinking of the British battleships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse off the coast of Malaya. This attack was the first time that a battleship had been sunk at sea exclusively by aircraft.

Though still effective, the G3M was increasingly phased out of service in favor of the newer G4M "Betty" in 1942. Existing G3Ms were generally relegated to duties that included maritime patrols, bomber training, and serving as a glider tug. Other G3Ms were converted for use as transports under the designation L3Y1 Model 11 and L3Y2 Model 22 (Allied: "Tina"). Converted G3Ms served in this capacity for the remainder of the war. With the end of the conflict, most remaining aircraft were scrapped.

Selected Sources

• Combined Fleet: G3M Nell
• Pacific War: G3M Nell