Mitsubishi Ki-15 Type 97 / C5M Type 98 “Babs”

The Mitsubishi Ki-15 was developed for the Japanese Army in response to a 1935 request for designs for a new high-speed reconnaissance aircraft. The result was a low-wing monoplane with fixed landing gear which, despite a relatively weak engine, was almost as fast as contemporary fighters. A small number were sold to civilian operators, with one of these setting the record for a Tokyo to London flight, arriving in time for the coronation of King George VI.

The original Ki-15-I featured a Nakajima Kotobuki engine that was both low powered and obscured much of the forward view. This engine was replaced by a Mitsubishi Ha-26 in the Ki-15-II, increasing both speed and visibility, modifications which were successful enough to prompt the Navy to buy a number of the revised aircraft under the designation C5M1 Type 98 Reconnaissance Plane.

The Ki-15 and the C5M both served in China, acting as long range reconnaissance aircraft and occasional light bombers. Their most significant role was to act as pre- and post-strike observers for heavy bomber raids on Chungking and Chengu, during with they reported on weather conditions as well as bombing results. They also carried out a similar role during the early months of the Pacific War as Japanese forces spread out across Malaya, the Philippines and the Netherlands East Indies.

The multiple designations of the Ki-15 caused Allied intelligence numerous problems in identifying the aircraft, particularly during the early months of the conflict. An early American recognition manual includes 4 potential aircraft which all appear to be related to the Ki-15: a type 97 bomber, a type 98 bomber, and Mitsubishi ‘Karigane’ and ‘Kamikaze’ bombers. Eventually though it was realised that there was a single distinct type, and therefore the single codename “Babs” was assigned to both the Army Ki-15 and Navy C5M versions.