302空夜戦隊（昭和22年11月）
新鋭機震電を最初に組織的に運用し戦果をあげた302空は、その開発の当初より経験のある夜戦にこの新鋭機を使うべく横空の協力を得てその研究に着手していた。新鋭機震電改の優速を生かした一撃離脱の戦法を夜間行うにはどうすればよいか。これが高性能の電探が実用化されていない状態での最大の課題であった。 結局これは海岸線に特に設置した探照灯と洋上に戦闘区域を限定することによっていくらか解決された。すなわち敵編隊が海岸線を切って本土に侵入する直前、水際で攻撃をかける訳である。これら震電改夜戦による夜間洋上迎撃は昭和22年の春頃より始められ徐々にその成果が上がってきた。暗い洋上をバックに探照灯に補足された敵編隊は肉眼でもよく見えたので前方攻撃は夜間といえども比較的容易だったという。特にこの頃の敵の夜間爆撃は同士撃ちを恐れて機銃はすべて降ろしていたのでさらに有利だった。本土に入った敵爆撃機は他の斜め銃夜戦隊にまかせ震電改部隊はもっぱら洋上のみを作戦区域とし大活躍をした。また爆撃後、房総半島方面へ変針し洋上を遁走する敵爆撃機も送り狼的に待ち伏せよく落とした。秋頃には一夜の攻撃で一挙に９機を落とした彗星夜戦以来のベテラン原田少尉を始め昼間から移ってきた若手塔乗員の中からも次々と夜戦エースが生まれた。図は９機撃墜で名を馳せた原田少尉機の昭和22年11月頃の震電改2型。塗装は従来からの夜戦迷彩である黒緑色一色に派手な機首のパーソナルマーキングが人目をひく。原田少尉は彗星夜戦の頃から合計すると４８機撃墜しており夜戦だけの撃墜でも実に４２機。日本の夜戦撃墜数としてはトップスコア。
Shinden-Kai (Jet) Nightfighter 302 FG Night Fighter Squadron (Nov.1947 Atsugi)As a successful operator of the prop Shinden Fighter, as well as an experienced nightfighter operator, the 302nd Fighter Group had considered the use of the jet powered version as a nightfighter since the beginning of its development. Lacking a good radar system, it was difficult to take advantage of its speed in nightfighter tactics. This difficulty was reduced by restricting operations to areas over open water. Also, many newly installed search lights along the coast enabled night fighter pilots to visually acquire and intercept enemy bombers. These tactics were adopted in the spring of 1947 and soon proved effective. Against the black ocean, night fighter pilots could easily spot intruders. Since at the time, U.S. bombers carried reduced defensive armament, due to both the fear of "friendly fire" and be desire to carry as many bombs as possible, the nightfighters' tactics could only be helped. Bombers which made it past the jet night fighters were left to the oblique-cannon-armed prop night fighters. Jet fighters ambushed and shot down many bombers as they crossed the coastline after completing their bomb runs. By fall of 1947 there were many jet night fighter aces. They consisted of both young pilots who transferred in from day fighter units and prop nightfighter veterans. A noted 302nd FG Shinden-Kai pilot was Ensign Takashi Harada, who was already well known as a Judy night fighter ace. On the night of November 7th 1947, while flying his Shinden-kai "Denko Sekka", he shot down no fewer than nine Allied bombers. This is ace Ensign Harada's Shinden-Kai type 2 around Nov.1947. Paint is standard night fighter camouflage (black-green overall with red ID markings ) with his personal marking on the nose: four Japanese characters meaning "Fast as Lightning." Ensign Harada's total of 48 kills made him Japan's top night fighter ace.
