Japanese aircraft links with Australia just prior to WW2 - Not Luftwaffe but Axis

[Alan Scheckenbach]

The following file reference is for the Canberra Reading Room of the National Archives of Australia:

Advisory War Council Purchase of Aircraft from Japan. Proposal by Australian Minister to Japan Series No. 5954 (A 5954/69) control symbol 230/6

This file refers to Australia seeking to purchase military training aircraft from Japan in mid-1940.

It is interesting to see the politics going on around this proposal, some for, and some against, and that the Japanese didn't want money, only metals.

It appears that the only aircraft that would fall into the category that Australia were after, eg Avro Anson size and specification were the Tachikawa Ki-54 Hickory or the Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah, although the Dinah was a high performance reconnaissance machine.

Interestingly, Australia paid approximately £6,436 each in 1935 for 33 Ansons, compared to the £12,500 they were willing to pay for that kind of aircraft in 1940.

Given the high performance of the Dinah, as opposed to the Hickory (which might have been licence built by Mitsubishi (maybe)) and Anson the price of £12,500 might be about right for the Dinah.