Allies Designation for Japanese Aircraft
Contributor: David Stubblebine
Even if a pilot knows the full designation of an aircraft such as Aichi D3A1 Navy Type 99 Carrier Bomber Model 11, he might wish to have a short, simple and unmistakable name, especially when he is in combat with it!
In the second half of 1942, a colorful set of code names was developed in the Southwest Pacific Theater by the Air Technical Intelligence Unit (ATIU) of the Allied Air Forces in Australia. The head of the unit, Captain Frank T. McCoy Jr. was from Nashville, Tennessee, and the first few code names were hillbilly names such as ZEKE, NATE, PETE, JAKE and RUFE, as they were simple, short and distinctive. The basic system spread rapidly, and by late 1942, was adopted for use by both the USAAF and USN. In general, the code names were assigned using the following system, although several exceptions exist:
Basis of the Allied Code Names Scheme
| Code Name Type | Assigned to Aircraft Type |
|---|---|
| Male names | Fighters (both Army and Navy, single or multi-engined) and Reconnaissance seaplanes |
| Female names | Bombers (including attack and dive-bombers), Reconnaissance planes (land or carrier-based), Flying boats and Transports (transport names began with "T") |
| Tree names | Training aircraft |
| Bird names | Gliders |
Thus, the example Aichi given above became simply VAL in the Pacific code name system. As we learned more about the various models of each type, the Japanese model number was often attached to the code name, as in ZEKE 32 for the A6M3 Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 32 "Zero".
Obviously, these code names were much easier to remember and say for Allied airmen and thus, even today, discussions of the Pacific war are filled with names such as BETTY, PETE, OSCAR, KATE and TONY.
List of Japanese Army and Navy Aircraft and their Code Names
Aircraft marked with a single asterisk (*) were fictional, and did not exist. Those with a double asterisk (**) were identified as more than one type, i.e. they are duplicated in the list. This list is extracted and edited from Mikesh's Japanese Aircraft Code Names & Designations.
| Service | Japanese Military Designation | Japanese Manufacturer Designation | American Code Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | Type 1 Target Plane | Kugisho MXY4 | |
| Army | Type 2 Advanced Trainer | Manshu Ki-79 | |
| Navy | Type 2 Training Fighter | Mitsubishi A5M4-K | |
| Navy | Type 2 Training Flying-Boat | Aichi H9A1 | |
| Army | Type 5 Fighter | Kawasaki Ki-100 | |
| Army | Type 97 Fighter * | Mitsubishi | ABDUL |
| Navy | Type 97 Seaplane Fighter * | Nakajima | ADAM |
| Navy | Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane | Kawanishi E7K | ALF |
| Army | Type 97 Light Bomber | Mitsubishi Ki-30 | ANN |
| Army | Type 97 Command Reconnaissance Plane | Mitsubishi Ki-15 | BABS |
| Navy | Type 98 Reconnaissance Plane | Mitsubishi C5M | BABS |
| Army | Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka | Yokosuka MXY7 | BAKA |
| Navy | Type 90-2 Flying-Boat | Kawanishi H3K1 | BELLE |
| Type 98 Medium Bomber * | Heinkel He 111 | BESS | |
| Navy | Type 1 Attack Bomber | Mitsubishi G4Ml/G4M6 | BETTY |
| Navy | Type 1 Formation Escort Fighter | Mitsubishi G6M1 | BETTY |
| Navy | Type 1 Attack Bomber Trainer | Mitsubishi G6Ml-K | BETTY |
| Navy | Type 1 Transport | Mitsubishi G6M1-L2 | BETTY |
| Navy | Type 97 Reconnaissance Seaplane * | Aichi | BOB |
| Army | Type 95-3 Primary Trainer | Tachikawa Ki-17 | CEDAR |
| Navy | Type 99 Flying-Boat | Kugisho H5Y | CHERRY |
| Tachikawa Ki-70 | CLARA | ||
| Navy | Type 96 Carrier Fighter | Mitsubishi A5M | CLAUDE |
| Army | Type 97 Fighter ** | Nakajima (See NATE) | CLINT |
| Navy | Type 2 Primary Trainer Momiji | Kyushu K9W1 | CYPRESS |
| Army | Type 4 Primary Trainer | Kokusai Ki-86 | CYPRESS |
| Navy | Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplane | Nakajima E8N1 | DAVE |
| Navy | Type S Two-seat Fighter | Seversky A8V1 | DICK |
| Army | Type 100 Command Reconnaissance Plane | Mitsubishi Ki-46 | DINAH |
| Army | Type 100 Tactical Pilot Trainer | Mitsubishi Ki-46-II KAI | DINAH |
| Army | Type 100 Interceptor Fighter | Mitsubishi Ki-46-III KAI | DINAH |
| Navy | Type 1 Dive Bomber * | Nakajima (See JUDY) | DOT |
| Tachikawa Ki-71 | EDNA | ||
| Navy | Type 2 Flying-Boat | Kawanishi H8K | EMILY |
| Navy | Navy Bomber/Navy Night Fighter | Yokosuka P1Y | FRAN |
| Navy | Navy Bomber/Navy Night Fighter | Yokosuka P1Y | FRANCES |
| Army | Type 4 Fighter Hayate | Nakajima Ki-84 | FRANK |
| Army | Type 4 Special Transport Glider | Kokusai Ku-8 | GANDER |
| Navy | Navy Interceptor Fighter | Kawanishi N1K-J | GEORGE |
| Navy | Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane | Kugisho E14Y1 | GLEN |
| Army | Type 4 Special Transport Glider** | Kokusai Ku-8 (GANDER) | GOOSE |
| Navy | Navy Carrier Attack Bomber | Aichi B7A | GRACE |
| Army | Type 0 Medium Bomber ** | Mitsubishi (See SALLY) | GWEN |
| Navy | Type 96 Reconnaissance Seaplane | Aichi E10A1 | HANK |
| Army | Type 0 Single-seat Twin-engine Fighter * | Mitsubishi | HARRY |
| Army | Type 100 Heavy Bomber Donryu | Nakajima Ki-49 | HELEN |
| Army | Type 1 Advanced Trainer | Tachikawa Ki-54a | HICKORY |
| Army | Type 1 Operations Trainer | Tachikawa Ki-54b | HICKORY |
| Army | Type 1 Transport | Tachikawa Ki-54c | HICKORY |
| Army | Type 98 Direct Co-operation Plane | Tachikawa Ki-36 | IDA |
| Army | Type 99 Advanced Trainer | Tachikawa Ki-55 | IDA |
| Navy | Type 98 Bomber Float Plane * | Aichi | IONE |
| Navy | Type 2 Land Based Reconnaissance Plane | Nakajima J1N1-C | IRVING |
| Navy | Type 2 Gekko (Night Fighter) | Nakajima J1N1-S | IRVING |
| Navy | Navy Interceptor Fighter | Mitsubishi J2M | JACK |
| Navy | Type 0 Reconnaissance Seaplane | Aichi E13A1 | JAKE |
| Army | Type 97 Heavy Bomber ** | Mitsubishi (See SALLY) | JANE |
| Navy | Type 96 Carrier Attack Bomber | Kugisho B4Yl | JEAN |
| Navy | Type He Interceptor Fighter | Heinkel A7He1 (He 112B-0) | JERRY |
| Navy | Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber | Nakajima B6N2 | JILL |
| Army | Type 1 Single-seat Fighter ** | Kawasaki (See OSCAR) | JIM |
| Navy | Type 99 Four-engine Flying Boat * | JOAN | |
| Army | Type 1 Light Bomber * | Nakajima (See EVE) | JOYCE |
| Navy | Type 2 Carrier Reconnaissance Plane | Kugisho D4Yl-C | JUDY |
| Army | Type 97 Medium Bomber * | Kawasaki | JULIA |
| Navy | Type 99 S.E. Dive Bomber Seaplane ** | Aichi (See JAKE) | JUNE |
| Navy | Type 97-1 and 97-3 Carrier Attack Bomber | Nakajima B5N1 & 2 | KATE |
| Navy | Type 98 Reconnaissance Seaplane | Aichi E11A1 | LAURA |
| Army | Type 99 Twin-engine Light Bomber | Kawasaki Ki-48 | LILY |
| Navy | Navy Experimental 13-Shi Attack Bomber | Nakajima G5N | LIZ |
| Navy | Navy Patrol Plane | Kyushu Q1W | LORNA |
| Army | Type 93-2 Twin-engine Light Bomber | Mitsubishi Ki-2-II | LOUISE |
| Navy | Navy Experimental 17-Shi Interceptor | Mitsubishi J4M | LUKE |
| Navy | Type 97-2 Carrier Attack Bomber | Mitsubishi B5M1 | MABEL |
| Army | Type 98 Light Bomber | Kawasaki Ki-32 | MARY |
| Navy | Type 97 Flying Boat | Kawanishi H6K | MAVIS |
| Type 98 Showa Light Bomber * | Vultee V-11GB | MILLIE | |
| Navy | Navy Carrier Reconnaissance Plane | Nakajima C6N | MYRT |
| Army | Type 97 Fighter | Nakajima Ki-27 | NATE |
| Navy | Type 96 Attack Bomber | Mitsubishi G3M | NELL |
| Army | Type 2 Two-seat Fighter Toryu | Kawasaki Ki-45 KAI | NICK |
| Navy | Type 2 High-speed Recon. Seaplane Shiun | Kawanishi El5Kl | NORM |
| Type 97 Light Bomber * | Mitsubishi | NORMA | |
| Navy | Type 2 Intermediate Trainer | Kyushu K10W1 | OAK |
| Army | Type 1 Fighter Hayabusa | Nakajima Ki-43 | OSCAR |
| Tachikawa Ki-74 | PAT | ||
| Tachikawa Ki-74 | PATSY | ||
| Navy | Navy Reconnaissance Seaplane | Aichi E16A | PAUL |
| Army | Type 4 Heavy Bomber Hiryu | Mitsubishi Ki-67 | PEGGY |
| Army | Type 4 Special Attack Plane | Mitsubishi Ki-67-I KAl | PEGGY |
| Army | Type 95 Fighter | Kawasaki Ki-10 | PERRY |
| Navy | Type 0 Observation Seaplane | Mitsubishi F1M1 | PETE |
| Navy | Type 90 Operations Trainer | Mitsubishi K3M1 | PINE |
| Army | Type 4 Assault Plane (See note) | Kawasaki Ki-102b | RANDY |
| Navy | Type 1 Single-seat Fighter ** | Mitsubishi (See ZEKE) | RAY |
| Navy | Navy Fighter Seaplane | Kawanishi N1K | REX |
| Navy | Navy Type 18 Land Based Attack Aircraft | Nakajima G8N | RITA |
| Navy | Type 2 Fighter Seaplane | Nakajima A6M2-N | RUFE |
| Army | Type I Heavy Bomber | Fiat B.R.20 | RUTH |
| Army | Type 97 Heavy Bomber | Mitsubishi Ki-21 | SALLY |
| Navy | Navy Experimental Carrier Fighter | Mitsubishi A7M | SAM |
| Navy | Type 96 Carrier Fighter ** | Mitsubishi (See CLAUDE) | SANDY |
| Navy | Type 96 Reconnaissance Seaplane | Watanabe E9W | SLIM |
| Army | Type 99 Assault Plane/Tactical Recon. | Mitsubishi Ki-51 | SONIA |
| Army | Type 95-1 Intermediate Trainer | Tachikawa Ki-9 | SPRUCE |
| Army | Type 3 Command Liaison Plane | Kokusai Ki-76 | STELLA |
| Navy | Type 96 Carrier Bomber | Aichi D1A2 | SUSIE |
| Navy | Type 0 Transport | Douglas DC-3 L2D2/5 | TABBY |
| Navy | Type D Transport | Douglas DC-3 | TABBY |
| Army | Douglas DC-2 | TESS | |
| Army | Type 1 Freight Transport | Kawasaki Ki-56 | THALIA |
| Army | Type LO Transport | Lockheed 14 | THELMA |
| Army | Type 1 Transport | Kokusai Ki-59 | THERESA |
| Army | Type 97 Transport | Nakajima Ki-34 | THORA |
| Navy | Type 97 Transport | Nakajima L1N1 | THORA |
| Navy | Type 96 Transport | Kugisho L3Y | TINA |
| Army | Type 2 Single-seat Fighter Shoki | Nakajima Ki-44 | TOJO |
| Army | Type 3 Fighter Hien | Kawasaki Ki-61 | TONY |
| Army | Type 100 Transport | Mitsubishi Ki-57 | TOPSY |
| Navy | Type 0 Transport | Mitsubishi L4M1 | TOPSY |
| Navy | Type 99 Carrier Bomber | Aichi D3A | VAL |
| Navy | Type 93 Intermediate Trainer | Kugisho K5Y | WILLOW |
| Navy | Type 0 Carrier Fighter | Mitsubishi A6M | ZEKE |
|
Sources and Further Reading An excellent single source on Japanese Army and Navy aircraft is Rene J. Francillon's Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, published by Putnam and others. Another specific reference is Japanese Aircraft Code Names & Designations by Robert C. Mikesh, published by Schiffer. This book has some interesting history behind the development of the Allied code names, as well as a short discussion of each aircraft, including some rather minor types. For a humorous and unfortunately typical American view of Japanese military and naval air power in early 1941, check out the article Japan Is NOT an Air Power. |
Source: Randy Wilson's Aviation History Site.
Last Major Update: Sep 2008
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Visitor Submitted Comments
31 Aug 2010 02:23:50 AM
What a collection this is very informative and amazing blog for me i m doing research about 2nd world war your posts helps me very much in my work thanks a lot
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Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943
10 Jun 2009 05:17:12 PM
Today Japanese Plastic Model Airplane Manufactures such as Hesegawa, Fujimi, Tamiya and LS describe the aircraft, by its Allied Code Name, along with the Japanese on the box top.
During the Cold War, a system was used to describe Russian Aircraft, but those Boy and Girl names for WWII Japanese aircraft sound very different, they were unique, and belonged to a different time. The Allies never had a code system for German or Italian Aircraft.