Mitsubishi B5M

The Mitsubishi B5M, designated ‘Takeru’ by the Imperial Japanese Navy, was a carrier‑based dive‑bomber introduced in the late 1930s. Developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to replace the aging B4M, the prototype first flew in 1935 and entered operational service in 1937. Powered by a 1,000 hp Mitsubishi Kinsei radial engine, the low‑wing monoplane featured an all‑metal stressed‑skin structure, retractable landing gear, and split‑flap dive brakes that allowed precision attacks from steep angles. Its armament comprised two forward‑firing 7.7 mm machine guns, a rear defensive gun, and a bomb load of up to 500 kg, typically a 250 kg bomb. Approximately 1,200 B5Ms were built, serving extensively during the Second Sino‑Japanese War and the early Pacific campaigns, including the Battle of Midway and the Indian Ocean raids. Though soon outclassed by the faster Yokosuka D4Y, the B5M demonstrated the effectiveness of carrier‑borne dive bombing and helped shape Japanese naval air tactics. Its relatively simple design and reliable performance made it a valuable training platform, and it remains a notable example of pre‑war Japanese aeronautical engineering. Today a few surviving examples are displayed in Japanese museums, preserving its role in the evolution of carrier aviation.

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