The Mitsubishi 1MF used claw-type gear with longitudinal British-style arresting wires. These wires were intended mainly to stop an aircraft veering over the deck edge rather than to provide a modern arrested landing. At the low speeds of the period, deck crews could still be expected to stop a moving aircraft with their hands. Gloves arrived only later because navies initially worried that they might damage the aircraft's fabric. The practice was widespread among early carrier navies and placed considerable risk on deck crews.
Notable Point · 40:08-42:04
Early arresting wires leave deck crews catching aircraft by hand
Hōshō's claw gear and longitudinal deck wires reveal how primitive carrier recovery systems shifted extraordinary risk onto sailors working beside landing aircraft.