c/n 5379, PO1c Tsuguo Matsuyama, Hiryū Fighter Squadron, aircraft carrier Hiryū, December 7, 1941

During second attack against Hawaii the Hiryū aircraft carrier sent nine Zeros under the command of Lt. Sumio Nōno. His pilots attacked Kaneohe and Bellows bases, claiming two destroyed aircraft and one car. Third Shōtai was led by PO1c Matsuyama, who shot down in coopeartion with his wingman P-40s piloted by 2nd Lieutenants George Whiteman and Samuel Bishop of the 44th Pursuit Squadron. Matsuyama had combat missions with the 13th Kōkūtai in China on his account already. On February 25, 1938, as wingman of the legendary Sadaaki Akamatsu, he participated in shooting down four aircraft. During the raids on Ceylon on April 9, 1942, Matsuyama's shōtai shot down a Blenheim Mk.IV, probably of S/Ldr Kenneth Ault´s crew, who was leading formation of No. 11 Squadron RAF in an attack on Japanese ships. Matsuyama later served on the aircraft carrier Hiyō and was killed on April 7, 1943 in combat with the Wildcats off Guadalcanal. The airplane BII-124 was shot down on February 19, 1942 during the raid on Darwin. After being hit by anti-aircraft fire, Seaman 1st class Hajime Toyoshima landed on Melville Island and was captured by Aboriginal Matthias Ulungura. Toyoshima was the first captured Zero pilot and used alias "Tadao Minami". He became one of the organizers of the largest prisoner escape in World War II. On August 5, 1944 at Cowra POW Camp he gave signal to escape. Total of 1,104 POWs attempted to espace, 231 were killed and four Australians lost their lives as well. Toyoshima was mortally wounded, so he lighted a cigarette and committed suicide.

PO1c Saburō Sakai, Tainan Kōkūtai, Lakunai airfield, Rabaul, New Britain island, August 1942

Saburō Sakai is best known Japanese fighter pilot, thanks to his memoirs and meetings with Allied airmen after World War II. He was born in 1916 and served from September 1938 with the 12th Kōkūtai in China. In October 1941, he was assigned to the newly organized Tainan Kōkūtai in Taiwan and took part in campaign heading South until he was wounded on August 7, 1942 off Guadalcanal. After recovering, he served as an instructor with Ōmura Kōkūtai, and later, despite bad eyesight, was combat deployed with Yokosuka Kōkūtai on Iwo Jima. At the end of war he served with Kōkūtai 343 (II) and Yokosuka Kōkūtai. He is listed as an ace with 64 victories, but Sakai himself claimed the number of his victories was lower. With the first two units he actually achieved 12 individual victories, 8 shared and 4 probables. The V-128 was also flown by PO2c Arita and PO1c Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, who is credited with 87 victories. The color of the stripes is chosen from Sakai's recollection, but there are other interpretations, such as a black or yellow stripe on the fuselage. During a fighter escort to Guadalcanal on August 7, Sakai shot down Wildcat “F12” from VF-5 piloted by "Pug" Southerland in an epic dogfight. Sakai was later severely wounded in the face by fire from VB-6 Dauntless near Tulagi Island. After nearly five hours and more than 1,000 km, he managed to land back at Rabaul. Sakai died in 2000 after formal dinner with members of the US Navy.

PO2c Kōtarō Koyae, Zuihō Fighter Squadron, Rabaul, New Britain island, April 1943

Petty Officer 2nd Class Koyae was born in 1923 in Miyazaki Prefecture and completed his flight training in November 1942. He was than assigned to the fighter unit of the aircraft carrier Zuihō in March 1943. In April, the unit moved to Rabaul and Koyae flew the aircraft during Operation I-gō. In this period, green paint was applied to Zeros in field conditions. It was usually painted by hand, the edges of the green fields being softened with thinner sometimes. However, according to the unit log, Koyae did not fly combat sorties in April 1943. In fact he did not encounter the enemy until November 1943 over Rabaul. During the same month he was transferred to Kōkūtai 253 at Rabaul and by early 1944 he was undergoing intense fighting. Upon his return to Japan, he was assigned to the Ōmura Kōkūtai. While on leave, on February 17, 1944, he spotted a Japanese bomber circling in the rain at night over the village of Goda, Miyazaki Prefecture. Koyae, with the help of the villagers, established a navigation signal and after some time he managed to guide the crew to right heading. For this achievment he received a written commendation from commander of Ōmura Kōkūtai. In July 1944, Koyae was assigned to Hikōtai 701 and fought in the defense of the Philippines. After returning to Japan, he was assigned to Hikōtai 701 (II) and served with Ōmura Kōkūtai at the end of the war. After the war he worked as a fireman and published his memories. According to the local press, he achieved 20 victories, but these may be victories achieved by fighter formations in which he took part.

Lt. Kunio Kanzaki, CO of Hikōtai 311 of Kōkūtai 381, Kendari airfield, Celebes island, May 1944

Kōkūtai 381 was established in October 1943 at Kendari Base on the island of Celebes. It was a mixed Kōkūtai with 48 fighter-bombers (Hikōtai 602), 24 night fighters (Hikōtai 902) and 48 fighter aircraft in Hikōtai 311, the latter commanded by Lt. Kanzaki. During the 1944 he operated from bases on islands in Indonesia and the Philippines. Their most frequent opponents were U.S. Army aircraft. Kanzaki's unit used special phosphorus anti-aircraft bombs to attack enemy bombers. Kanzaki's aircraft, manufactured by the Nakajima company, has been reconstructed in the past with various color markings. It is assumed that the vertical tail surfaces and part of the upper wing surfaces were painted the same color like lower surfaces. The front part of the engine may also have been painted grey or yellow. It is not entirely clear from the photograph of the aircraft whether the white stripes on the lower fuselage are joined. It may have been designed to improve the mutual identification of Army and Navy aircraft when fighting Allied fighters. Another reason for this camouflage may have been for easier identification during night fighter flights. For example, Lt. Kanzaki and his wingman shot down a B-24 of the 380th BG over Balikpapan on the night of January 12-13, 1944. Some aircraft of Kōkūtai 331 were also painted in the same upper and tailplane camouflage. Both units operated in one tactical group during part of 1944.

Lt. Nobuo Miyatake, Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, 1. Shichisei-tai, Kanoya airbase, Japan, April 1944

From the April 3, 1945 a total of eight special attack units with the battle name “Shichisei” were organized from the airmen serving in Genzan Kōkūtai (II) and Hikōtai 306 (part of Kōkūtai 721). Lt. Miyatake, who was 24 years old at the time, led the 1st Shichisei-tai in an attack on a convoy off Okinawa on April 6, 1945. During that day, eleven other airmen from Genzan Kōkūtai (II) sacrificed their lives along with him. They took off successively in four formations. Their formation was part of the 524 aircraft of special attack units and escort fighters from IJN and IJA sent against Allied vessels off Okinawa as part of Operation Kikusui I. The U.S. Navy lost destroyers USS Bush and Colhoun and other ships were severely damaged. “Shichisei” units were sent against ships off Okinawa, Yoronjima,  Kikai, and Tanegashima islands in several missions till May 14. Only one of them returned to base due to bad weather. Lt. Miyatake was born in Kagawa Prefecture and graduated from the Etajima Naval Academy in 1942. Before the mission, he wrote farewell letters to his mother and three sisters. His father was interned in Siberia at the time. Nobuo Miyatake was posthumously promoted to the rank of Commander. His aircraft from Nakajima production is designated “Ke-113”.