KITS 01/2023

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, Se-

aman 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 reco-

llection, 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 Ap-

January 2023

ril 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

INFO Eduard

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