HISTORY

c/n 3372, Lt. Kiku-ichi Inano, Tainan Kōkūtai, Tainan airfield, Taiwan, November 1941

This aircraft, released by Mitsubishi on October 21, 1941, became the first Zero in repairable

condition to fall into Allied hands. The legendary Tainan Kōkūtai was established on October

1, 1941, at the Tainan base. Most of the unit participated in combat over the Philippines, Borneo and the Dutch East Indies. A smaller part, under the command of Lt. Kiku-ichi Inano, was

transferred to French Indochina in late November and temporarily became part of 22. Kōkū

Sentai HQ fighter squadron. The “V-172” fighter was Inano's personal machine. During the

transfer to Saigon on November 26, Inano flew aboard a transport aircraft and his Zero was

piloted by PO1c Shimezō Inoue. Inoue and his wingman with Zero “V-174” lost their bearings

in poor weather and made an emergency landing on the coast of the Leichou Peninsula. Both

pilots were taken prisoner by the Chinese. Inoue was repatriated after the war. He returned

to his home village with shame over his capture, suffered from depression, and died in a war

veterans' hospital. With great effort, the Chinese managed to transport the Zero “V-174” to

Liuchow base, where they began repairs. The machine was given Chinese national insignia

and number P-5016. It was also tested by pilots of the American 75th FS. In 1943, the aircraft

was transported to the USA, where it received the designation EB-2, later EB-200. Lt. Inano

returned to Tainan Kōkūtai in July 1942, participated in combat over New Guinea and Guadalcanal. From October 1944 served as Hikōtaichō of Tainan Kōkūtai (II) in Taiwan.

Fighters from the 3rd Kōkūtai at Kupang airfield, Indonesia in 1942. Note the difference between the light identification stripes and bands as compared to grey color of the aircraft, which appears relatively dark.

(photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum)

Lt. Cdr. Shigeru Itaya, Akagi Fighter Squadron, Pearl Harbor first attack wave

During the first wave Itaya led 43 Zero fighters, including 9 from Akagi. Itaya's own Akagi

formation shot down one sightseeing and three training aircraft. Then, at Hickam and Ewa

bases, they destroyed about 25 aircraft and also attacked incoming B-17s. Itaya's wingmen

damaged and set fire to a B-17C from 7th BG of Capt. Swenson´s crew with one passenger

who did not survive the attack. Itaya's wingman, PO1c Hirano, was hit by anti-aircraft over

Fort Kamehameha and hit an obstacle while flying low over the ground, killing himself and

four American soldiers. Itaya was born in 1909 and graduated from the Naval Academy in

1929. From November 1936, he was the Buntaichō of the Ryūjo Fighter Squadron for one year.

He then served with the 15th and 12th Kōkūtai and from January 1940 he was Buntaichō

of the Hiryū Fighter Squadron. In November 1940 he took over this position on the aircraft

carrier Akagi, in April 1941 he was appointed Hikōtaichō and remained in this position until

the Battle of Midway. He was killed on July 24, 1944 in the Kuril Islands, at that time serving

as a member of the staff of the Naval 51st KōkūSentai. He was flying aboard a G3M bomber

towards Paramushir and was accidentally shot down by a Ki-43 fighter.

The burning Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū, photographed after Battle of Midway by a Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” from

the carrier Hōshō shortly after sunrise on June 5, 1942. Hiryū sank a few hours later. Flight deck is torn out by

the bomb dropped by SBD bomber.

(Photo: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation)

c/n probably 2236, PO2c Akira Yamamoto, Kaga Fighter Squadron, Pearl Harbor first attack

wave

Kaga sent nine Zeros in the first wave of the attack on Pearl Harbor under command of

Lt. Yoshio Shiga. His formation destroyed 21 aircraft at Hickam. Six of them were credited

to PO2c Yamamoto, who had previously shot down a yellow-painted civilian Piper J-3 on

a sighseeing flight. The two men on board were killed. Lt. Shiga lowered Yamamoto's rank one

notch and called him an idiot bastard. Yamamoto had served as a fighter pilot since 1934 and

had seen combat in China with the aircraft carrier Hōshō and 12th Kōkūtai. During the Battle

of Midway, he shot down five bombers. After Kaga was hit, Yamamoto landed aboard Hiryū

and while escorting bomber he claimed four fighters including F4F flown by „Jimmy” Thatch,

commander of VF-3. In the fall of 1942 he served on the carrier Zuihō and was promoted to

the rank of Warrant Officer. In May 1944, he was transferred to the Yokosuka Kōkūtai and

participated in the defense of Iwo Jima. He was killed in the defense of Japan on November

24, 1944. After his aircraft was hit by a B-29 gunner, Yamamoto bailed out, but his parachute

did not open. He achieved 13 aerial victories and the rank of Lieutenant junior grade.

12

INFO Eduard

Part of Tainan Kōkūtai pilots in Lae, New Guinea in June 1942. Saburō Sakai is in the middle row second from the

left, Hiroyoshi Nishizawa is standing to the far left.

(Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum)

April 2022