Photo: Fold3

HISTORY

This photograph is one of the images that fell into the hands of the Allied forces after the landing on the Aleutians. It probably dates from late 1942 and early 1943

and shows the airmen of Kōkūtai 452.

down. Later, Yamada got into a fight with the

observation planes again, and with a PO2c

Gi-ichi Sasaki, they scored two victories.

The Americans lost one Seagull and three were

damaged. The crew of the downed Seagull

apparently survived, but interestingly, the

machine (Bu. No. 9945) belonged to the air unit

of the battleship USS Indiana, which was not

part of the fleet.

The crews of H6K Mavis attempted to blindly

bomb the American vessels through low cloud

cover, and one of the Rufe pilots attacked the

destroyer USS Case in very adverse weather

conditions. He was driven off by defensive fire

from 5-inch and 20mm guns. Japanese gunners

from shore batteries also attempted to engage

the US ships, as the Rufes' pilots dropped

phosphorus bombs over them , presumably to

identify enemy´s position.

American troops landed on Adak Island on

August 30 and built with incredible speed an

airfield in the following weeks. For the Japanese

on Attu and Kiska, this worsened the prospects

of completing their own airfield.

An unequal battle occurred on September 15,

1942, when the submarine base at Kiska was

attacked by fourteen heavy bombers from the

28th CBG, accompanied by fourteen Lightnings

and the same number of Airacobras from XI.

Fighter Command. This formation was engaged

by four Rufe pilots, two of whom were killed.

April 2023

PO2c Gi-ichi Sasaki scored four victories over

fighter aircraft in this engagement and claimed

one as probably destroyed, but his machine

turned over on landing. At the end of the day

only one Rufe remained operational. In late

September, the Kimikawa Maru arrived at the

island, bringing six Rufes and two observation

aircraft. In the following week the unit faced

significant odds on several occasions including

P-40s of No. 111 Sqn RCAF, and on October 4 was

completely without fighter seaplanes. American

and Canadian fighters often strafed the antiaircraft gunner positions to reduce the risk to

low-flying bombers that arrived over the target

only minutes later.

At the beginning of November, the 5th Kōkūtai

was redesignated Kōkūtai 452. In same period

additional aircraft were supplied, but these

were destroyed in the following days during a

storm and in a strafing attack by Lightnings and

Marauders. In late December, Kimikawa Maru

again brought in new Rufe seaplanes. On the

last day of 1942, Japanese fighters managed to

shoot down a B-25 of 28th CBG, a P-38 of 343rd

FG and destroyed a Catalina that was forced to

land.

The Kōkūtai 452 was still operating in extremely

difficult conditions. Planes were anchored

in Arctic temperatures at the seashore or

in shallow water, their only protection being

a tarpaulin stretched across the forward half

of the fuselage. Yet unit´s technicians managed

to keep most of the seaplanes operational.

Primarily they operated from Kiska Island, and

spare planes were offloaded on Attu, where

there was less danger from Allied aircraft.

On January 24, 1943, a patrol of two Rufes

discovered five cargo ships with escort cruisers,

which were securing the landing on the island

of Amchitka. Rufes attacked with 60kg bombs

and continued their strafings in late January

and during February. Their main target was the

airfield, which the Americans were building on

the island with their usual incredible speed.

American air defenses managed to shoot down

several of the Rufes. Sasaki, who became the

only Rufe fighter ace in the area, did not return

from one of these dangerous missions.

It occurred on the evening of February 18, 1942,

the day after the first Curtiss P-40s from the

18th Fighter Squadron arrived at the newly

completed airfield, which was named Fox Field

because of its short runway. The Rufe pair was

led by Warrant Officer Kunitsugu Nakamachi

and PO1c Sasaki flew as his wingman. In the

air, however, two quadruplets of Curtiss planes

were waiting for them. The Japanese pair

was attacked by the first flight, led by Major

Clayton J. Larson. Hundreds of soldiers from

the surrounding hills watched in amazement as

the battle took place off the west coast of the

island.

INFO Eduard

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