KITS 05/2022

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

May 2022

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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