KITS 07/2022

PO3c Kunimori Nakakariya, 12th Kōkūtai, Hankow airfield, China, May 1941

This is a mid-production A6M2 Zero Type 11 with longer rear canopy glazing, curved air intake under the

engine cowling and lower mounted exhausts. Nakakariya became a fighter pilot in March 1940 and

then within a year underwent further training and

service with Ôita, Ômura and Kanoya Kōkūtai. In April

1941, he was assigned to the 12th Kōkūtai in China as

a twenty-year-old but talented aviator. With 3-138,

he achieved two victories over I-15 biplanes during

a long-range flight over Tiansu on May 26, 1941.

In September 1941 he was assigned to the newly

formed 3rd Kōkūtai and, after fighting over the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, he was involved

in aerial combat over Australia until May 1943. He

then served for a year as an instructor in the Ômura

Kōkūtai. In May 1944, he was assigned with the rank

of Warrant Officer to Kōkūtai 653, which participated

in the Battle of the Philippine Sea with the carriers

Chitose, Chiyoda, and Zuihō. With this unit he took

part also in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and then fought

from land bases in the Philippines. After returning to

Japan, he was assigned to Kōkūtai 601. He achieved

a total of 16 victories.

PO3c Masayuki Nakase, 12th Kōkūtai, Hankow airfield, China, May 1941

This is a late production A6M2 Zero Type 11 with shorter rear canopy glazing, standard air intake under

the engine cowling and lower mounted exhausts. Nakase underwent training with the Yokosuka Kōkūtai

and after completing fighter training in March 1938

was assigned to the Ômura Kōkūtai. He then served

in China for six months with the 14th Kōtūtai but did

not come into contact with the enemy. In the summer

44

INFO Eduard

of 1940, he was assigned to the 12th Kōkūtai as a Zero

pilot. During an air battle south of Chengdu on October 4, 1940, he landed with three other pilots at an

enemy base and set fire to a command post. In another raid on Chengdu, this time on March 14, 1941, he

shot down five I-15 biplanes and claimed as probable.

He achieved three more victories over Nanzheng on

May 26 with the machine 3-143. From September 1941

Nakase served with the newly formed 3rd Kōkūtai.

He was killed on February 9, 1942, during an attack

on a Dutch Army vehicle. He was posthumously promoted two ranks to the rank of Ensign and his name

was cited in the All Units Bulletin. He is credited with

18 victories.

July 2022