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List of World War II aces from Japan

This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Japan, as officially credited by the Imperial Japanese government. For other countries see List of World War II aces by country.

Abbreviations

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A

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Kenichi Abe (阿部健市) 10 (five jointly) Chief Petty Officer IJN Survived World War II.[1]
Takahide Aioi (相生高秀) 10 Commander IJN 5 of the victories during Second Sino-Japan War; later served as Vice Admiral in the JMSDF[2]
Sadaaki Akamatsu (赤松貞明) 27 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN 11 of the victories during Second Sino-Japan War[3]
Satoru Anabuki (穴吹智) 39 Sergeant Major IJA Later served as Lieutenant Colonel in the JGSDF[4]
Katsumi Anma (安間 克巳) 27 IJA KIA 8 April 1942
Yoshitugu Aramaki (荒蒔 義次) 5 IJA
Yoshisuke Arita (有田 義助) 5 IJN
Mitsuzo Asai 7 IJA
Jiro Asano (浅野 二郎) 10 IJA
Tomita Atake (阿武 富太) 10 IJN

B

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Takeo Banno (阪野 隆雄) 10 IJN KIA 7 October 1943
Kisaji Beppu 5 IJA KIA 7 February 1942

C

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Jirō Chōno 7 Ensign IJN KIA 21 February 1941

E

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Yuichi Ema (江馬 友一) 6 IJN KIA 29 October 1944
Masuaki Endo (遠藤 桝秋) 14 IJN KIA 7 June 1943
Sachio Endo (遠藤 幸男) 8 IJN KIA 14 January 1945
Toyoki Eto (江藤 豊樹) 12+1 shared +4 probable IJA

F

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Iyōzō Fujita (藤田怡与蔵) 11 (42?) IJN
Kihei Fujiwara (藤原 喜平) 5 IJN
Sumio Fukuda (福田 澄夫) 11 IJN KIA 24 October 1944
Yoshio Fukui 11, 4 probable Lieutenant IJN
Shigeo Fukumoto (福本 繁夫) 72 IJN
Yonesuke Fukuyama 7 IJA
Goro Furugori (古郡 吾郎) 25+ IJA KIA 3 November 1944
Haruyoshi Furukawa (古川 治良) 5+ IJA

G

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Hiroshi Gomi 7 IJA
Kurakazu Goto 8 IJN KIA 9 September 1943

H

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Matsuo Hagiri (羽切 松雄) 13 IJN
Tomio Hanada (花田 富男) 25 IJA
Watari Handa 7 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN
Iwataro Hazawa (羽沢 岩太郎) 15 IJA KIA 14 January 1945
Kaname Harada (原田要)[5][6][7] 9 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN Died on 3 May 2016
Kichigoro Haraguchi (原口 吉五郎) 24 IJA
Yoshiro Hashiguchi (橋口 嘉郎) 10 IJN KIA 25 October 1944
Kazuo Hattori (服部 一夫) 10 IJN KIA 10 March 1944
Sakuji Hayashi (林 作次) 6 IJN KIA 28 May 1945
Takeomi Hayashi (林 武臣) 7 IJA
Yoshishige Hayashi (林 喜重) 5 IJN KIA 21 April 1945
Nobuji Negishi (根岸 延次) 6 IJA
Hatsuo Hidaka 6 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN
Yoshimi Hidaka (日高 義巳) 20 IJN KIA 7.6.1943
Ichiro Higashiyama (東山 市郎) 9 IJN
Yohei Hinoki (ja:檜與平) [8] 12 IJA Died 1991
Tomio Hirohata (広畑 富男) 14 IJA 22 April 1945
Yoshio Hirose (広瀬 吉雄) 7 IJA 22 December 1944
Minoru Honda (本田 稔) [9][10][11] 17 IJN
Toshiaki Honda (本田 敏秋) 5+ IJN 13 May 1942
Mitsuo Hori (堀 光雄) 11 IJN
Isamu Hosono (細野 勇) 26 IJA 6 October 1943

I

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Chuichi Ichikawa (市川 忠一) 10+ IJA Bukochosho KIFA September 1954
Matao Ichioka (市岡 又夫) 11 IJN
Fusata Iida (飯田 房太) 7 IJN Crashed after being hit at Pearl Harbor
Masao Iizuka (飯塚 雅夫) 8 IJN
Shigeo Iizuka ?
Tomesaku Igarashi (五十嵐 留作) ~20 IJA KIA 17.6.1944
Fumisuke Ikuno (生野 文介) 6 IJA
Hideaki Inayama (稲山 英明) 5+ IJA
Misao Inoue (井上 操) 16 IJA KIFA 15.12.1944
Teigo Ishida (石田 真吾) 9 IJN KIA 16.5.1945
Susumu Ishihara (石原 進) 16 IJN
Shizuo Ishii (石井 静夫) 29 IJN
Isamu Ishii (石井 勇) 10 IJN
Seiji Ishikawa (石川 清治) 5 IJN
Tadashi Ishikawa (石川 正) 5 IJA
Kanshi Ishikawa (石川 寛志) 19 IJA
Chitoshi Isozaki 12 Lieutenant IJA
Ishizuka Tokuyasu 15 IJA
Kiyoshi Ito (伊藤 清) 18 & 14 damaged IJN
Fujitaro Ito (伊藤 藤太郎) 13+ IJA
Naoyuki Ito (伊藤 直之) 8 IJA Died 2010
Susumu Ito 5 IJN
Tsutomu Iwai (岩井 勉) 11 IJN
Yoshio Iwaki (岩城 芳雄) 8 IJN
Tetsuzō Iwamoto (岩本 徹三) 80+ Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN Order of the Kite (5th Class), Order of the Rising Sun (7th Class)
Iwahashi Jozo 20+ IJA KIA 23.4.1944
Hideo Izumi (和泉 秀雄) 9 IJN KIA 30.5.1942

J

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Ryotaro Jobo (ja:上坊良太郎) 30 IJA Died 2012

K

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Susumu Kajinami 24
Enji Kakimoto 5 POW 27.8.1942, Suicide 5.8.1944

See Cowra breakout

Morichiki Kamae 32
Teizo Kanamaru 8 KIA 24.12.1942
Keishu Kamihara
Sumi Kamito 40+ KIA 4?02/45
Moritsugu Kanai
Takeo Kanamaru 12 KIA 29/11/44
Nobuo Kanazawa 10
Masao Kanbara 7
Saiji Kanda 9 KIA 19.6.1943
Masashi Kaneko
Tadashi Kaneko 8 (3 in China) Commander IJN KIA 14.11.1942
Naoshi Kanno 25
Saiji Kani 9 KIA 29.6.1939
Naoshi Kano 25 KIA 1.8.1945
Saiji Kani 9 KIA 29.6.1939, Battles of Khalkin Gol/Nomohan[12]
probably Naoshi Kanno
Tomkazu Kasai [13] 10
Isamu Kashiide (ja:樫出勇) 7+2 in China Captain IJA Bukochosho (2nd Class)
Shirotaro Kashima 9 KIA 16.12.1944
Kanichi Kashimura 12 Ensign IJN Order of the Golden Kite (5th Class) KIA 6.3.1943
Katsue Kato 9 KIA 16.4.1945
Kenji Kato 9 KIA 5.12.1944
Kunimichi Kato 16 IJN
Tateo Katō (加藤建夫) 18 Lieutenant Colonel
Major General (Posthumously)		 IJA Order of the Golden Kite (Posthumously) KIA 22.5.1942
Kiyomi Katsuki (ja:甲木清実) 16 Warrant Officer IJN Floatplane ace, 7 victories by F1M2 Pete/A6M2-N Rufe/N1K1 Rex.
Kosuke Kawahara 8+1 shared KIA 25.3.1938, Gui'de Airbase, Sino-Japanese War[14]
Akira Kawakita 5 KIA 26.10.1944
Koki Kawamoto 8 Bukochosho
Masajiro Kawamoto
Ichiro Kawamura (河村一郎) 5 Warrant Officer IJN Floatplane ace
Masajiro Kawato 18
Tetsuo Kikuchi 12 KIA 19.6.1944
Takaji Kimura 26
Sadamitsu Kimura 8 Bukochosho KIA 17.4.1945
Katsuaki Kira 13+9 in China
Saburo Kitahata 6+4 in China KIA 23.1.1943
Teruhiko Kobayashi 14 (or 5) Bukochosho KIFA 4/6/1957
Hohei Kobayashi 10 KIA 25.1.1944
Yoshinao Kodaira 9+2 in China IJN Died in 2008
Sada Koga 31
Kiyoto Koga 13 KIFA 1938
Fujikazu Koizumi 11+3 in China KIA 27.1.1944
Shizuo Kojima 6
Takeichi Kokubun 11 KIA 28/06/44
Sadamu Komachi[15] 18 Warrant Officer IJN Died 15.7.2012
Masaichi Kondō 13 Ensign IJN
Kensui Kono 9
Kotaro Koyae 15
Osamu Kudō 7 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN KIA 3 March 1942
Juzo Kuramoto 5+4 in China KIA 11.10.1942
Shiro Kuratori 6
Yasuhiko Kuroe 49+2 in China
Toshio Kuroiwa 13
Tameyoshi Kuroki 16
Seiichi Kurosawa 10 KIA 9/06/45
Shiro Kurotori (ja:黒鳥四朗) 6 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN Died 4 February 2012
Yoshiro Kuwabara 13 KIA 14.3.1944

M

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Hideo Maeda 13 KIA 17.2.1944
Koichi Magara 8 KIA 14.9.1942
Akio Matsuba 16+2 in China Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN
Jiro Matsuda 7+2 in China
Masao Masuyama 17
Morio Matsui 21 KIA 18/05/44
Susumu Matsuki 6, 2 probable, 3 shared
Momoto Matsumura 13 KIA 25.8.1944
Hidenori Matsunaga 16 KIA 23.4.1945
Eitoku Matsunaga 16
Hidenori Matsunaga KIA 23/4/45
Kagemitsu Matsuo 10 KIA 23.12.1943
Toshio Matsuura 5+10 in China KIA 2.12.1943
Yoshimi Minami 6+9 in China Lieutenant IJN KIA in Kamikaze attack 25.11.1944
Yoshijiro Minegishi 6+3 in China KIA 6.2.1944
Masoa Miyamaru ?
Goro Miyamoto 26
Zenjiro Miyano 16 KIA 16.6.1943
Masahiro Mitsuda 16
Kazunori Miyabe 6 KIA 3.11.1943
Hideo Miyabe 12
Isamu Miyazaki[16] 13 Died 2012
Gitaro Miyazaki 11+2 in China KIA 1.6.1942
Isamu Mochizuki 7 Lieutenant IJN KIA Feb 1944 in ground actions
Mitsugu Mori 5+4 in China Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN Died 1960
Hideo Morinio 8+1 in China
Yutaka Morioka 5
Toyoo Moriura 8 KIA 25.10.1942
Noboru Mune 14 KIA 19.11.1944
Kazuo Muranaka 7+1 in China
Kaneyoshi "Kinsuke" Muto (ja:武藤金義) 23+5 in China Ensign IJN KIA 24.07.1945

N

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Yoshikazu Nagahama 10/13 IJN KIA 6.9.1943, became ace in a day during the Attack on Darwin
Kiichi Nagano 19 KIA 6.11.1944
Yoshimitsu Naka 5 KIA 419/08/44
Yoshihiko Nakada 45 KIA 9.11.1943
Kenji Nakagawa 8
Tadashi Nakajima 75
Bunkichi Nakajima 16 6.10.1943
Kunimori Nakakariya 16
Wataru Nakamichi 15
Saburo Nakamura 20 KIA 6/10/44
Yoshio Nakamura 9
Matsumi Nakano 5 Bukochosho
Katsujiro Nakano 7 KIA 4.5.1945
Tomoji Nakano 7
Masayuki Nakase 18+9 in China KIA 1/01/45
Yoshiichi Nakaya 16
Shigeru Nakazaki 16 KIA 23.1.1943
Kiyoshi Namai 16
Mochifumi Nangō 8 Lieutenant IJN KIA 18/7/1938
Shigeo Nango 15 KIA 25/1/1944
Yashiro Nashiguchi 11
Nobuji Negishi 6+7 damaged (all B-29) KIA 22/04/45
? Nishikyo 5
Hannoshin Nishio 5
Shigetsune Nishioka 8 KIA 28/10/1944
Masaharu Nishiwaki 5 KIA 8/12/44
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (西沢広義) 87 Lieutenant Junior Grade (Posthumously) IJN KIA 10/26/44, nicknamed "Devil of Rabaul", shot down by F6Fs while a passenger aboard a Ki-49 (aged 24), Mindoro, Philippines
Yoshinori Noguchi 6 KIA 25/10/1944
Takeshi Noguchi 14
Akiyoshi Nomura 10

O

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Tsutae Obara 8 KIA 25/7/1945
Kiichi (Ki-ichi) Oda 5+4 in China Ensign IJN KIA 10/12/1944
Noritsura Odaka 12
Yojiro Ofusa 19
Koichi Ogata 7 KIA 8/08/44
Naoyuki Ogata 5 Bukochosho
Makoto Ogawa 9 (7 x B-29s) Second Lieutenant IJA Bukochosho
Nobuo Ogiya (ja:荻谷信男) 24 KIA 13/2/1944
Mitsuo Ogura 16
Ryoji Ohara 16 (48?)
Hideo Oishi 6
Yoshio Oishi 15 KIA 12/12/44
Kenji Okabe 15 Ensign IJN KIA September 1943
Takashi Okamoto 6
Juzo Okamoto 5+4 in China KIA 11/10/1942
Hiroshi Okano 19
Yoshio Oki 13+4 in China 16/06/43
Misao Okubu 8
Takeo Okumura 50+4 in China Chief Petty Officer IJN Ceremonial Sword KIA 22/9/1943
Shokichi Omori 9
Shigetaka Ōmori 13 Ensign IJN KIA 25/10/1942
Hiroshi Onazaki 14 6/09/45
Akira Onozaki 28
Megumu Ono 15 KIFA 1/2/1940
Satoru Ono 5+3 in China Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN Died 2001
Takeyoshi Ono 8 KIA 30/6/1943
Takashi Oshibuchi 6
Toshio Ota (太田敏夫) 34 Petty Officer 1st Class IJN KIA 21/10/1942
Kyushiro Otake 15 DOW in 1951
Nakakazu Ozaki (ja:尾崎中和) 19, 12-14 damaged KIA 27/12/1943
Yukiharu Ozeki 14+ KIA 24/10/1944

R

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Shinobu Terada 8

S

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Shogo Saito 26 KIA 2/07/44
Chiyoshi Saito 7 KIA 2/7/1943
Saburo Saito 18
Toshio Sakagawa 49 KIFA 19/12/1944
Saburō Sakai (ja:坂井三郎) [17] ~28 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN Died 22/9/2000
Iori Sakai 9
Takao Sakano 10
Junichi Sasai (ja:笹井醇一) 26 Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant Commander (Posthumously)		 Order of the Golden Kite KIA 26/8/1942, nicknamed "Richthofen of Rabaul"
Tomokazu Sasai 10
Yoshiichi Sasaki 6
Isamu Sasaki 38 Bukochosho (2nd Class)
Masao Sasakibara 12 Ensign IJN
Hitoshi Sato 8 KIA 11/11/1943
Gonnoshin Sato 5 KIA 11/04/45
Mitsugu Sawada 12, 1 shared KIA 5/3/1943
Eiji Seino 15
Hiroshi Sekiguchi 7+1 shared
Kiyoshi Sekiya 11 KIA 24/06/44
Hiroshi Shibagaki 13 KIA 22/1/1944
Rikio (Rikia) Shibata 13+14 in China 18/12/1944
Sekizen Shibayama 13
Shigeru Shibukawa 15
Yoshio Shiga 6 Lieutenant Commander IJN
Masami Shiga 6
Yasuhiro Shigematsu 10 KIA 8/7/1944
Katsuma Shigemi 8 KIA 4/2/1943
Kenji Shimada 27 MIA 15/9/1939
Masaaki Shimakawa 8, 12 shared Warrant Officer IJN Died 25/9/1997
Kiyoshi Shimizu 12 KIA 26/01/45
Kazuo Shimizu 18
Takeshi Shimizu 9
Yukio Shimokawa 19
Hiromichi Shinohara (ja:篠原弘道) 58 Warrant Officer
Second Lieutenant (Posthumously)		 IJA KIA 27/8/1939, nicknamed "Richthofen of the Orient"
Toshio Shiozura 20
Yoshijiro Shirahama 11
Nagao Shirai 13 (including 11 x B-29)
Toshihisa Shirakawa 9 KIA 22/9/1943
Ayao Shirane
Naoharu Shiromoto
Hironojo Shishimoto
Tadashi Shono
Tokuya Sudo
Toshiyuki Sueda
Kazuo Sugino (ja:杉野計雄)
Shigeo Sugio
Shoichi Sugita (ja:杉田庄一) 70
Teruo Sugiyama
Motonari Suho
Tadao Sumi Bukochosho (1st Class)
Goichi Sumino
Minoru Suzuki 8|
Hiroshi Suzuki
Kiyonobu Suzuki 9 Warrant Officer IJN KIA 26.10.1942

T

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Shigeru Takahashi
Kenichi Takahashi
Katsutaro Takahashi
Takeo Takahashi
Kaoru Takaiwa
Keiji Takamiya KIA 5/08/44
Michiho Takarada up to 7[18] Warrant Officer IJN one Good Conduct stripe Floatplane rear gunner ace, KIA 27/1/43
Toraichi Takatsuka
Shogo Takeuchi
Hiroshi Takiguchi KIA 8/09/44
Kuniyoshi Tanaka Bukochosho
Minpo Tanaka
Jiro Tanaka
Shinsaku Tanaka
Masao Taniguchi
Takeo Tanimizu (谷水竹雄)
Mitsuyoshi Tarui KIA 6/02/45
Tadao Tashiro
Nobuo Tokushige
Yoshihisa Tokuji
Kosuke Tsubone
Ko Tsuchiya
Kazuo Tsunoda 9 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN

U

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Minoru Uchida 10
Sadao Uehara 13
Kazushi 'Popo' Uto (ja:羽藤一志) 19 KIA 13 September 1942

W

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Yoshio Wajima 11 KIA 23 February 1944
Yukiyoshi Wakamutsu (ja:若松幸禧) 20 KIA 18 December 1944
Hideo Watanabe 16
Watanabe 6

Y

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Name Kills Rank Service Awards Notes
Bunichi Yamaguchi 19
Sadao Yamaguchi 12 KIA 4 July 1944
Fumikazu Yamagushi 19
Akira Yamamoto 13 Lieutenant Junior Grade IJN KIA 24 November 1944
Ichirō Yamamoto 11 Ensign IJN KIA 19 January 1944
Tomezo Yamamoto 11 KIA 24 June 1944
Tadao Yamanaka 9
Koshiro Yamashita 11 +1 shared +1 probable KIA 30/3/1944
Sahei Yamashita 13 KIA 9 February 1943
Mitsuo Yamato 8
Ichirobei Yamazaki 14 KIA 4 July 1943
Kenji Yanagiya 8+18 shared Warrant Officer IJN
Shigeru Yano 8 KIA 17 April 1942
Kozaburo Yasui 11 KIA 19 June 1944
Tamotsu Yokoyama (横山保) 5
Shokichi Yonekawa
Tadayoshi Yonekawa 6 KIFA
Katsuyoshi Yoshida 10
Mototsuna Yoshida 14 KIA 7 August 1942
Yoshio Yoshida 6+1 probable Captain IJA Bukochosho
Hiroji Yoshihara 8
Keisaku Yoshimura 10 KIA 25 October 1942
Satoshi Yoshino 15 KIA 9 June 1942
Yoshitaro Yoshioka 6
Tokushige Yoshizawa 9 KIA 6 January 1945
Yoshito Yasuda
Kozaburo Yasui

Notes

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  1. ^ Hata, p. 331
  2. ^ Hata, p. 339
  3. ^ Hata, p. 252; Sakaida, pp. 176–178.
  4. ^ Sakaida, pp. 34–35.
  5. ^ Kakesako, Gregg, K., "Zero Ace Recalls Missions Over Midway, Pearl Harbor", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 5, 2010.
  6. ^ Harada Kaname's Story: the Battle of Ceylon, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  7. ^ Harada Kaname's Story: the Battle of Midway, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  8. ^ Japanese Ace Interviews - Hinoki Yohei (Ki-43, Ki-100 Pilot), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  9. ^ Japanese Ace Interviews: Honda Minoru (Part 1), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  10. ^ Japanese Ace Interviews: Honda Minoru (Part 2), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  11. ^ Japanese Ace Interviews: Honda Minoru (Part 3), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  12. ^ Håkans, Gustav. "Häkans Aviation page - Khalkhin Gol/Nomonhan Incident 1939". surfcity.kund.dalnet.se. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  13. ^ Japanese Ace Interviews: Kasai Tomokazu, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  14. ^ Gustavsson, Hakans. "Japanese biplane fighter aces - Kosuke Kawahara". Biplane Fighter Aces - Japan. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  15. ^ IJN Ace Komachi Sadamu describes being shot down (A6M Documentary Pt. 4 Preview), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  16. ^ Japanese Ace Interviews: Miyazaki Isamu, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  17. ^ Hata, Ikuhiko (2013). Japanese Naval Fighter Aces: 1932-45. Stackpole Books. p. 327. ISBN 978-0-8117-1167-8.
  18. ^ Henry Sakaida, "Aces of Japanese Navy Air Corps 1937-1945", ISBN 978-4499227124, p. 45.

References

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