Genda's Blade: Japan's Squadron of Aces: 343 Kokutai
by Henry Sakaida and Koji Takaki
Classic Publications, 2003, 208 pages
This exceptional book covers the history of the Japanese Navy's
famous 343 Kokutai (Air Group), which fought 15 major air battles from March to August 1945. Henry Sakaida and Koji
Takaki, authors of
several other books on Japanese combat aviation, have not only written the
definitive history of the 343 Kokutai but have also reached a standard of
excellence rarely achieved in books on Japan's WWII military operations. The
two authors performed thorough research of written sources and conducted
numerous personal interviews with veterans. By methodically examining and
comparing Japanese and American sources, the authors uncovered a number of
interesting stories and pieced together what happened during the 343 Kokutai's
battles.
After Japan's defeat in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October
1944, Capt. Minoru Genda, veteran pilot with over 3,000 flight hours and
strategist of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, proposed the formation of an
elite fighter unit to regain control of the air. Even though many naval leaders supported
kamikaze suicide attacks as the primary strategy to stop the advancing American
fleet, Capt. Genda received approval to create a new fighter unit led by the best
veteran pilots. Training led by Capt. Genda began in January 1945 at Matsuyama Airfield,
and the base of operations later moved to Kanoya (April 4), Kokubu (April 17),
and Omura (April 25) in Kyushu.
The 343 Kokutai pilots flew single-engined Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai
("violet lightning-improved" in Japanese) fighters, which performed
impressively in battle in comparison to other fighters such as the Zero. The
book does not include any total summary statistics of battle results of the 343
Kokutai, probably due to significant differences between Japanese and American
pilot claims and actual losses during major battles. However, the book does
provide some statistics. The Introduction states
that 88 pilots from the 343 Kokutai died in battle (Appendix lists 91 names of pilots killed in
action), and many individual chapters on major battles provide figures on
planes downed and casualties for each side.
Capt. Genda's unit of elite fighters had a close
relationship with kamikaze operations during the Battle of Okinawa. The 343
Kokutai had the task of trying to clear the way for kamikaze planes as they
flew from southern Kyushu to Okinawa during the Kikusui operations in
which large numbers of suicide planes made sorties in ten separate attacks from
April 6 to June 22, 1945. The Shiden-Kai pilots fought several fierce
battles with American fighters over Amami Oshima and Kikaigashima. When
American planes bombed Kyushu airfields to try to stop kamikaze attacks in
April and May 1945, the 343 Kokutai at times engaged enemy aircraft although
the Shiden-Kai was not intended for high-altitude interception of B-29
bombers.
Even though this book has numerous detailed battle descriptions,
Sakaida and Takaki have also included many fascinating personal stories.
For example, there is a three-page piece on four American airmen who were shot
down by Shiden-Kai fighters and held as POWs. When a crowd surrounded one downed
pilot and someone shouted to kill him, the wife of a local doctor pushed
through the crowd and screamed for them to stop as she considered the wounded
pilot to be blameless since he was just fighting for his own country like the
sons of some of the villagers threatening him.
Dozens of wartime photos, both of Japanese
and American pilots and planes, fill this oversized book. The book's Appendix
includes helpful aids such as a listing of Japanese Naval Air Force ranks and a
glossary of US and Japanese military terminology.
Sakaida and Takaki worked over 20 years on the
research and interviews included in this outstanding history. Although the
book's numerous details and narrow subject matter may not interest everyone,
its personal stories and insights make it appeal to a broader audience than
just aviation enthusiasts, historians, and WWII veterans.
Shiden-Kai with drop tank
|
