IJA Aces & Pilots
 
Topics:
1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
Aces B. Yamaguchi/H. Takiguchi in new JAAF book
Major Teruhiko Kobayashi
 
1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
 
Posted By: Kris Carelli <kris_carelli@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 6 September 2002, at 6:17 a.m.
 
Would anyone happen to know a little more about 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya?
 
I believe that he flew a KI-61 for the 2nd Chutai / 244th Sentai during 1944-1945.
 
I read somewhere that he was credited for downing a B-29.
 
Does anyone know how many air-to-air victories he may have had during WWII?
 
Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
 
Posted By: Nick Millman
Date: Friday, 6 September 2002, at 12:44 p.m.
 
In Response To: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya (Kris Carelli)
 
Shinomiya is credited with a B-29 by ramming attack on 03 December 1944, bailing out successfully. The 244th claimed six and two damaged, with fellow pilots Cpl Masao Itagaki and Cpl Matsumi Nakano also making ramming attacks and surviving.
 
Shinomiya was killed on 29 April 1945 in a suicide attack off Okinawa.
 
I'm afraid I do not know his total victory claims.
 
Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
 
Posted By: Kris Carelli <kris_carelli@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 6 September 2002, at 1:59 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya (Nick Millman)
 
Thank you for this information .... I had read somewhere about his 1 credit with a B-29 but was unaware that it was a ramming and did not know of any other victories.
 
Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
 
Posted By: Nick Millman
Date: Thursday, 12 September 2002, at 2:14 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya (Kris Carelli)
 
As it happens I discovered some more information about Lt Toru Shinomiya in Henry Sakaida's "B-29 Hunters of the JAAF" (Osprey Aviation Elite 5 - ISBN 1 84176 161 3).
 
Apparently he did not bail out after the 3 December ramming but managed to land his aircraft with a good sized chunk of the left wing missing!
 
There is a photograph on page 36 of him standing with the damaged aircraft in the company of Cpl Masao Itagaki who also made a ramming attack on this day and survived. Both pilots were awarded the Bukosho for these actions.
 
There is a studio photograph of Shinomiya in the full dress uniform of a major on page 38 and another photograph of his damaged Ki-61 on display at the Matsuya department store in Ginza, Tokyo on page 42.
 
Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
 
Posted By: Rob Graham - the ReiShikiSenGuy <FraudFree947356@aol.com>
Date: Sunday, 15 September 2002, at 8:30 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya (Nick Millman)
 
I don't have that book yet, but wonder if the Major was Kobayashi, as I think one of his Hiens was displayed at a department store.
 
Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya
 
Posted By: Nick Millman
Date: Friday, 20 September 2002, at 12:06 a.m.
 
In Response To: Re: 1st Lieutenant Toru Shinomiya (Rob Graham - the ReiShikiSenGuy)
 
no, it is definitely not Kobayashi!
 
Aces B. Yamaguchi/H. Takiguchi in new JAAF book
 
Posted By: Matt Poole <feb2944@aol.com>
Date: Friday, 27 September 2002, at 1:27 p.m.
 
Hiroshi Takiguchi and Bunichi Yamaguchi of the 204th Sentai each has a biography in the newly translated JAAF Fighter Units/Aces book by Hata, Izawa, & Shores. I'm waiting to sort out a screwed up on-line ordering of this book. As it will be an ongoing wait for my book,would someone, in the meantime, be willing to summarize the new bio details regarding Yamaguchi's and Takiguchi's shared destruction of two RAF B-24s over Rangoon on the night of 29 Feb 1944? I know the info from the original Japanese version, but I sent updated details to Mr. Shores in the hope that more specifics might make the English version. Are the 159 Squadron Liberator serial no's (BZ962 and BZ926) mentioned? Names of skippers (F/Lt E.J.D. Stanley, F/Sgt. A.E. Arnold) given? Just curious! Obviously the bio is not the place for much detail.
 
Re: Aces B. Yamaguchi/H. Takiguchi in new JAAF boo
 
Posted By: Nick Millman
Date: Friday, 27 September 2002, at 3:58 p.m.
 
In Response To: Aces B. Yamaguchi/H. Takiguchi in new JAAF book (Matt Poole)
 
Yamaguchi:
 
"During the night of 29 February/1 March 1944 he and Lt Hiroshi Takiguchi shared in claiming two B-24's shot down and two probables over Rangoon, for which he received an individual citation."
 
Takiguchi:
 
"He was particularly successful against bombers and during the night of 29 February/1 March he and WO Bun-ichi Yamaguchi claimed two B-24's shot down and two more probably so over Rangoon."
 
No other details of these combats given.
 
Takiguchi claimed two Dakotas shot down over Imphal on 25 April 1944 and three were confirmed lost on that day, all from 62 Squadron, flying supplies into Sapam:
 
'N' (FD952), F/O C R Porter, W/O Edwards, Sgt Adshead, F/S Hunter - all KIA; 'X' (FL602), F/S E J Winters, F/S Higgins, F/S Ramage, Sgt Eley - All KIA; 'F' (KG462), W/O T Grynkiewicz, F/S S J Shepherd, F/S J H Mantle, F/S R G Pile - All KIA.
 
Aces B. Yamaguchi, H. Takiguchi bios in book
 
Posted By: Matt Poole <feb2944@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2002, at 11:47 p.m.
 
In Response To: Re: JAAF FIGHTER UNITS: Thanks Ryan! *No Text* (James F. Lansdale)
 
Hiroshi Takiguchi and Bunichi Yamaguchi of the 204th Sentai each has a biography in the JAAF Fighter Units/Aces book. I'm waiting impatiently, like others, for my cheaper-priced Amazon.com copy. Would someone be willing to summarize the bio details regarding their shared destruction of two RAF B-24s over Rangoon on the night of 29 Feb 1944? I know the info from the Japanese version, but I sent updated details to Mr. Shores in the hope that more specifics might make the English version. Are the 159 Squadron Liberator serial no's (BZ962 and BZ926) mentioned? Names of skippers (F/Lt E.J.D. Stanley, F/Sgt. A.E. Arnold) given? Just curious! Obviously the bio is not the place for much detail
 
Major Teruhiko Kobayashi
 
Posted By: Kris Carelli <kris_carelli@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 16 August 2002, at 12:10 p.m.
 
Would anyone be able to tell me which Chutai did Major Teruhiko Kobayashi may have flown for while he served on the 244th Sentai during 1944?
 
Re: Major Teruhiko Kobayashi *PIC*
 
Posted By: UCHIDA, Katsuhiro <2000GT-B@mui.biglobe.ne.jp>
Date: Friday, 16 August 2002, at 3:00 p.m.
 
In Response To: Major Teruhiko Kobayashi (Kris Carelli)
 
Maj. Kobayashi was the "Sentaicho (CO of Sentai)". He commanded all the Chutais of 244th Sentai.
I believe some Army aircraft experts will kindly give us further information about the unit.
 
Photo: Kobayashi on his Ki-61
Credit: Maru magazine (Ushio Shobo)
 
Editors note: Picture at http://www.imira.ne.jp/Album/photo.asp?PID=278884&ImgType=0
 
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