Famous Aircraft of the World #27 A5M Claude Photo Translations
by John Quinn,  D.Y. Louie and Jim Perry
Original Japanese Text, copyright Burindo
 
F/O    " -186" or "Yo-186", PO1c Hideo OISHI (6), Yokosuka Kokutai, December 1939.  Oishi, nicknamed "Oscar", was known for his flying skill and his expertise at aerial photography.  He graduated as a member of the Pilot 26 training class.  At the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war he was aboard the Hosho.  In 1938 he was posted aboard the Soryu serving as a wingman to his buntaicho, Lt. Tomatsu Yokoyama.  He then went to the Yokosuka Ku.
               In July 1940 Oishi was one of the pilots who ferried the first Zero fighters (from the Yokosuka Ku) to Hankow, China for the 12th Kokutai.  He flew with this unit for a year after which he became a test pilot.  On the raid to Chengtu on 4 October 1940 he, along Masayuki Nakase, Matsuo Hagiri and Ichiro Higashiyama, landed at Taipingsze airfield, set fire to field command post and then took off again.  After a short air battle they all returned safely to their base.
               In June 1944 Oishi joined the 306 Hikotai of the 201 Kokutai at Subic Bay in the Philippines.  On 12 September, during an air raid, he took off to meet the attacking U.S. aircraft and never returned to base.  (Koku-Fan Illustrated #53)
 
p. 2  "31", an A5M1 of the 12th Kokutai flown by PO3c Hitoshi Sato.  He would later serve aboard the Shokaku and would be KIA on 11 November 1943.  Though not listed on the Hata/Izawa aces list, according to this source he was credited with at least 8 victories during the ferocious air battles in the Solomons area during this time.
 
         "3-124", PO3c Tetsuzo IWAMOTO (80+/14), 12th Kokutai, 2nd Hikotai, 1938.  Iwamoto joined the 12th Ku in China in February 1938 and became the top Navy ace during the China Incident with 14 kills.  He was assigned to the Zuikaku AG as a shotaicho in 1941 and participated in the Pearl Harbor attack ("EII-102") flying combat air patrol over the fleet, on operations in the Indian Ocean and in the Battle of Coral Sea.  In August 1942 he was transferred as instructor to Oppama Kokutai. 
               In March 1943 he was posted to 281 Kokutai on Paramushir Island in Northern Japan.  His next assignments were with 204 Ku and 253 Ku at Rabaul.  In February 1944 he withdrew to Truk and fought in air defense operations at this base.  He later flew with 252 Ku and 203 Ku in the Philippines, Taiwan and over Okinawa.  He survived the war.  By his own account he claimed some 202 victories, 142 over Rabaul alone!  After surviving 8 years of war he succumbed to blood poisoning at the age of 38. 
               The aircraft of the 12th with the code numbers all in line are described in the caption as being from the 2nd Hikotai.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "3-155", PO1c Mitsugu MORI (9+/4), 1st Hikotai, 12th Kokutai, 1938.  He first flew in combat during the Shanghai Incident in 1932 at which time he was aboard the Kaga.  In January 1938 he was posted to the 13th Ku and in March to the 12th Ku.  In his first air action over Hankow on February 18 he was credited with 4 victories.  Although not reflected in his score, he apparently had continued success until he returned home a year and a half later.
               In July 1942 Mori was posted aboard the Hiyo and particpated in battles in the Rabaul-Solomons area.  In May 1943 he was promoted to Ensign and returned to Japan where he served as a test pilot.  In August 1944 he was retired from active duty. 
               The aircraft from the 12th Ku with the "3" over the three digit plane number are described in the caption as being from the 1st Hikotai.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "3-108", PO1c Kyosaku Aoki (Pilot 25), 12th Kokutai, 1938.
 
p. 3    "3-162", PO1c Kazuo TSUNODA (9/1), 12th Kokutai, August 1938.  Tsunoda scored his first victory while serving with this unit in China.  He fought throughout the war while serving with various fighter units and in the late war period flew with the special attack forces.  To his good fortune (as well as Allied naval forces) the missions that he flew with the special attack units proved unsuccessful in finding and engaging the enemy.
               On 14 November 1942 while leading an 8 plane formation providing air cover for a Guadalcanal bound convoy and claiming a victory, his airplane was hit and he was forced to ditch near the Russell Islands.  He was picked up by the destroyer Amagiri.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "3-105", PO1c Saburo KITAHATA (10+/4), 12th Kokutai, October 1940.  After two tours with the Ryujo AG and stints with the Kasumigaura and Saeki Kokutai, Kitahata was assigned to the 12th Ku in July 1937.  In September 1938 he went to the Soryu and later to the Yokosuka Ku.  In July 1940 he was again posted to the 12th Ku, this time as one of the pilots delivering the new Zero fighter.
               In May 1942 he joined the Junyo AG.  He participated in the Dutch Harbor raids, attacks on Guadalcanal and the Battle of Santa Cruz.  On 17.1.43 the unit was sent to Wewak for air defense purposes.  On the 23rd while attacking a formation of B-24s, Kitahata's plane was hit and he deliberately crashed it.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
p. 4    "4-122", PO1c Mitsugu MORI, 13th Kokutai, 18 February 1938.  This plane may also have been flown on occasion by PO3c Kiyonobu Suzuki (9+/9), particularly around the time of his commendation.  He was photographed while sitting in this machine.  (see Maru Mechanic # ? )
 
         "4-133", PO1c Tetsuzo IWAMOTO, 13th Kokutai, 25 February 1938.      
 
         "4-131", PO1c Toshio KURA-IWA (13/13), 13th Kokutai, 25 February 1938.  Kuro-iwa was one of the first NCO fighter pilots, graduating in 1928 with the Pilot 13 training class.  With the outbreak of the first Shanghai Incident in 1932 Kuro-iwa went aboard the Kaga which then sailed for Shanghai.  Along with his CO, Lt. Nokiji Ikuta, he was responsible for shooting down an American volunteer pilot named Short (in a Boeing P-12).  This was the first officially recognized aerial victory for the Japanese air forces.  Both pilots received commendations.
               In the spring of 1938 Kuro-iwa joined the 12th Kokutai.  During a 3 month period he shot down 13 aircraft.  The following year he left the Navy and joined the Greater Japan Airlines.  He flew continuously as a transport pilot until on 26 August 1944 he went missing over the Malay Peninsula.  (Hata/Izawa)   
 
         "9-151", Lt. Motonari SUHO (15/11), 14th Kokutai, Wichow Island, China, September 1940.  Note the color of the aircraft.  This is described as a "coppery" color. (see  JIC #2)  This coloration is something of a mystery.  One source says that the planes were painted with a lacquer which yellowed as it aged, while Koku Fan Illustrated #53 mentions some of the early Zeros being painted in two different tones of amber which would seem to relate in some fashion to the "copper" A5Ms.
               Suho joined the 12th Ku in February 1938.  He scored his first kill on 29 April 1938.  In late 1939, after his promotion to Lieutenant, Suho was posted as a buntaicho to the 14th Ku where he claimed another 4+ victories.  In the fall of 1940 he was introduced to the Zero.  Suho saw considerable action in the Pacific and spent a year and a half as a test pilot.  Suho was said to be the greatest officer pilot in the JNAF as regards to flying ability, while his 11 kills in China was the highest total for an officer.  After the war he flew with the JASDF and rose to the rank of general.  (see Flying Colors, Hata/Izawa)
 
p. 5    "10-118", Lt. Mochifumi NANGO, 15th Kokutai, 18 July 1938.  Nango was a 1927 graduate of the Naval Academy.  In November 1932 he finished flight school and became a fighter pilot.  After tours aboard the Akagi and with the Yokosuka Ku he spent two years in London as the Assistant Naval Attache.  In October 1937, after the outbreak of the China war he was posted to the 13th Kokutai as a division officer.  On 2 December 1937 he got his first victories claiming 2 kills over Nanking.  That same month he was transferred aboard the Soryu as Group Leader.
               In the summer of 1938 Nango became Group Leader of the newly formed 15th Kokutai in China.  On the 18th of July over Nanchang, after shooting down a Gladiator, he collided with an out of control enemy and was KIA.
               His younger brother, Lt. Col. Shigeo Nango, was a successful fighter pilot with the JAAF, scoring some 15 victories before being KIA on 23 January 1944.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "10-107", PO3c Shigetaka OMORI (13), 15th Kokutai, 17 July 1938.  In February 1938 he was posted to the 13th Ku in China.  He scored his first victory on 25 February 1938 over Nanchang.  In March he was transferred to the 12th Ku with which he flew until December.  At the beginning of WWII he was aboard the Hosho.  In May 1942 he went aboard the Akagi and was a shotaicho in the Shirane chutai.  At Midway he was involved in the air battle over the Japanese fleet and after the Akagi was destroyed he landed on the Hiryu.  He later flew in defense of this ship and, with his CO, ditched near the Nagara at 7 PM.
               After Midway Omori went aboard the Shokaku as shotaicho.  At the Battle of Santa Cruz he was credited with shooting down 5 dive bombers.  According to Hata/Izawa he rammed another that was about to drop its bomb on his carrier and was killed.  In actuality Omori's machine, “EI-131”, blew up while attacking SBDs, apparently hit by their return fire.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "10-116", PO1c Watari HANDA (13/6), 15th Kokutai, 18 July 1938.  He graduated with the Pilot 19 training class in 1933.  At the outbreak of the China Incident he was posted aboard the Kaga in August 1937.  He scored his first victory, over a Curtis Hawk, on 7 September over Tahu.  On the 20th he got 3 more over Nanking.  In June 1938 he went to the 15th Ku.  When he returned to Japan in November he was credited with 6 kills.
               In February 1942 Handa joined the Tainan Kokutai and fought over the Dutch East Indies, Rabaul and New Guinea.  On 13 May 1942 he borrowed one of Saburo Sakai's wingmen, PO3c Toshiaki Honda, for a reconnaissance mission to Port Moresby.  The small flight of Zeros was bounced near Port Moresby and Honda was killed.  This loss broke Handa's spirit.  At some point he contracted tuberculosis and was invalided home at the end of 1942.  He died of the disease in 1948.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "10-123", PO1c Sada-aki AKAMATSU (27/11), 15th Kokutai, 17 July 1938.  He graduated with the Pilot 17 training class in 1932.  In December 1937 he joined the 13th Ku.  At this time he was a PO1c and 27 years old.  On 25 February 1938 he shot down 4 enemy aircraft over Nanchang.  When he left China to be posted to the Soryu he was credited with 11 kills.  Akamatsu was promoted to WO in April 1941 and joined the 3rd Kokutai at about the time of its formation in October.  He fought over the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies.  He returned to Japan in May 1942.
               In July 1943 Akamatsu was posted to the 331 Kokutai and participated in the attack on Calcutta in December.  After this he joined the 302 Ku with which he served till the end of the war.  He flew the Raiden with this unit.  Akamatsu was well known as a rather incorridgible character.  While he is officially credited with 27 kills, he himself claimed that he had shot down no less than 350 enemy machines!  (Hata/Izawa)  
 
         "10-113", PO3c Yukio Aiso, 15th Kokutai, 1938.
 
p. 6    "W-101", Lt. Tomatsu YOKOYAMA (5), Soryu AG, November 1938.  During his career Yokoyama also served with the Yokosuka, 12th and 3rd Kokutai, among other units.  When the first Zeros were delivered to the 12th Ku in China, Yokoyama was chosen to lead the first flight of 6.  These machines were delivered from the Yokosuka Kokutai.  This unit had been test flying the initial production batches of the fighter. 
 
         "W-102", PO1c Matsuo HAGIRI (13/7), Soryu AG, November 1938.  He was famous for the moustache he wore.  In 1935 he joined the Yokosuka Ku.  In August 1940 he joined the 12th Ku and was one of the pilots chosen to transport Zeros to Hankow, China (home of the 12th Ku).  He was one of the pilots to fly the Zero on its first combat mission on 19 August to Chungking though there was no enemy opposition.  On the 4 October raid to Chungking Hagiri was one of the group that landed at Taipingsze (see first Oishi entry).  He also shot down 3 enemy aircraft on this raid.  In March 1941 he got three I-15s over Chengtu.
               That summer Hagiri returned to the Yokosuka Ku where, along with being promoted to Warrant Officer, he tested new aircraft and weapons.  In July 1943 he joined the 204 Kokutai at Rabaul.  On 24 September 1943 he scored victories over Buin but was WIA.  Hagiri returned home and flew with the Yokosuka Ku till the end of the war.  In April 1945 he was again WIA while attacking a force of B-29s.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
         "W-103", PO1c Hideo OISHI, Soryu AG, November 1938.
        
         "W-102", PO1c Matsuo HAGIRI, Soryu AG, 1939.  Drawings on page 7 are top views of these machines.
 
p. 8    "V-116", PO3c Takashi Kura-uchi, Akagi AG, 1941.  He would later fly with the 6th Kokutai.  As a member of this unit, he was aboard the Akagi at Midway.  The 6th Ku was to be stationed on Midway after its capture.
 
p.11   This photo, taken on 3 October 1940, shows a Navy carrier-based Type 96-4 fighter "9-165" belonging to the 14th Kokutai.  The plane is on the way from Haikou AB in Hainan Dao to Leizhou Bandao in South China where a Japanese Army division has just made a landing attack on the face of the enemy.  Underneath the wings one can see 30 Kg bombs installed on the bomb racks.  This was the first time the Type 96 carrier-based fighter planes were revealed in this condition.
 
p.24   (top)  Navy Type 96 Carrier Fighter, Model 1 (A5M1) "31" and Model 2-1 "32" of the 12th Kokutai at Gungdai Air Base near Shanghai, China in March 1938.  "31" was flown by PO3c Hitoshi Sato (Pilot 26) and "32" by PO3c Shigeru Makino (Pilot 27).
        
         (middle)  "3-151" flown by PO3c Katsuhiro Hashimoto, 12th Kokutai.  Note the rear landing gear cover has been removed.  Mud accumulating at the rear of the covers had caused 6 aircraft to break their landing gear.  The removal of the rear portion of the cover was an attempt to rectify the situation.
 
         (bottom)  A Type 96 Model 1 of the 12th Kokutai.  The pilot's name is unknown.  Camouflage is brown/green.
 
p.27   (top)  Lt. Taro Nonaka, 13th Kokutai.
 
         (middle)  "O-ta -191" of the Oita Kokutai.
 
         (bottom)  "Yo -150", a Model 1 of the Yokasuka Kokutai during a flight demonstration.  These pilots were vying for a position in the elite Air Group being prepared for the Pearl Harbor raid.  LTCR. Minoru Genda was responsible for selecting the pilots. 
 
p.29   (middle)  "3-138" was flown by Lt. Shigema Yoshitomi, a buntaicho in the in 12th Kokutai in 1938.  (See Hata/Izawa)
 
p.38   (top)  This photo shows a Type 96-4, "9-139", belonged to the 14th Kokutai flying over South China in 1940.  The Type 96-4 was the last and most manufactured variant since the introduction of the Type 96 carrier-based fighter.  They went through several changes; the engine was replaced with the "Kotobuki" Type 41 (785 hp), the ceiling of the windscreen was rounded and an antenna pole for the Type 96 radio was adopted as standard equipment.  As a result, there was an improvement in the aircraft's performance such as: the maximum speed increased nearly 20kt over that of the Type 96-2-2 which had an open windscreen and attained 235kt (435.22Km/h), and the climb rate increased to 3 minutes 35 seconds to 3000m altitude.  This means that the plane was restored to the performance of the Type 96-trial 1~2 machines which were lighter by 400Kg.  Thus the Type 96-4 became, both in name and reality, the best carrier-based fighter in the world at that time.  In Europe and America, however, fighters equipped with retracting landing gear and capable of acheiving 500 km/h or more were being introduced.  The fuselage of the 14th Ku fighter shown here looks dark (not shiny).  This is because that, ever since the discovery in 1940 of corrosion damage to the carrier-based fighters from salt, all Type 96 fighters were coated with a transparent protective paint over the silver paint.  Although the protective paint was considered transparent, it had a slight brown color, therefore the fuselage looked reddish-brown.
 
         (bottom right)  This photo shows the old and the new masterpieces of fighter planes produced by Mitsubishi, displayed at Iwakuni AB in Yamaguchi Prefecture.  The two lines from the top of the photo are Type 96-4 machines and the next two lines are Type 21 Zero fighters.  These all belonged to the Iwakuni Kokutai.  The bottom plane's tail marking is "Yo" indicating that that the plane belongs to the Yokosuka Ku (possibly came to Iwakuni for communication).  Please note that the difference in brightness between these two types of planes, transparent paint over silver paint on the Type 96-4 machines and grey paint on the Type 21 Zero aircraft.  The photo was taken in 1943.
 
p.39   (three photos on this page)  These planes are Type 96-4 carrier-based fighters belonging to the 14th Kokutai at Nanning AB in South China in the spring of 1940.  The top photo was taken from right behind the plane and is very useful for seeing the cross sectional shape of the windshield and the dorsal fin.  The plane is the same one shown on the previous page, "9-139".  The two white stripes across the vertical fin seem to be used to identify each buntai (squadron) in the 14th Ku.  There were some exceptions (like "9-188" and "9-170") which do not have such stripes.  By the way, the total number of fighters belonging to the 14th Ku was 18, and therefore, the unit might have been divided into two buntais of 9 planes each.
               The photo in the middle shows a shotai commander's plane parked in a protective revetment.  the shotaicho's identification marking (red stripe with white outline) is shown right beside the oversea plane identification marking on the fuselage (the white fuselage band).
               The photo below shows the lined up planes inside the protective embankment, and is one of the photos in the series presented on pages 54-55.  The left most plane, which has two red stripes on both side of the oversea plane identication marking, is the buntaicho (squadron commander) Captain Motonari SUHO's plane, "9-151".  This plane is also shown at the bottom right in the top photo on page 54.  Captain Suho came to the 14th Ku as a buntaicho in October 1939.  Later he shot down 11 planes, including 4 while flying a Zero, which was the top score acheived by an officer pilot.
 
p.45   Photos of the machines of the 3 pilots from the Soryu Kokutai which are illustrated in the color section.  These are, from top to bottom, Yokoyama, Hagiri, and Oishi.  There are photos of two other machines from this unit which display diagonal fuselage stripes.  These are "W-114" and "W-121" and are thought to be planes flown by shotaichos.  According to Hata/Izawa, Sada-aki Akamatsu served aboard the Soryu as a shotaicho at about this time.  One of these machines may have been his.
 
p.46   (top)  "W-121" pictured aboard the Soryu on December 6th, 1938 off of Xiamen, China.  This machine was flown by a shotaicho.
 
         (second)  "W-101" piloted by Lt. Tomatsu YOKOYAMA takes off from the Soryu while on operations in the East China Sea, November 1938.
 
p.47   (top)  "QI-107" from the carrier Hiryu in northern Burma, 15 September 1940.  The pilot is Lt. Shigeru Itaya.  Another photo of this machine appears on page 12.
               During his career Itaya served with the 15th Kokutai, 12th Kokutai and aboard the Ryujo.  He is best known for his time aboard the Akagi and as the commander of the 43 fighters that flew as air cover for the 1st wave strike force at Pearl Harbor.  He was killed in the Kuriles on 24.7.1944, shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft gunners who mistook his plane for an enemy machine.  At the time of his death he was a LCDR and was serving on the staff of the 51st Air Flotilla.  At least one source states that Itaya had become an ace over China.
 
p.48   (bottom) "3-137" of the 12th Kokutai, September 1940.  The pilot is PO2c Takio Dannoue (Ko 1).
 
p.49   (all)  Dramatic photos of PO3c Kan-ichi KASHIMURA (12/10), of the 13th Kokutai, returning to base with his damaged machine.  On 9 December 1937 in a raid on Nanking "Kashimura, who returned with one wing", after destroying one enemy fighter, collided with another enemy plane during a head-on attack.  Though losing 1/3 of his left wing he managed to keep his plane in the air.  He was able to fly his A5M back to his base.  Though he crashing on landing, he was unhurt.
           Prior to being assigned to the 13th Kokutai he had served with the Omura, Yokosuka and Kanoya AGs.At the end of 1939 he joined the 12th Kokutai.  After another tour with the Yokosuka Kokutai he was posted to the 582 Kokutai in December 1942.  He was MIA over the Russells Islands on 6.3.43.  A drawing of this machine appears on page 71. (Hata/Izawa)
 
p.51   (bottom)  A shotai from the 12th Kokutai taking off on 17.9.38.  PO1c Tora-ichi TAKATSUKA (16/3) is in "3-137", PO2c Hideo MAEDA (13) in "3-154" and PO3c SUZUKI in "3-155".
               Tora-ichi TAKATSUKA, a pilot since 1933, participated in the 13 September 1940 attack on Chunking with the Zero squadron attached to the 12th AG.  He got 3 kills on this raid.  In October 1941 he was promoted to W.O., placed on the inactive list and immediately re-activated as a member of the Tainan AG.  He went MIA over Guadalcanal on 13.9.1942.
               Hideo MAEDA was posted to the 12th Kokutai in January 1940, flying mostly air defense and ground attack missions.  After serving in a number of training positions and reaching the rank of Warrant Officer he was transferred to the 204 Kokutai at Rabaul in October 1943.  He fought from this base for several months until the unit was withdrawn to Truk at the end of January 1944.
               On 17.2.44 U.S. carrier planes attacked Truk and the 204 Ku mustered a force of 31 fighters in opposition.  Of this force 18 were lost including Maeda, who went missing after shooting down 2 of the attackers.  Maeda had flown in combat for less than 6 months total.  He was posthumously promoted to Ltjg.   
        
p.52   (bottom)  PO3c Hiromori Shimomura (Pilot 33) of the 13th Kokutai.  He was KIA over Hankow, China on 23.10.38 after being hit by AA fire.
 
p.54-55 (top)  A chutai of the 14th Kokutai in revetments.  Noto "9-151" of Suho (left) and "9-158" of Kofukuda (right).
 
p.57   (top)  PO3c Hitoshi Sato of the 12th Kokutai seated in the cockpit of "3-104".
 
p.58   (top)  "3-121" of the 12th Kokutai, Hankow, China.  Note the aircraft number on the landing gear leg.  Lt. Kiyokuma Okajima stands in front of the Type 96 Model 2-2.  Okajima would later serve as one of the flight leaders in the Pearl Harbor attack. 
 
p.63   Two shots of PO1c Kyosaku Aoki and "3-108".
 
p.65   "9-158" of Kofukuda.
 
p.66   (third)  "Hokoku-324 Okawa" presented by Kensaburo Okawa to the Navy at Edan Air Base near Osaka.  The aircraft was received by PO2c Yueo Kimura on behalf of the Navy.
 
p.69   (top)  A shotai of the 12th Kokutai in flight.  "3-108" also appears on page 63 and in the color section.  The aircraft was flown by PO1c Kyosaku Aoki.
 
         (third)  "3-104", 12th Kokutai, China, 1938.  Is this same the same machine from page 57 with Sato in the cockpit?
 
P.70  "4-122" of 13th Kokutai, supposedly flown by Lt. Shigeru Takuma when he was KIA on February 25th, 1938.
 
p.71   (top)  "4-115" of PO3c Kan-ichi KASHIMURA, 13th Kokutai, December 1937.
 
         (second)  "4-112" as flown by W.O. Isamu MOCHIZUKI (9/9) of the 13th Kokutai, 1938.  He completed his pilot training in 1926.  Prior to the China Incident he had served aboard the Hosho and the Kaga and with the Omura and Yokosuka Kokutais.  With the outbreak of hostilities in China he was posted to the 13th Kokutai in mid-1938.  He scored all of his victories in China.  He returned to Japan in January 1939.  Later he served as a flight instructor and was promoted to Ensign.  In March 1943 he was posted as a division officer with the newly formed 281 Kokutai which was stationed in the Kuriles.  He was transferred to the Marshalls Islands as the war situation worsened.  Mochizuki is presumed KIA on February 6, 1944 on Roi Island, probably in a Banzai attack after all of the aircraft on the island had been destroyed.  His flying career spanned 18 years.  (Hata/Izawa)
 
p.72   Two shots of "9-122" of the 14th Kokutai which were obtained from the U.S. National Archives.  This aircraft was captured by Chinese soldiers when it crash-landed at Weizhou (Wichow in some sources) Island in Southern China.  The pilot's name was not released by the Japanese.
        
p.73   Suho and Kofukuda again.
 
p.75   (second)  "W-121", Soryu AG, December 1938.  See page 46.  This plane was the mount of a shotaicho.
 
p.76   (top)  "VI-119", Soryu AG, China 1941. This plane was presented by the Fukui Prefecture on July 7, 1940.  The pilot's name is unknown.
 
p.77   (middle)  "V-116" from the carrier Akagi and stationed at Omura Air Base in April 1941.  The pilot is PO3c Takashi Kura-uchi.
 
p.78   "Yo-186" of by Hideo Oishi in flight.  This is from the Yokasuka Kokutai.