岩本徹三

War record

Born in Shimane Prefecture → a seaman at the Kure Naval Barracks → maintenance rating → completed the 34th pilot trainee course in December 1936 and became a fighter pilot → February 1938 to the central China front (the 12th Naval Air Group); first action in the attack on Nanchang on 2/25, five shot down → by the time he returned home in September he had flown 82 sorties and shot down 14 (top-scoring ace of the China Incident) → in the Pacific War he served aboard the carrier Zuikaku (Hawaii, the Indian Ocean, the Battle of the Coral Sea) → August 1942 instructor at a training air group → March 1943 the newly formed 〔281st Naval Air Group〕 (defence of the northern part of Paramushiro) → November moved up to Rabaul with a detachment (〔204th Naval Air Group〕 → 〔253rd Naval Air Group〕) → at the end of February 1944 pulled back to Truk (the B-24 interceptions) → June returned home → September attached to Fighter Squadron 316 of the 〔252nd Naval Air Group〕; in October he moved up to the Philippines for the air battle off Taiwan, returning home at the end of October → spring 1945 transferred to the 〔203rd Naval Air Group〕, went forward to Kyushu, and was still in the Okinawa air battles when the war ended.