東山市郎

War record

Born in Nagano Prefecture in 1915 → 1931 entered the Yokaren with the Otsu 2nd class → 1935.4 graduated top of the piloting course and received the Emperor's award; qualified as a fighter pilot → after the Tateyama Naval Air Group, two years with the 〔Yokosuka Naval Air Group〕 → joined Sōryū in 昭5.12 (as printed) → 17.5 (as printed) the Nanjing detachment, sent to the central China front → in July taken into the 〔15th Naval Air Group〕, based at Hankou: support of the ground fighting, the Nanchang offensive, interception of SBs and so on → first action 6.28, when 東山's section intercepted three SB bombers and shot down two → on 7.14 his section again intercepted nine SBs, and two aircraft — his own and that of Aviation Petty Officer 3rd Class 松本義晴 — shot down three of them → on 7.18 he sortied as No.2 in Lieutenant 南郷's formation in the attack on Nanchang; he shot down two in a fierce air battle and saw 南郷's aircraft collide with an enemy machine and go down → 1938.11 back again to the 〔Yokosuka Naval Air Group〕, on service trials of new aircraft; in 1939.8 he fractured his skull in an accident at Tsukuba but recovered → after promotion to Flight Warrant Officer in 1940.5 he was appointed division leader of the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕 and sortied on 8.19 for the first bombing of Chongqing, but returned without sighting the enemy → on 10.4, in the third attack on Chengdu, he flew as leader of the third section; the night before, 東山, Haneda and 大石 (芳男) — four petty officers in all — had worked out a plan to shoot up and burn the enemy airfield, and the surprise went as planned: after 東山 and 中塚 dropped bombs on the enemy command post, 東山 shot down an SB together with his wingman Aviation Petty Officer 3rd Class 有田 and returned safely; the trials were a success, and in 1941.3 he went back to the 〔Yokosuka Naval Air Group〕 → 1943.6 division leader of the newly formed 〔261st Naval Air Group〕; in February the following year he moved up to Saipan; on 3.30, in response to a US task force raid on Saipan, the thirty-two aircraft of the 〔261st Naval Air Group〕 under the squadron leader moved to Peleliu covering the the Iwo Jima bomber unit (as printed), but the US task force came in again the next day, the 31st; the intercepting Zeros were surrounded while still forming up and were all but wiped out; Lieutenant 東山 shot down three, his own aircraft was hit and caught fire, and he took to his parachute but was badly burned; he was sent back to Saipan and was recorded on 7.8 as having died in the annihilation (fighting to the last man (gyokusai)) of the garrison.