蝶野仁郎

War record

Born 1907 in Ehime Prefecture → 1927 entered the navy; completed the 15th pilot trainee (the Pilot Trainee Course (Sōren)) course in 1930.4 as a fighter pilot → at the outbreak of the China Incident he was a fighter section leader aboard the carrier Kaga, and his first score came on 1937.11.11, when he and PO3c 日高 chased three Northrop bombers that came in off Ma'an Island and shot down one each → then, in the attack on Canton on 1938.4.13, he flew as escort to 18 dive-bombers; when the leader's section turned back on the way, PO1c 蝶野 led the remaining five aircraft — two Type 96 and three Type 95 carrier fighters — and fought 20 enemy fighters over the target, six being shot down in all, two of them by 蝶野 → he went on taking part in attacks across South China, and above all, in the attack on Nanxiong on 8.30, flying as leader of the 2nd section in a force of six Type 96 fighters under Lt 手島, he fought a hard action against more than 20 enemy fighters and, though hit by fifteen rounds, shot down four single-handed (one of them unconfirmed) → at the end of that year he returned to the homeland and was promoted to Flight Warrant Officer (Flight Warrant Officer); in 1940 he transferred to the 〔14th Naval Air Group〕 and went again to the South China front, but on 1941.2.21, in the attack on Kunming, he was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and died in a self-destruction in action (jibaku) (deliberate crash).