中瀬正幸

War record

Born in Tokushima City; 1934 entered 〔Yokosuka Naval Air Group〕 as an applicant for the 5th Otsu-class preparatory flight trainee (the Preparatory Flight Training Course (Yokaren)) course; 1938.3 completed the flight training course and was promoted to petty officer 3rd class (aviation) → by way of 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕, posted at the end of 1938 to the 〔14th Naval Air Group〕 (six months at the China front, but no chance of air combat) → after service at 〔Yokosuka Naval Air Group〕, in 1940.7 he joined the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕 at Hankou as part of the first echelon of the Zero fighter unit sent to the front → on 10.4 [1940], in the attack on Chengdu, he was one of four men who landed at Taipingsi airfield and burned down the command post → 1941.3.14, in the attack on Chengdu, though it was his first air combat he single-handedly shot down six improved I-15s (one of them unconfirmed), and in the 5.26 attack on Nanzheng shot down three more → September transferred to the 〔3rd Naval Air Group〕; from the first strike on the Philippines on 12.8, when the war opened, he was a mainstay among the enlisted pilots in the air fighting over the Philippines and the Netherlands East Indies → 1943.2.9, hit while strafing enemy armoured cars near Makassar on Celebes, he made a self-destruction in action (jibaku) (deliberate crash) and was killed.