北畑三郎

War record

Born to a farming family in Hyōgo Prefecture; entered the navy 1932.6 → 1933.2 accepted into the 21st pilot trainee (the Pilot Trainee Course (Sōren)) class, graduating in September and taking extended training as an airman 3rd class (aviation) (a youth of 18) → Ryūjō / 霞 / Ryūjō / 佐伯 naval air groups → 1937.7, at the outbreak of the China Incident, ordered to the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕 → 1937.9 sent to Shanghai (no chance of air combat) → 1938.9 transferred to Sōryū's unit and took part in the attack on Canton that autumn → 1939.12 transferred to 〔Yokosuka Naval Air Group〕 → 1940.7 transferred to the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕 and moved up to the Hankou base → 1940.8.19 the first attack on Chongqing (no enemy sighted) → 1940.9.13, in the attack on Chongqing, fought about 30 enemy fighters and shot down two → 1940.10.26, in the attack on Chengdu, as leader of the 3rd section of the eight-Zero force he shared in shooting down ten enemy two-seaters and trainers → 1940.11 returned home to Ōita Naval Air Group → 1942.4 promoted to Air Officer (as written in the source); May joined Jun'yō → 1942.6.4-5 took part in the attack on Dutch Harbor; on 6.5 a P-40 formation came in at the rendezvous point on the way back and the two Zeros of 北畑 and 尾関 went to the rescue (three and two shot down respectively), and they happened to discover the airfield at Otter Point → after returning to the homeland, in 1942.10 he sortied to the Southeast Area, taking part in the 10.17 attack on Guadalcanal and the 10.26 Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands → back at Truk, on 1943.1.17 part of the air unit was sent to Wewak airfield to cover army transport there and to intercept the B-24s coming in → 1943.1.23, wounded while attacking a B-24 formation in an interception, he made a self-destruction in action (jibaku) (deliberate crash).