南義美

War record

1933 entered the Navy → 1935.11 graduated from the 30th pilot trainee course → 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕 → 1937.7 〔13th Naval Air Group〕 (later the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕, Shanghai front) → from the third raid on Nanjing on 1937.9.20 he shot down nine in the air battles over Nanchang and Hankou (top-scoring ace of the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕) → 1938.5.31, hit and surrounded in the attack on Hankou, he rammed, and with his left wing gone force-landed on the bank of the Yangtze; he survived → 1938.9 returned home; service at the Saeki and Ōita Naval Air Groups and in Hiryū and Zuihō → 1941.10 transferred to Shōkaku (Hawaii, the Indian Ocean, the Battle of the Coral Sea) → 1942.6 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕, promoted Flight Warrant Officer → 1944.2 attached to the 〔601st Naval Air Group〕 (the new carrier Taihō) → 6.19 the Battle of the Philippine Sea off the Marianas (wounded when Taihō sank) → attached to the 〔653rd Naval Air Group〕 → 10.24–25 Battle off the Philippines → the Leyte operation → 1944.11.25 killed making his attack on a US task force east of the Philippines as a member of the Kasagi unit of the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps (promoted two ranks to Lieutenant).