小野了

War record

Born in Ōita Prefecture in 1915 → 1932 entered the Navy; while serving at the 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕 as an engine-room rating he applied to become a pilot, joined the 23rd trainee class in 1933.9 and graduated in 1934.4; he was posted to the 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕 as a carrier attack-plane pilot with the rank of Aviation Seaman 2nd Class, aged 19 → after Ryūjō and Kaga he joined Kaga again in 1937.8, just after the outbreak of the China Incident, and was active in bombing sorties across central and south China → in the attack on Canton on 1938.4.13 in particular, although on a bombing mission, he got into a fight with enemy aircraft and shot one down, and in the attack on Nanchang on 7.18, serving with the 〔15th Naval Air Group〕 as No.2 to the commander, Lieutenant Commander 松本, he landed with Lieutenant j.g. 小川 on the enemy airfield and burned the aircraft standing there, then shot down two more in air combat — a notable feat that brought him sudden fame → he returned home in November of that year; after service as an instructor at Ōmura and Usa he was promoted Aviation Petty Officer 1st Class, and in 1942.2 transferred to the Yokosuka Naval Air Group (Yokosuka Naval Air Group), where he worked on the service trials of the Gekkō; in April he transferred to the Tainan Naval Air Group and moved up to Rabaul, flying reconnaissance in various areas → after the US landing on Guadalcanal on 8.7 he often flew reconnaissance over the Solomons, with good results → November returned home; in May 1943 he moved up to Rabaul again and, flying the Gekkō night fighter converted to carry obliquely-mounted guns, paired with Lieutenant j.g. 浜波苦作 as observer, he flew many night interceptions of enemy bombers with success, and together with Senior Flight Petty Officer 工藤 the two were called the "kings of the night" → his first victories were two B-24s on the night of 1943.6.5, and two more (B-17s, one unconfirmed) on 6.10 → in July he went forward to Ballale for night interception and escort of bomber units, returning to the Atsugi Naval Air Group in 1944.1 → in April he transferred to Fighter Squadron 804 of the 〔322nd Naval Air Group〕 and in May was promoted Ensign; in 1944.10 he was taken into the 〔141st Naval Air Group〕 and moved up to Luzon, flying night bombing sorties against Leyte from Nichols Field; in this period his aircraft was once hit 147 times by enemy fighters → at the end of that year he pulled back to the home islands and transferred to the 〔352nd Naval Air Group〕, ending the war having shot down only one B-29 in the B-29 interceptions.