山下佐平

War record

Entered as a 5th-class Otsu preparatory flight trainee (the Preparatory Flight Training Course (Yokaren)) → completed the flight training course → 1940.10 posted to 千歳 Naval Air Group (together with his classmate PO1c 吉野; air defense of the Inner South Seas) → 1942.4 promoted to Flight Warrant Officer (Flight Warrant Officer) and detached to Rabaul → end of May formally transferred to Tainan (Taiwan) Naval Air Group (forward to the Lae base) → 1942.5.27 the attack on Port Moresby (his first combat; a P-39 shot down by his section jointly) → the eastern New Guinea front → from 1942.8 he built up his score in the attacks on Guadalcanal → in early November, when Tainan (Taiwan) Naval Air Group was withdrawn to the homeland, he returned to the 〔201st Naval Air Group〕 (air defense of the Inner South Seas) → 1943.2.9, after intercepting four enemy aircraft and a reconnoitring B-17 that came in over Iwo Jima (Iwo Jima), he went missing about 150 nautical miles north of the island and was officially declared killed in action.