杉尾茂雄

War record

Born in Miyazaki Prefecture; inspired by a civilian aviator from his home district, he set out to become a pilot → passed into the Otsu 5th Yokaren class in 1934 and completed the flight trainee course in March 1938 → posted to the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕 in September of that year (central China front, where the fighting had already died down; escort sorties only), returning home a year later → April 1941 transferred again to the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕 and moved up to Hankou → on 22 June, in the attack on Guangyuan, he got no more than a transport aircraft → October transferred to the newly formed 〔3rd Naval Air Group〕 (as a section leader; took part in the Philippine and Netherlands East Indies air campaigns) → 8 December, the attack on Luzon (strafed Iba airfield, was hit by ground fire and got back to Takao with no fuel left) → on the 12th, in an air battle over Batangas, his section surrounded a formation of P-26s and with his wingmen he claimed four (in fact two) → on 3 February 1942, in an air battle over Surabaya, he got in the first surprise attack and his section of three shot down nine → April went forward to Timor and took part in the Darwin attacks until August → September–November detached to Rabaul, where he saw the heavy fighting over Guadalcanal (as acting chūtai commander) → after returning to the south-western area he was promoted Flight Warrant Officer and took part in further attacks on Darwin → April 1943 returned to Japan after two years → six months later transferred to the Haikou Naval Air Group (training Hei-class flight trainees) → spring 1944 sortied in the attack on Nanning (combat with P-40s of the US air force in China) → in May the following year he transferred to the Kaminoike Naval Air Group and returned to the home islands; in September to the 〔201st Naval Air Group〕, and in May 1945 to the 〔Tsukuba Naval Air Group〕, where the war ended for him as an instructor on the Shiden.