谷口正夫

War record

1936 entered the navy → 1940.7 graduated from the 51st pilot trainee (the Pilot Trainee Course (Sōren)) class → 1941.4 joined Akagi (aboard her when the war began) → the Hawaii, Darwin and Colombo attacks (with the fighter units) → 1942.4.9 the attack on Trincomalee (his first kill) → the Midway operation (combat air patrol over the carrier; three enemy torpedo-bombers shot down); when Akagi sank he ditched and was picked up by a destroyer → transferred to Shōkaku (the Second Battle of the Solomons and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands) → 1942.11 transferred to 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕 → 1943.7 the newly formed 〔331st Naval Air Group〕 (moved up to Sabang); 12.5 the attack on Calcutta → the same month the 〔201st Naval Air Group〕 (moved to Rabaul) → in the fighting up to the withdrawal to Truk at the end of 1944.1 he shot down eight aircraft (three of them unconfirmed) → 2.17 the interception of the raid on Truk; 3.30 the interception at Peleliu → withdrawal to the Philippines and reorganization → 1944.10.23 hit in air combat over Manila, he force-landed gravely wounded and was sent home, never returning to action before the war ended.