近藤政市

War record

1935.7 graduated from the 27th pilot trainee (the Pilot Trainee Course (Sōren)) class → 〔Omura Naval Air Group〕 → 1936.11 aboard the carrier Ryūjō when the China Incident broke out → 1937.8.23 on patrol over Baoshan (as No.2 to Lt(jg) 鈴木実; fought nine enemy fighters and shot down two in his first combat, his section claiming ten in all) → 9.21 the attack on Canton → the following year he moved to Kaga; 1938.4.13 the attack on Canton → June transferred to the 〔15th Naval Air Group〕 → November returned to the homeland → 1939.10 moved to the 〔12th Naval Air Group〕; the attacks on Liuzhou on 12.30 and on Guilin on 1.10 → 1942.7 joined Zuihō (the Pacific War) → 10.26 the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (Zuihō's nine fighters, led by Lt 日高盛康, broke off on their own initiative to intercept USS Enterprise's torpedo-bombers, shooting down six fighters and eight torpedo-bombers, three of them by 近藤); four aircraft failed to return from the action → November transferred to Jun'yō (the Third Battle of the Solomons (the naval battle off Guadalcanal), covering the ウニフク transport runs, the Guadalcanal withdrawal operation and Operation I-Gō) → 1943.5 returned to the homeland → 7.2 ordered up to Buin (the fighting over Rendova) → 8.15 the attack on Vella Lavella (escorting the dive-bombers; after shooting one down he was hit and severely wounded in the left leg, flying back to Buin on his right leg alone and going into hospital) → sent home, he spent a year and three months under treatment → returned to the 〔203rd Naval Air Group〕, but the war ended without his seeing action again.