11th Air Regiment (Hiko Sentai)

War record

Jun 1932, formed in Manchuria as the 11th Air Battalion→Aug 1938, became the 11th Hiko Sentai→May–Sep 1939, fought through the entire Nomonhan air war: about 530 confirmed kills (nearly half of all fighter units engaged) against 19 pilots killed — the celebrated "Lightning-bolt unit"→Dec 1941, opened the Pacific War covering the Malaya invasion convoys; Singapore, Palembang, Java→Mar 1942, Burma (commander Okabe killed in a P-40 ambush)→Aug 1942, re-equipped with the Type 1 fighter "Hayabusa"→Dec 1942, to Rabaul via Truk aboard the carrier Unyo→5 Jan 1943, first B-17 kills; the book records that the formation leader, Brigadier General Walker, was taken prisoner after parachuting→worn down over New Guinea (commander Sugiura and three others lost over Wau)→Jul 1943, rebuilt in Manchuria→China front→1944, re-equipped with the Type 4 fighter→12 Oct 1944, commander Kanaya missing in the air battle off Formosa; much of the leadership lost in a day→two deployments to Leyte and Luzon, each ending in attrition→Mar 1945, home; preparing for the homeland battle when the war ended

At Nomonhan, the book tells how Sergeant Major Koichi Iwase landed his fighter in enemy territory, packed two stranded airmen into the fuselage, and carried them safely home.