321st Naval Air Group

War record

1 Oct 1943, formed at Mobara as the Navy's first night-fighter group, flying the Gekko (whose oblique guns were the idea of Commander Kozono of the Tainan Group at Rabaul)→worked up at Matsuyama→Feb 1944, forward to Saipan and Tinian→23 Feb, the US carrier strike on the Marianas destroyed most of the newly arrived aircraft in a single day→replacements were scattered across the inner-south islands→2 Aug 1944, when Tinian fell, the commander, flying leader and most of the staff died with the island — and the unit's part in Operation A-Go remains unknown in detail→its Gekko were rarely used for their intended night fighting, serving instead on anti-submarine patrol and convoy escort→disbanded 10 Jul 1944

Of the Navy's first night-fighter unit the book can only write: details unknown. The headquarters died with Tinian, and no one was left to keep the record. A chapter that faithfully copies even the blank.