The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
Masafumi Arima was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. An experienced aviator, he is sometimes credited with being the first to use the kamikaze attack, although official accounts may have been invented for propaganda purposes. Arima personally led an air attack against United States Navy Task Force 38 in the Formosa Air Battle and was killed in action.
Nishizō Tsukahara, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Sadayoshi Yamada was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
The Tainan Air Group was a fighter aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The flying portion of the unit was heavily involved in many of the major campaigns and battles of the first year of the war. The exploits of the unit were widely publicized in the Japanese media at the time, at least in part because the unit spawned more aces than any other fighter unit in the IJN. Several of the unit's aces were among the IJN's top scorers, and included Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Saburō Sakai, Junichi Sasai, Watari Handa, Masaaki Shimakawa, and Toshio Ōta.
The 4th Air Group was a land-based bomber aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The air group was redesignated as the 702nd Air Group on 1 November 1942.
Tadashi Kaneko was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Before his death in combat, Kaneko was officially credited with destroying eight enemy aircraft.
The Misawa Air Group was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. This article covers first generation, second generation, renamed unit the 705th Air Group, and re-organised unit the 706th Attack Squadron also.
Keiichi Arima was a non-aviator dive bomber officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in Central China campaigns and later led Aichi D3A dive bombers from carrier Shōkaku in both carrier battles during Solomon Islands Campaign, where he and his pilot, Kiyoto Furuta, scored bomb hits on United States Navy (USN) carrier Enterprise on two separate occasions.
Hideki Shingō was a fighter pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War and survived the war.
The Kanoya Air Group was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific campaign of World War II. The air group was redesignated as the 751st Air Group on 1 October 1942. On 1 November, the group's fighter unit was redesignated to the 253rd Air Group, while the bomber unit remained the 751st Air Group.
Terufumi Kofukuda, born as Mitsugi Kofukuda, was an officer and a fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War. After the war he served in the new Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF) as the commander of the Central Air Defense Force.
The 6th Air Group was a unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific War that was involved in Battle of Midway and then extensively in the Guadalcanal Campaign and Solomon Islands Campaign. The air group was redesignated as the 204th Air Group on 1 November 1942.
The 2nd Air Group was a unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific War that was involved in the Guadalcanal Campaign, Solomon Islands Campaign and New Guinea Campaign. The air group was redesignated as the 582nd Air Group on 1 November 1942.
The 26th Air Flotilla was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific Campaign of World War II.
The R-Area Air Force was a unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific War that was involved in the Guadalcanal Campaign and Solomon Islands Campaign. The unit operated seaplanes with a primary mission to protect resupply convoys headed for Guadalcanal and to conduct aerial reconnaissance.
Fumito Inoue was a dive bomber pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He was the leader of the 2nd Air Group during Guadalcanal Campaign and New Guinea Campaign and commanded Rabaul-based dive bombers in various battles in 1942.
Tomoo Nakamura was a medium bomber pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He was the leader of the Misawa Air Group during Guadalcanal Campaign and New Guinea Campaign and commanded Rabaul-based medium bombers in various battles in 1942 and 1943.
Miyoshi Nabeta was a medium bomber pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He led a successful torpedo attack on the battleship Prince of Wales. Later he was the leader of the Kisarazu Air Group during Guadalcanal Campaign and New Guinea Campaign and commanded Rabaul-based medium bombers in various battles in 1942. He was killed in ground combat during the Battle of Roi on 2 February 1944.
