List of World War II aces from Japan

Last updated

This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Japan, as officially credited by the Imperial Japanese government. For other countries see List of World War II aces by country.

Contents

Abbreviations

A

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Kenichi Abe (阿部健市)10 (five jointly)Chief Petty OfficerIJNSurvived World War II. [1]
Takahide Aioi (相生高秀)10CommanderIJN5 of the victories during Second Sino-Japan War; later served as Vice Admiral in the JMSDF [2]
Sadaaki Akamatsu (赤松貞明)27Lieutenant Junior GradeIJN11 of the victories during Second Sino-Japan War [3]
Satoru Anabuki (穴吹智)39Sergeant MajorIJALater served as Lieutenant Colonel in the JGSDF [4]
Katsumi Anma (安間 克巳)27IJAKIA 8 April 1942
Yoshitugu Aramaki (荒蒔 義次)5IJA
Yoshisuke Arita (有田 義助)5IJN
Mitsuzo Asai7IJA
Jiro Asano (浅野 二郎)10IJA
Tomita Atake (阿武 富太)10IJN

B

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Takeo Banno (阪野 隆雄)10IJNKIA 7 October 1943
Kisaji Beppu5IJAKIA 7 February 1942

C

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Jirō Chōno 7EnsignIJNKIA 21 February 1941

E

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Yuichi Ema (江馬 友一)6IJNKIA 29 October 1944
Masuaki Endo (遠藤 桝秋)14IJNKIA 7 June 1943
Sachio Endo (遠藤 幸男)8IJNKIA 14 January 1945
Toyoki Eto (江藤 豊樹)12+1 shared +4 probableIJA

F

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Iyōzō Fujita (藤田怡与蔵)11 (42?)IJN
Kihei Fujiwara (藤原 喜平)5IJN
Sumio Fukuda (福田 澄夫)11IJNKIA 24 October 1944
Yoshio Fukui 11, 4 probableLieutenantIJN
Shigeo Fukumoto (福本 繁夫)72IJN
Yonesuke Fukuyama7IJA
Goro Furugori (古郡 吾郎)25+IJAKIA 3 November 1944
Haruyoshi Furukawa (古川 治良)5+IJA

G

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Hiroshi Gomi7IJA
Kurakazu Goto8IJNKIA 9 September 1943

H

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Matsuo Hagiri (羽切 松雄)13IJN
Tomio Hanada (花田 富男)25IJA
Watari Handa 7Lieutenant Junior GradeIJN
Iwataro Hazawa (羽沢 岩太郎)15IJAKIA 14 January 1945
Kaname Harada (原田要) [5] [6] [7] 9Lieutenant Junior GradeIJNDied on 3 May 2016
Kichigoro Haraguchi (原口 吉五郎)24IJA
Yoshiro Hashiguchi (橋口 嘉郎)10IJNKIA 25 October 1944
Kazuo Hattori (服部 一夫)10IJNKIA 10 March 1944
Sakuji Hayashi (林 作次)6IJNKIA 28 May 1945
Takeomi Hayashi (林 武臣)7IJA
Yoshishige Hayashi (林 喜重)5IJNKIA 21 April 1945
Nobuji Negishi (根岸 延次)6IJA
Hatsuo Hidaka 6Lieutenant Junior GradeIJN
Yoshimi Hidaka (日高 義巳)20IJNKIA 7.6.1943
Ichiro Higashiyama (東山 市郎)9IJN
Yohei Hinoki (ja:檜與平) [8] 12IJADied 1991
Tomio Hirohata (広畑 富男)14IJA22 April 1945
Yoshio Hirose (広瀬 吉雄)7IJA22 December 1944
Minoru Honda (本田 稔) [9] [10] [11] 17IJN
Toshiaki Honda (本田 敏秋)5+IJN13 May 1942
Mitsuo Hori (堀 光雄)11IJN
Isamu Hosono (細野 勇)26IJA6 October 1943

I

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Chuichi Ichikawa (市川 忠一)10+IJABukochoshoKIFA September 1954
Matao Ichioka (市岡 又夫)11IJN
Fusata Iida (飯田 房太)7IJNCrashed after being hit at Pearl Harbor
Masao Iizuka (飯塚 雅夫)8IJN
Shigeo Iizuka ?
Tomesaku Igarashi (五十嵐 留作)~20IJAKIA 17.6.1944
Fumisuke Ikuno (生野 文介)6IJA
Hideaki Inayama (稲山 英明)5+IJA
Misao Inoue (井上 操)16IJAKIFA 15.12.1944
Teigo Ishida (石田 真吾)9IJNKIA 16.5.1945
Susumu Ishihara (石原 進)16IJN
Shizuo Ishii (石井 静夫)29IJN
Isamu Ishii (石井 勇)10IJN
Seiji Ishikawa (石川 清治)5IJN
Tadashi Ishikawa (石川 正)5IJA
Kanshi Ishikawa (石川 寛志)19IJA
Chitoshi Isozaki 12LieutenantIJA
Ishizuka Tokuyasu15IJA
Kiyoshi Ito (伊藤 清)18 & 14 damagedIJN
Fujitaro Ito (伊藤 藤太郎)13+IJA
Naoyuki Ito (伊藤 直之)8IJADied 2010
Susumu Ito5IJN
Tsutomu Iwai (岩井 勉)11IJN
Yoshio Iwaki (岩城 芳雄)8IJN
Tetsuzō Iwamoto (岩本 徹三)80+Lieutenant Junior GradeIJNOrder of the Kite (5th Class), Order of the Rising Sun (7th Class)
Iwahashi Jozo20+IJAKIA 23.4.1944
Hideo Izumi (和泉 秀雄)9IJNKIA 30.5.1942

J

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Ryotaro Jobo (ja:上坊良太郎)30IJADied 2012

K

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Susumu Kajinami24
Enji Kakimoto5POW 27.8.1942, Suicide 5.8.1944

See Cowra breakout

Morichiki Kamae32
Teizo Kanamaru8KIA 24.12.1942
Keishu Kamihara
Sumi Kamito40+KIA 4?02/45
Moritsugu Kanai
Takeo Kanamaru12KIA 29/11/44
Nobuo Kanazawa10
Masao Kanbara7
Saiji Kanda9KIA 19.6.1943
Masashi Kaneko
Tadashi Kaneko 8 (3 in China)CommanderIJNKIA 14.11.1942
Naoshi Kanno 25
Saiji Kani9KIA 29.6.1939
Naoshi Kano25KIA 1.8.1945
Saiji Kani9KIA 29.6.1939, Battles of Khalkin Gol/Nomohan [12]
probably Naoshi Kanno
Tomkazu Kasai [13] 10
Isamu Kashiide (ja:樫出勇)7+2 in ChinaCaptainIJABukochosho (2nd Class)
Shirotaro Kashima9KIA 16.12.1944
Kanichi Kashimura 12EnsignIJNOrder of the Golden Kite (5th Class)KIA 6.3.1943
Katsue Kato9KIA 16.4.1945
Kenji Kato9KIA 5.12.1944
Kunimichi Kato16IJN
Tateo Katō (加藤建夫)18Lieutenant Colonel
Major General (Posthumously)		IJA Order of the Golden Kite (Posthumously)KIA 22.5.1942
Kiyomi Katsuki (ja:甲木清実)16Warrant OfficerIJNFloatplane ace, 7 victories by F1M2 Pete/A6M2-N Rufe/N1K1 Rex.
Kosuke Kawahara8+1 sharedKIA 25.3.1938, Gui'de Airbase, Sino-Japanese War [14]
Akira Kawakita5KIA 26.10.1944
Koki Kawamoto8 Bukochosho
Masajiro Kawamoto
Ichiro Kawamura (河村一郎)5Warrant OfficerIJNFloatplane ace
Masajiro Kawato18
Tetsuo Kikuchi 12KIA 19.6.1944
Takaji Kimura26
Sadamitsu Kimura8BukochoshoKIA 17.4.1945
Katsuaki Kira13+9 in China
Saburo Kitahata6+4 in ChinaKIA 23.1.1943
Teruhiko Kobayashi 14 (or 5)BukochoshoKIFA 4/6/1957
Hohei Kobayashi10KIA 25.1.1944
Yoshinao Kodaira 9+2 in ChinaIJNDied in 2008
Sada Koga31
Kiyoto Koga13KIFA 1938
Fujikazu Koizumi11+3 in ChinaKIA 27.1.1944
Shizuo Kojima6
Takeichi Kokubun11KIA 28/06/44
Sadamu Komachi [15] 18Warrant OfficerIJNDied 15.7.2012
Masaichi Kondō 13EnsignIJN
Kensui Kono9
Kotaro Koyae15
Osamu Kudō 7Lieutenant Junior GradeIJNKIA 3 March 1942
Juzo Kuramoto5+4 in ChinaKIA 11.10.1942
Shiro Kuratori6
Yasuhiko Kuroe 49+2 in China
Toshio Kuroiwa13
Tameyoshi Kuroki16
Seiichi Kurosawa10KIA 9/06/45
Shiro Kurotori (ja:黒鳥四朗)6Lieutenant Junior GradeIJNDied 4 February 2012
Yoshiro Kuwabara13KIA 14.3.1944

M

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Hideo Maeda13KIA 17.2.1944
Koichi Magara8KIA 14.9.1942
Akio Matsuba 16+2 in ChinaLieutenant Junior GradeIJN
Jiro Matsuda7+2 in China
Masao Masuyama17
Morio Matsui21KIA 18/05/44
Susumu Matsuki6, 2 probable, 3 shared
Momoto Matsumura13KIA 25.8.1944
Hidenori Matsunaga16KIA 23.4.1945
Eitoku Matsunaga16
Hidenori MatsunagaKIA 23/4/45
Kagemitsu Matsuo10KIA 23.12.1943
Toshio Matsuura5+10 in ChinaKIA 2.12.1943
Yoshimi Minami 6+9 in ChinaLieutenantIJNKIA in Kamikaze attack 25.11.1944
Yoshijiro Minegishi6+3 in ChinaKIA 6.2.1944
Masoa Miyamaru ?
Goro Miyamoto26
Zenjiro Miyano 16KIA 16.6.1943
Masahiro Mitsuda16
Kazunori Miyabe6KIA 3.11.1943
Hideo Miyabe12
Isamu Miyazaki [16] 13Died 2012
Gitaro Miyazaki11+2 in ChinaKIA 1.6.1942
Isamu Mochizuki 7LieutenantIJNKIA Feb 1944 in ground actions
Mitsugu Mori 5+4 in ChinaLieutenant Junior GradeIJNDied 1960
Hideo Morinio8+1 in China
Yutaka Morioka5
Toyoo Moriura8KIA 25.10.1942
Noboru Mune14KIA 19.11.1944
Kazuo Muranaka7+1 in China
Kaneyoshi "Kinsuke" Muto (ja:武藤金義)23+5 in ChinaEnsignIJNKIA 24.07.1945

N

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Yoshikazu Nagahama 10/13IJNKIA 6.9.1943, became ace in a day during the Attack on Darwin
Kiichi Nagano19KIA 6.11.1944
Yoshimitsu Naka5KIA 419/08/44
Yoshihiko Nakada45KIA 9.11.1943
Kenji Nakagawa8
Tadashi Nakajima75
Bunkichi Nakajima166.10.1943
Kunimori Nakakariya16
Wataru Nakamichi15
Saburo Nakamura20KIA 6/10/44
Yoshio Nakamura9
Matsumi Nakano5Bukochosho
Katsujiro Nakano7KIA 4.5.1945
Tomoji Nakano7
Masayuki Nakase18+9 in ChinaKIA 1/01/45
Yoshiichi Nakaya16
Shigeru Nakazaki16KIA 23.1.1943
Kiyoshi Namai16
Mochifumi Nangō 8LieutenantIJNKIA 18/7/1938
Shigeo Nango15KIA 25/1/1944
Yashiro Nashiguchi11
Nobuji Negishi6+7 damaged (all B-29)KIA 22/04/45
? Nishikyo5
Hannoshin Nishio5
Shigetsune Nishioka8KIA 28/10/1944
Masaharu Nishiwaki5KIA 8/12/44
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (西沢広義)87Lieutenant Junior Grade (Posthumously)IJNKIA 10/26/44, nicknamed "Devil of Rabaul", shot down by F6Fs while a passenger aboard a Ki-49 (aged 24), Mindoro, Philippines
Yoshinori Noguchi6KIA 25/10/1944
Takeshi Noguchi14
Akiyoshi Nomura10

O

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Tsutae Obara8KIA 25/7/1945
Kiichi (Ki-ichi) Oda 5+4 in ChinaEnsignIJNKIA 10/12/1944
Noritsura Odaka12
Yojiro Ofusa19
Koichi Ogata7KIA 8/08/44
Naoyuki Ogata5Bukochosho
Makoto Ogawa 9 (7 x B-29s)Second LieutenantIJABukochosho
Nobuo Ogiya (ja:荻谷信男)24KIA 13/2/1944
Mitsuo Ogura16
Ryoji Ohara16 (48?)
Hideo Oishi6
Yoshio Oishi15KIA 12/12/44
Kenji Okabe 15EnsignIJNKIA September 1943
Takashi Okamoto6
Juzo Okamoto5+4 in ChinaKIA 11/10/1942
Hiroshi Okano19
Yoshio Oki13+4 in China16/06/43
Misao Okubu8
Takeo Okumura 50+4 in ChinaChief Petty OfficerIJNCeremonial SwordKIA 22/9/1943
Shokichi Omori9
Shigetaka Ōmori 13EnsignIJNKIA 25/10/1942
Hiroshi Onazaki146/09/45
Akira Onozaki28
Megumu Ono15KIFA 1/2/1940
Satoru Ono 5+3 in ChinaLieutenant Junior GradeIJNDied 2001
Takeyoshi Ono8KIA 30/6/1943
Takashi Oshibuchi6
Toshio Ota (太田敏夫)34Petty Officer 1st ClassIJNKIA 21/10/1942
Kyushiro Otake15DOW in 1951
Nakakazu Ozaki (ja:尾崎中和)19, 12-14 damagedKIA 27/12/1943
Yukiharu Ozeki14+KIA 24/10/1944

R

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Shinobu Terada8

S

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Shogo Saito26KIA 2/07/44
Chiyoshi Saito7KIA 2/7/1943
Saburo Saito18
Toshio Sakagawa49KIFA 19/12/1944
Saburō Sakai (ja:坂井三郎) [17] ~28Lieutenant Junior GradeIJNDied 22/9/2000
Iori Sakai9
Takao Sakano10
Junichi Sasai (ja:笹井醇一)26Lieutenant Junior Grade
Lieutenant Commander (Posthumously)		Order of the Golden KiteKIA 26/8/1942, nicknamed "Richthofen of Rabaul"
Tomokazu Sasai10
Yoshiichi Sasaki6
Isamu Sasaki38Bukochosho (2nd Class)
Masao Sasakibara 12EnsignIJN
Hitoshi Sato8KIA 11/11/1943
Gonnoshin Sato5KIA 11/04/45
Mitsugu Sawada12, 1 sharedKIA 5/3/1943
Eiji Seino15
Hiroshi Sekiguchi7+1 shared
Kiyoshi Sekiya11KIA 24/06/44
Hiroshi Shibagaki13KIA 22/1/1944
Rikio (Rikia) Shibata13+14 in China18/12/1944
Sekizen Shibayama13
Shigeru Shibukawa15
Yoshio Shiga 6Lieutenant CommanderIJN
Masami Shiga6
Yasuhiro Shigematsu10KIA 8/7/1944
Katsuma Shigemi8KIA 4/2/1943
Kenji Shimada27MIA 15/9/1939
Masaaki Shimakawa 8, 12 sharedWarrant OfficerIJNDied 25/9/1997
Kiyoshi Shimizu12KIA 26/01/45
Kazuo Shimizu18
Takeshi Shimizu9
Yukio Shimokawa19
Hiromichi Shinohara (ja:篠原弘道)58Warrant Officer
Second Lieutenant (Posthumously)		IJAKIA 27/8/1939, nicknamed "Richthofen of the Orient"
Toshio Shiozura20
Yoshijiro Shirahama11
Nagao Shirai13 (including 11 x B-29)
Toshihisa Shirakawa9KIA 22/9/1943
Ayao Shirane
Naoharu Shiromoto
Hironojo Shishimoto
Tadashi Shono
Tokuya Sudo
Toshiyuki Sueda
Kazuo Sugino (ja:杉野計雄)
Shigeo Sugio
Shoichi Sugita (ja:杉田庄一)70
Teruo Sugiyama
Motonari Suho
Tadao SumiBukochosho (1st Class)
Goichi Sumino
Minoru Suzuki8|
Hiroshi Suzuki
Kiyonobu Suzuki 9Warrant OfficerIJNKIA 26.10.1942

T

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Shigeru Takahashi
Kenichi Takahashi
Katsutaro Takahashi
Takeo Takahashi
Kaoru Takaiwa
Keiji TakamiyaKIA 5/08/44
Michiho Takaradaup to 7 [18] Warrant OfficerIJNone Good Conduct stripe Floatplane rear gunner ace, KIA 27/1/43
Toraichi Takatsuka
Shogo Takeuchi
Hiroshi TakiguchiKIA 8/09/44
Kuniyoshi TanakaBukochosho
Minpo Tanaka
Jiro Tanaka
Shinsaku Tanaka
Masao Taniguchi
Takeo Tanimizu (谷水竹雄)
Mitsuyoshi TaruiKIA 6/02/45
Tadao Tashiro
Nobuo Tokushige
Yoshihisa Tokuji
Kosuke Tsubone
Ko Tsuchiya
Kazuo Tsunoda 9Lieutenant Junior GradeIJN

U

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Minoru Uchida10
Sadao Uehara13
Kazushi 'Popo' Uto (ja:羽藤一志)19KIA 13 September 1942

W

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Yoshio Wajima11KIA 23 February 1944
Yukiyoshi Wakamutsu (ja:若松幸禧)20KIA 18 December 1944
Hideo Watanabe16
Watanabe6

Y

NameKillsRankServiceAwardsNotes
Bunichi Yamaguchi19
Sadao Yamaguchi12KIA 4 July 1944
Fumikazu Yamagushi19
Akira Yamamoto 13Lieutenant Junior GradeIJNKIA 24 November 1944
Ichirō Yamamoto 11EnsignIJNKIA 19 January 1944
Tomezo Yamamoto11KIA 24 June 1944
Tadao Yamanaka9
Koshiro Yamashita11 +1 shared +1 probableKIA 30/3/1944
Sahei Yamashita13KIA 9 February 1943
Mitsuo Yamato8
Ichirobei Yamazaki14KIA 4 July 1943
Kenji Yanagiya 8+18 sharedWarrant OfficerIJN
Shigeru Yano8KIA 17 April 1942
Kozaburo Yasui11KIA 19 June 1944
Tamotsu Yokoyama (横山保)5
Shokichi Yonekawa
Tadayoshi Yonekawa6KIFA
Katsuyoshi Yoshida10
Mototsuna Yoshida14KIA 7 August 1942
Yoshio Yoshida 6+1 probableCaptainIJABukochosho
Hiroji Yoshihara8
Keisaku Yoshimura10KIA 25 October 1942
Satoshi Yoshino15KIA 9 June 1942
Yoshitaro Yoshioka6
Tokushige Yoshizawa9KIA 6 January 1945
Yoshito Yasuda
Kozaburo Yasui

Notes

  1. ↑ Hata, p. 331
  2. ↑ Hata, p. 339
  3. ↑ Hata, p. 252; Sakaida, pp. 176–178.
  4. ↑ Sakaida, pp. 34–35.
  5. ↑ Kakesako, Gregg, K., "Zero Ace Recalls Missions Over Midway, Pearl Harbor", Honolulu Star-Bulletin , June 5, 2010.
  6. ↑ Harada Kaname's Story: the Battle of Ceylon, 24 December 2016, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  7. ↑ Harada Kaname's Story: the Battle of Midway, 8 January 2017, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  8. ↑ Japanese Ace Interviews - Hinoki Yohei (Ki-43, Ki-100 Pilot), 21 July 2016, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  9. ↑ Japanese Ace Interviews: Honda Minoru (Part 1), 5 December 2015, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  10. ↑ Japanese Ace Interviews: Honda Minoru (Part 2), 17 December 2015, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  11. ↑ Japanese Ace Interviews: Honda Minoru (Part 3), 8 January 2016, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  12. ↑ Håkans, Gustav. "Häkans Aviation page - Khalkhin Gol/Nomonhan Incident 1939". surfcity.kund.dalnet.se. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  13. ↑ Japanese Ace Interviews: Kasai Tomokazu, 11 March 2016, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  14. ↑ Gustavsson, Hakans. "Japanese biplane fighter aces - Kosuke Kawahara". Biplane Fighter Aces - Japan. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  15. ↑ IJN Ace Komachi Sadamu describes being shot down (A6M Documentary Pt. 4 Preview), 26 June 2017, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  16. ↑ Japanese Ace Interviews: Miyazaki Isamu, 25 December 2015, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-08-18
  17. ↑ Hata, Ikuhiko (2013). Japanese Naval Fighter Aces: 1932-45. Stackpole Books. p. 327. ISBN   978-0-8117-1167-8.
  18. ↑ Henry Sakaida, "Aces of Japanese Navy Air Corps 1937-1945", ISBN 978-4499227124, p. 45.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.