Books written by enemy pilots post WW2

I have read books by Saburo Sakai and many German pilots, but am looking for those written by opposing pilots in the Vietnam or Korea War. I would appreciate only English book suggestions. Thanks!!

Here's one from the Korean War - Russian Pilot:

Amazon product ASIN 1844157350

I have never seen a Vietnam pilots memoir . The Korean /Soviet book is pretty good and as far as I know all we have available that focuses on an individual. It would be interesting to be sure as a lot of these guys will be leaving the scene soon.

The problem with a few of the books written prior to the dissolution of the Soviet union, is that they are written with a red prism as any published books had to clear censors. No criticism of equipmentor, tactics etc. That is not to say our western books do not have a slant. The Eastern front chewed up enormous land and Luftwaffe resources that would have been used against the western and med fronts, especially air transport, but for the longest time got short shrift in most western WW2 history teachings. Certainy what I was taught in school history of WW2 neglected the eastern front. The books of the German aces and pilots like Rudel of the late 50's and 60's of which I have many cast the German forces in more favorable light due to the cold war while touching all too lightly on some of the crimes comitted in the east that many knew full well about.




Do we have a list by country of biographies available in Engish? I have a library going back to my teenage years but Japanese and Russian books are few and far between.

Aleksey Petrovich Maresyev (Russian: Алексей Петрович Маресьев; 05 May 1916 – 19 May 2001) was a Russian military pilot who became a Soviet fighter ace during World War II despite becoming a double amputee. A Story about a Real Man is a good read. The Russian Bader but had a great deal more adversity to overcome as if losing his legs were not enough.

I have a few published books and what amount to large pamphlets by a few Japanese pilots who went into business and when dealing with American companies related war experiences. One a Kamikaze who survived the crash of his Peggy Francis bomber to be fished out by a US destroyer is an example. Supposedly there are biographies but translated versions are not available

Is there any information on the crew member of the Peggy who lived?

I have the pamphlet . I'll look for it tomorrow . Got it many many years ago. He started a business post war and relates his war experiences and business experiences in it. Sort of a version of the vanity books american CEO's like to put out but this guy had real adversity to overcome. It is unusual because they often did not speak of this period and being captured was a cause of shame. I suppose his exposure to the west changed his attitudes. He flew a Yokosuka P1Y Ginga twin-engined land based bomber, codenamed Frances. What is a little surprising he is not the only one captured alive when a plane was shot down . Somethng about the GInga must have lent itself to breakup that ejected the crew vs taking them down in the twisted wreckage . Usually the ships just filled any survivors with 20MM rounds vs try to pick them up for fear of treachery by the guy floating ...

I was told similar by a veteran who had been an SBD rear gunner on the Enterprise. After one attack, when it was safe, a destroyer put down a boat to pick up a Japanese flyer. As he was pulled onto the boat, he stabbed a sailor. After that, there were no more attempts to pick up Japanese and they were shot from the decks as they floated by. He told me that during attacks, aircraft gunners assisted the defense by using the 20mm along the deck edge.

Whilst not written by p[ilots, this book has recollections in it and gives background. Can't vouch for its accuracy.

My Uncle's sub rescued downed Japanese crewmen with no issues except one occasion, where the pilot refused to be rescued and shot at the sub with his sidearm - he was quickly dispatched by the 20mm.
Otherwise, the others were grateful to be out of the water and safe.

GrauGeist said:

My Uncle's sub rescued downed Japanese crewmen with no issues except one occasion, where the pilot refused to be rescued and shot at the sub with his sidearm - he was quickly dispatched by the 20mm.
Otherwise, the others were grateful to be out of the water and safe.

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I like the rescued part. It's heartwarming to me to see that people stepped up and did the better thing. Especially when it's USN.

SaparotRob said:

Is there any information on the crew member of the Peggy who lived?

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I found the pamphlet a pic is attached. HIs name was Kauro Hasegawa It was a Francis not a Peggy. It was the Francis that I have read seems to have survivors more often than other aircraft, even after a violent sea crash. Picked up by the USS Callaghan which was later sunk herself off Okinawa. He was with the 405th squadron 706th Naval wing. Sortie from air base 5/25/1945 with 11 others from Miyazaki Air Base Kyushu to the task forces off Okinawa.
The Frances was set up for a 3 man crew but for Kamikaze carried only 2 . HIs radio man was picked up as well but died of his wounds. He was buried at sea in a dignified manner .

When I was interviewing WW2 vets in the late 90s and early 2000's I did a lot of research and reached out to people. Jake Heimark sent me this . I still had the sticky attached.

On May 5, 1995, Leo Jarboe met in Washington, D.C with Kaoru Hasegawa, the kamikaze pilot who had been rescued 50 years earlier when his Ginga bomber (Allied code name of Frances) crashed into the sea after being shot down by Callaghan's guns. Leo invited him to attend Callaghan's July 1995 reunion in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the destroyer's sinking. They treated Hasegawa as a Callaghan survivor since he also had been on the ship although for just a short time. He expressed his thanks to the former crewmembers for saving his life, and they told him what they remembered about shooting down his plane and his subsequent rescue by the ship's boat. They found out Hasegawa led a kamikaze squadron of 12 Ginga bombers from Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture on May 25, 1945, but the rest of his squadron returned to the mainland due to heavy rain and low cloud cover south of the Japanese mainland. In the summer of 1997 at the Callaghan reunion in Rochester, Minnesota, former Callaghan Executive Office Buzz Buzzetti returned Hasegawa's watch to him. Buzz had kept the aviation watch in storage for over 50 years that he had taken from the injured Hasegawa at the time of his rescue. In 2000, Hasegawa showed his deep appreciation to the Callaghan crewmen by paying all expenses for Leo and the ship's two former Executive Officers, Jake Heimark (at time of Hasegawa's rescue) and Buzz Buzzetti (at time of Callaghan's sinking), and their wives for a ten-day trip to Japan.



A second book that may be of interest . I liked it He got a whopping 70 hours of flying time, more than most as he was training in late 43 into 44. Was gettng ready to be sent when the war ended.



This guy flew actual missions but unless your a good navigator or can fly in really bad weather sometimes you have to come back. That had to be pretty nerve wracking. They got worked over at times from their commanders and called cowards but training was lacking .