Translation
(Page 120)
As a result of this air-combat, available float fighters for service was reduced to only 1 with 2 which needed any repair.
On October 1, 2nd Sergeant Ookawa, 2nd Sergeant Sasaki, 3rd Sergeant Hitoshi Naito and 2nd Private Asaharu Utazu intercepted 7 B-24s to give damage(black smoke) to 1. On the next day, they also had a small air-combat.
In the early morning of October 3, 2nd Sergeant Sasaki and 2nd Private Utazu intercepted 11 B-24s and 8 P-38s to achieve 1 kill of P-38. 1 more kill was resulted uncertain. Sergeant-major Nakamachi and 3rd Sergeant Sato who took off later gave damage(black smoke) to 1 of B-24s .
In the next morning, received radar alarm, 3 float fighters despatched to intercept 5 B-24s, 5 P-38s and 5 P-39s.
3rd Sergeant achieved 1 kill of P-38 though it was of uncertain. 3rd Sergeant Hiroshi Sato did not return. Besides, plane of 2nd Private Utazu was wrecked by bullet-hit. As a result, there were no float fighters available again.
On November 1, 1942, 5th Aviation Unit was redesignated to 452nd Aviation Unit. At this period, monthly production number of Type 2 float fighter was 12. Its consumption was devided for 452nd Aviation Unit and for the Solomon Islands.
On November 6, Kimikawa-maru carried 6 float fighters along with 3 reconnaissance float planes to Attu island but all were soon lost after all by the storm next day and the attack by P-38 on November 10.
On December 25, 7 float fighters were sent to Attu again by Kimikawa-maru. At the same time, 3 pilots - Senior Sergeant Masaro Nagase and his 2 men were sent to fulfill the 6 pilots shortage(2nd Sergeant Suzuki, 2nd Private Narita and 2nd Private Minasawa were returned to the homeland). They advanced to Kiska next day.
In the early morning of December 31, 1 B-25, 7 P-38 and 1 PBY came to raid. 2 float fighters on patrol intercepted them.
Senior Sergeant Nagase and 2nd Sergeant Teruyuki Naoi achieved 1 kill of B-25 and 1 forced-landing of PBY.
Other float fighters also scrambled. Sergeant-major Nakamachi, 1st Sergeant Sasaki, 2nd Sergeant Misao Cho and 2nd Sergeant Naito intercepted 9 P-38s and achieved 1 kill of P-38. A ditched PBY was destroyed by shootings of 2 float fighters.
Another PBY was attacked by 5 float fighters and got damage(black smoke) but escaped crash.
In the morning of January 1, 1943, 5 float fighters on patrol had air-combat with 6 P-38s. Captain Yamada and Sergeant-major Nakamachi achieved 1 kill respectively.
In the morning of January 24, flight leader Major Hiroshi Morita and 1st Sergeant Sasaki on their reconnaissance mission discovered 5 transport ships with escort cruisers and other vessels in the Constantin bay of Amchitka island. The distance between Kiska and Amchitka was only 160km(100miles). To avoid threat, 2 float fighters which were all that available then carried out air-raids on January 25, 26 and 28. Mission was taken place by Major Morita and 1st Sergeant Sasaki with 2 60kg bombs a day.
Also, as 6 more float fighters and 1 reconnaissance float plane advanced to Kiska on February 1, they could continue attacks on Amchitka island with 8 float fighters and 1 reconnaissance float plane next day but lost Senior Sergeant Kaishi Ookawa and 2nd Sergeant Hitoshi Naito by flak.
On February 5, while intercepting 2 raids by B-24s and B-25s, 4 float fighters with 1 reconnaissance float plane attacked Amchitka island.
On February 14, 17 in total of B-25 and P-39 came to raid. 1st Sergeant Sasaki and 2nd Sergeant Naoi intercepted to achieve 1 kill of P-39. At the same time, 3 float fighters with 3 reconnaissance float plane carried out attack on Amchitka. The attack repeated on 16 but result was unknown. On 19, Sergeant-major Kunizo Nakamachi and 1st Sergeant Yoshikazu Sasaki carried out reconnaissance on Amchitka but did not return. Loss of 1st Sergeant Sasaki was missed above all because he left great records of 4 kill(solo achievement), 5 kill(cooporated achievement) and 1 uncertain kill(not solo) since July, 1942 when they advanced.
After February 16, tactics was changed.
Based on Captain Yamada's idea "We attack only when we are advantageous", they adopted conservative way so-called "Chongging way of war" which was a lesson from the war in China. On March 17, they intercepted 10 P-38s and achieved 2 kill by cooperative attack with 7 float fighters. This was their last combat on Kiska.
As the logistics to Attu and Kiska became difficult after the sea battle offshore Attu on March 27, 1943, the pilots withdrew by submarine to Yokosuka to be reorganized. Lieutenant Syunji Araki was appointed as a devision leader.
They gave up to advance to Kiska again because Attu was occupied by U.S. in May. In July, they advanced to Shumshu island of the North Chishima(Kuril) by way of Ohminato base which was located on the north end of mainland Japan. By the end of the month, they began activities based at Beppi-numa of the island which was an artificial swamp made from a closed river.
At this period, scale of US 11th Air Force was much reduced but ..... (to be continued)
Illustration(Above left): Tail marking of float fighter devision of 452nd Aviation Unit(2nd Sergeant Teruyuki Naoi's plane).