The Legendary Betty pilot is alive!

[GrauGeist]

Great post, Shinpachi!

Mr. Takahashi's story is amazing, and to see how low he was (on the deck) in that photo is awesome!

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks GG His performance was really amazing.
I have just informed him of this thread, copied and pasted all of your posts, through the Japan Flying Association as he is Honorary Chairman there.
I wish he would visit here.

Thanks!

 

[tyrodtom]

When you look at the photo of the Betty's on their attack runs at Guadalcanal you see 4 Bettys, 3 very low, and one up at about 150 ft.

I wonder if that one plane was flying high so as to present himself as a easy target to draw fire away from the other aircraft.

 

[Glider]

excellent work and you have to doff your hat to those pilots of all nations who knew their chances of making it, were so low.

 

[treyzx10r]

Very awesome thread Shinpachi-san,thanks for taking the time to post it. Sad that more of these type interviews are'nt about to get a real personal account of what it was like to be in the thick of it.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks for your posts, tyrodtom, Glider and treyzx10r.

tyrodtom, your question is very interesting.
I am curious too.

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Very cool Shinpachi, thanks for sharing!

 

[syscom3]

Great find Shinpachi!

 

[vikingBerserker]

I agree, this is excellent!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Vassili Zaitzev, syscom3, vB and Adler.
I think I was lucky as a result

 

[Shinpachi]

To my surprise, no media has ever introduced which unit he belonged to.
I estimate it Misawa-Ku(sq.), later 705-ku, as he said he ended the war in Misawa, Aomori Pref on TV.

Attached photos show Bettys of Misawa-Ku over Guadalcanal, August 1942 and of 705-Ku(Cockpit photo) estimated around 1943.
I would like to ask him such details directly if I should have a chance.
Thanks.

 

[herman1rg]

Just a small point I have just found out that the picture of Jun Takahashi at extreme low level is on the Wikipedia entry for the "Betty"

Entry now edited to include Takahashi san's name

 

[nuuumannn]

Thanks Eric. I only happened to come across the TV program today but my eyes had been rivetted on the screen.

I'm not surprised!

Arigato Gozaimasu (I think...)! Tsugoiiii!

 

[Geedee]

One word...Respect !

Thank you for bringing the story to us

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks for your comments, herman1rg, nuuumannn and Gary!
Wiki is always quick to edit
Thanks for your kind information, herman1rg.

Takahashi's career has been little known to the Japanese and will be so in the future too as the generation has been changed.
When I translated a story for my older thread "IJA Secret Intelligence Team at Chofu", I noticed a small sentence as the author's monologue.
"In the post war, I had been proud of my career and experience as an IJA soldier. One day, a young man asked me 'Then, why didn't you win the war?' From that day, I stopped talking about the war."

For the accuracy of my last post, Misawa-Ku(sq.) was later renamed as 705-ku.
Thanks.

 

[Maximowitz]

What a fantastic story of an amazing flyer. Thank you for bringing this to us Shinpachi!!

 

[A4K]

Great story...thanks for posting!

 

[Shinpachi]

You are welcome and Thanks for your kind comments, Paul and A4K!
I have understood this time how they pilots were regarded during the war.
They were Stars.

 

[Arossihman]

Good stuff! Very honorable of you!