The was a combat aviation unit of the

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The was the Naval aviation, 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. The Japanese military acquired their first air ...

(IJNAS) during the Pacific Campaign of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

History

The 25th Air Flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reported to the

11th Air Fleet The was a grouping of naval aviation and surface units. Assignments and Components Commanders Chiefs of Staff Notes References * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Fleets of the Imperial Japanese Navy Units of the Imperial Japanese N ...

. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the 4th Air Group,

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 ...

, and

Yokohama Air Group was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Pacific campaign of World War II. History The Yokohama Air Group was formed in Yokohama, Japan on October 1, 1936 as a patrol unit equipped with six ...

. The 4th flew bombers, the Tainan fighters, and the Yokohama reconnaissance aircraft. The flotilla, under the command of Rear Admiral

Sadayoshi Yamada was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Biography Early career Yamada was born in Fukuoka prefecture as the eldest son of Yamada Sadanao, a colonel in the Imperial Japanese Army, and was raised in Matsue, Shimane ...

, was deployed to Rabaul, New Britain on 29 March 1942. From this location, the unit supported Japanese military operations in the

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

Campaigns. During these campaigns, the unit was augmented by aircraft from other flotillas (i.e.,

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 No ...

and 3rd Air Group). The operational title for this hybrid organization was the 5th Air Attack Force. The organization took heavy losses in air combat over

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

Organization

Commanding officers

References

;Footnotes ;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * ''Monthly "The Maru" series, and "The Maru Special" series'', (Japan) * ''"Ships of the World" series'', (Japan) *''"Famous Airplanes of the World" series and "Monthly Kōku Fan" series'', Bunrindō (Japan) {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Units of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945