343rd Naval Air Group
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The was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
(IJN) 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 ...
. Created in late 1944 due to the desperate situation of Japan in the closing stages of the war, the 343rd was composed of the best surviving ace fighter pilots the Imperial Navy had at the time, with Captain
Minoru Genda was a Japanese military aviator and politician. He is best known for helping to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was also the third Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Early life Minoru Genda was the second son of a farmer ...
in command. This unit was equipped with the best airplane Japan had left by then, the Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai, known as George by the Allies; this aircraft could compete with the best wartime Allied fighters, namely, the
F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...
, the
P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
and the
F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...
.


Operational history

IJN 343rd Air Group (''343
Kōkūtai A ''Kōkūtai'' () was a term used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) to designate a military aviation unit, similar to the Air Groups in other air arms and services of the time. (''Group'' in the British Royal Air Force, ''Gruppe ...
'' Naval Fighter Group), commanded by
Minoru Genda was a Japanese military aviator and politician. He is best known for helping to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was also the third Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Early life Minoru Genda was the second son of a farmer ...
, which was constituted on 25 December 1944. The new 343rd ''Kōkūtai'' consisted of the best pilots, including
Kaneyoshi Muto was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace known for his great skill in fighter aircraft. Fellow ace Saburō Sakai called him "a genius in the air." Second Sino-Japanese War Kaneyoshi Muto was born to a humble farming family in June 1916 in Ai ...
. The unit was issued the best equipment available and was also equipped with the new
Nakajima C6N The Nakajima C6N ''Saiun'' (彩雲, "Iridescent Cloud") was a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. Advanced for its time, it was the fastest carrier-based aircraft put into service ...
''Saiun'', codenamed "Myrt" long-range
reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
. On 18 March 1945, one of the "Myrts"' managed to spot U.S. carriers en route to Japan. The following morning, 343 ''Kōkūtai''s ''Shiden''s intercepted 300 American aircraft. Many of the 343 ''Kōkūtai'' ''Shiden'' force were N1K2s. When the ''Shidens'' encountered VBF-17
Hellcats ''Hellcats'' is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010, to May 17, 2011. Based on the book ''Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders'' b ...
, three aircraft were lost on both sides in the initial attack; one Hellcat and two ''Shiden'' were shot down by enemy ground fire, two fighters collided in mid-air, and one Hellcat crashed while trying to land. Then the other ''Shiden'' dove on the Hellcats, downing another one. In the end, the 407 '' Hikōtai'' lost six fighters versus downing eight VBF-17 Hellcats. In another encounter with VBF-10 Corsairs, two of the Corsairs were separated from the main formations, and then attacked by 343rd ''Shidens''. Four N1K2s were shot down and the Corsairs managed to return to their carrier, . An opportunity for revenge came when
VMF-123 Marine Fighter Squadron 123 (VMF-123) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and later in the Marine Forces Reserve. Known as the “Flying Eight Balls,” the squadron fought at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, an ...
Corsairs were surprised by ''Shidens'', initially mistaken for Hellcats. A 30-minute aerial duel ensued in which three Corsairs were shot down and another five were damaged. Three other F4Us which had landed on carriers were so heavily damaged that they had to be pushed into the sea. Of the 10 Japanese aircraft the Americans claimed, not one was effectively downed. Two ''Shidens'' however, were shot down at landing by Hellcats of
VF-9 Fighting Squadron 9 or VF-9 was an aviation unit of the U.S. Navy, originally established on 1 March 1942, it was disestablished on 28 September 1945. Operational history VF-9 established at NAS Norfolk on 1 March 1942 as part of the new Carr ...
. Many other ''Shidens'' were destroyed by American fighters over another airfield, where they tried to land because they were low on fuel. At the end of the day, 343° declared 52 victories, U.S. fighters 63. The actual losses were 15 ''Shidens'' and 13 pilots, a "Myrt" with its three-man crew, and nine other Japanese fighters. The U.S. also had heavy losses, with 14 fighters and seven pilots, and 11 other attack aircraft. Five days later, an unofficial award was sent to 343 ''Kōkūtai'' for the valour shown on 19 March. On 12 April 1945 another fierce battle involved 343°, during The Japanese scored several victories but suffered 12 losses out of 34 machines. On 4 May, another 24 ''Shidens'' were sent in The 343 ''Kōkūtai'', remained operational until the overwhelming unit losses led to its eventual retirement. According to one source, 91 pilots from the 343 Kokutai died in battle. The 343rd was disbanded on 14 August 1945, when the Emperor ordered surrender.


First generation


Structure

*Higher unit **
1st Air Fleet The , also known as the ''Kidō Butai'' ("Mobile Force"), was a name used for a combined carrier battle group comprising most of the aircraft carriers and carrier air groups of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the first eight months of the P ...
(1 January 1944–31 January 1944) ** 61st Air Flotilla (1 February 1944–10 July 1944, dissolved.) *Commanding Officers **Cdr. Takenaka Masao (51) - 1 January 1944 - 10 July 1944


Second generation

Reborn as interceptor fighter unit.


Structure

*Higher unit **
25th Air Flotilla The was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. History The 25th Air Flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reporte ...
(25 December 1944–4 February 1945) ** 3rd Air Fleet (5 February 1945–4 May 1945) ** 5th Air Fleet (5 May 1945–24 May 1945) **
72nd Air Flotilla 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
(25 May 1945–postwar.) *Lower unit **301st Fighter Squadron (25 December 1944–postwar.) **401st Fighter Squadron (5 February 1945–postwar.) **402nd Fighter Squadron (5 February 1945–28 February 1945) **407th Fighter Squadron (25 December 1944–postwar.) **701st Fighter Squadron (25 December 1944–postwar.) **4th Reconnaissance Squadron (1 February 1945–30 April 1945) *Commanding officers **Vacant - 25 December 1944 - 26 December 1944 **Captain Iwao Minematsu (48) - 26 December 1944 - 15 January 1945 **Captain
Minoru Genda was a Japanese military aviator and politician. He is best known for helping to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was also the third Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Early life Minoru Genda was the second son of a farmer ...
(52) - 15 January 1945 - 7 October 1945 ***Captain Genda also served as commanding officer of the '' 352nd Naval Air Group'', from 27 June 1945 through 8 July 1945.


See also

*
Jagdverband 44 __NOTOC__ ''Jagdverband'' 44 (JV 44) was a German air unit during World War II. It was formed during the last months of World War II to operate the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. The commander of JV 44 was General Adolf Galland, the former ' ...


Bibliography

*Kingendaishi Hensankai, ''Military history of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Groups and Imperial Japanese Army Flying Regiments'', Shin-Jinbutsuoraisha Co., Ltd., Tōkyō, Japan, 2001, . *The Japanese Modern Historical Manuscripts Association, ''Organizations, structures and personnel affairs of the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy'', University of Tokyo Press, Tōkyō, Japan, 1971, . *Seiki Sakamoto/Hideki Fukukawa, ''Encyclopedia of organizations of the Imperial Japanese Navy'', K.K. Fuyo Shobo Shuppan, Tokyo, Japan, 2003, . *Bunrin-Dō Co., Ltd., Tōkyō, Japan. **''Famous airplanes of the world'' ***No. 56, ''Type Zero Carrier Fighter Model 22–63'', 1996, . ***No. 124, ''Kyofu, Shiden, Shidenkai'', 2007, . **''Koku-Fan Illustrated'' No. 42, ''Japanese Imperial Army & Navy Aircraft Color, Marking'', 1988. *''Model Art'', Model Art Co. Ltd., Tōkyō, Japan. **No. 510, Special issue ''Camouflage & Markings of the I.J.N. Fighters'', 1998. **No. 587, Special issue ''Imperial Japanese Navy Fighter N1K1 Kyōfū, N1K1-J Shiden, N1K2-J Shidenkai'', 2001. *
Japan Center for Asian Historical Records Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
(http://www.jacar.go.jp/english/index.html),
National Archives of Japan The preserve Japanese government documents and historical records and make them available to the public. Although Japan's reverence for its unique history and art is well documented and illustrated by collections of art and documents, there is al ...
, Tokyo, Japan. **Reference Code: C08051771200, ''Transition table of formation of Imperial Japan Navy Air Units (special establishment) during Pacific War'', Japan Demobilization Agency, 1949.


References

{{Reflist Groups of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Military units and formations established in 1944