Genzan Air Group
| Genzan Air Group | |
|---|---|
| Engagements |
|
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | ゲン (Gen, 1940, Japan homeland) |
| Identification symbol | G (1940, outside Japan homeland) |
| Identification symbol | ケ (Ke, 1944) |
| Identification symbol | ゲン (Gen, August 1945) |
The Genzan Air Group (元山海軍航空隊, Genzan Kaigun Kōkūtai) was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific campaign of World War II.
History
The Genzan Air Group was founded on 15 November 1940 at Genzan, Korea, then a part of the Empire of Japan. It was initially a mixed-unit equipped with 33 Type 96 Mitsubishi G3M1 bombers and 25 Type 96 Mitsubishi A5M4 fighters under the command of the Second Air Fleet. On January 15, 1941, it was reassigned to the 22nd Kōkū Sentai and deployed to Hankou in central China.
Operations in China
While based at Hankou, the bombers of the Genzan Air Group were primarily assigned to
Sichuan Province, while the fighters were assigned to combat air patrol and ground support missions in support of Imperial Japanese Army operations. The Genzan Air Group was withdrawn from China in September, 1941, returning to its home base at Genzan for training, and at the end of October, 1941 was forward deployed to Takao in Taiwan
.
Operations in Southeast Asia
With the
Saigon, French Indochina
.
The group was a key participant in the sinking of the British capital ships HMS Prince of Wales (53) and HMS Repulse (1916) off the coast of Malaya on 10 December 1941, losing one aircraft and its crew during the battle.
On January 22, 1942, bombers from the Genzan Air Group attacked
Malaya including the landings at Endau
.
At the end of February, the unit was transferred to Sarawak
.
On May 1, 1942, Genzan's flying unit was redeployed to
New Guinea. The group participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea, without success, and made numerous bombing attacks against Port Moresby
.
In July, after the cancellation of
755 Kōkūtai
on 1 November 1942.
Personnel Assigned
Commanding Officers
- Capt. Izawa Ishinosuke (43) - 15 November 1940 - 1 October 1941
- Cdr. / Capt. Maeda Takanari (47) – 1 October 1941 – 20 September 1942 (Promoted Captain on 15 October 1941.)
- Cdr. Yamashita Sakae (49) – 20 September 1942 – 1 November 1942
Executive Officers
- Cdr. Minematsu Iwao (48) – 15 November 1940 – 10 October 1941
- VACANT – 10 October 1941 – 1 November 1942
Maintenance Officers
- LtCdr. (Eng.) Hata Nobukuma (Eng. 31) – 15 November 1940 – 1 September 1941
- LtCdr. (Eng.) Azuma Tetsuo (Eng. 33) – 1 September 1941 – 25 September 1942
- Lt. (Eng.) Kataoka Shoichi (Eng. 42) – 25 September 1942 – 1 November 1942
Surgeons
- LtCdr. (Med.) Masuoka Satoru (1927) - 15 November 1940 – 10 April 1942
- LtCdr. (Med.) Takeyasu Sueharu (1930) – 10 April 1942 – 13 October 1942
- LtCdr. (Med.) Suzuki Keiichiro (1928) – 13 October 1942 – 1 November 1942
Paymasters
- LtCdr. (Pay.) Kishida Mizunari (Pay. 16) – 15 November 1940 – 20 September 1941
- Lt. (Pay.) Sudo Hiroshi (Pay. 24) – 20 September 1941 – 5 August 1942
- Lt. (Pay.) Nagai Hora (Pay. Aux. 2) – 5 August 1942 – 1 November 1942
Communications Officers
- LtCdr. Ikeda Iwao (55) – 15 November 1940 – 15 September 1941
- LtCdr. Minekawa Minoru (57) – 15 September 1941 – 1 November 1942
Air Officers
- Cdr. Asada Masahiko (52) – 15 November 1940 – 1 September 1941
- LtCdr. Sonokawa Kameo (52) – 1 September 1941 – 1 April 1942
- LtCdr. Tokoro Shigehachiro (51) – 1 April 1942 – 1 November 1942
References
- Bullard, Steven (translator). Army Operations in the South Pacific Area, New Britain and Papua campaigns, 1942–43 Senshi Sōshō (translated excerpts). Canberra: Australian War Memorial, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9751904-8-7.
- Cea, Edwardo (2008). Aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Valaldolid, Spain: AF Editions. ISBN 978-84-96935-12-9.
- Hata, Ikuhiko with Yasuho Izawa and Don Cyril Gorham (translator). Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1975 (Japanese original) 1989 (translation). ISBN 0-87021-315-6.
- Peattie, Mark R. Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1999. ISBN 1-59114-664-X.
- Tagaya, Osamu. Mitsubishi Type 1 "Rikko" 'Betty' Units of World War 2. Botley, Oxfordshire, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-082-X.
- Monthly Kōkū-Fan, Illustrated No. 42, Japanese Imperial Army & Navy Aircraft Color, Marking, Tōkyō, Japan, Bunrindō Co. Ltd., 1988.
- Monthly Air World, Photo album of Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft, Tōkyō, Japan, Air World Inc., 1987.
- Model Art No. 458, Special issue Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force Suicide Attack Unit "Kamikaze", Tōkyō, Japan, Model Art Co. Ltd., 1995.