Ki-61 Special Attack Unit
The tactic of using aircraft to ram American
B-29s was nothing new in 1944. The first recorded ramming by a Ki-61 occurred in late August, during a raid when B-29s from Chinese airfields were sent to bomb the steel factories at
Yahata, enlisted pilot Shigeo Nobe of the 4th
Sentai intentionally sliced his aircraft into a B-29. Other attacks of this nature followed, as a result individual pilots determined it was a quite practical way to destroy B-29s.[
citation needed]
On
7 November 1944, the officer commanding the 10th
Hiko Shidan made ramming a matter of policy by forming ramming attack flights specifically to oppose the B-29s at high altitude. The aircraft were stripped of their armament and protective systems in order to attain the required altitudes.
The units assigned to the 10th included the 244th
Hiko Sentai, then commanded by Captain Takashi Fujita who organised a ramming flight named "
Hagakure-Tai" ("Special Attack Unit"), which was composed of three sections: the 1st
Chutai "
Soyokaze", 2nd
Chutai "
Toppu", and the 3rd
Chutai known as "
Mikazuki".
First Lt. Toru Shinomiya was selected to lead the attack unit, he would became famous by ramming an American B-29 and living to tell the tale. Shinomiya attacked the B-29 on
3 December 1944, and brought himself and his damaged aircraft home, he would eventually lose his life as a
Tokkotai pilot in the
battle for Okinawa. Another 244th pilot, Masao Itagaki, performed a similar feat on the same occasion, but had to parachute from his damaged fighter. A third pilot, Officer Nakano, of the
Hagakure-Tai of the 244th rammed another B-29 and crash-landed his stripped-down Ki-61 in a field. Sergeant Shigeru Kuroishikawa was another distinguished member in the unit.
The existence of the ramming unit had been kept confidential until then, but it was officially disclosed in the combat results announcement and officially named "
Shinten Seiku Tai" ("Heart of Heaven Intercept Unit") by the Defense GHQ.
But these pilots gained no reprieve and despite their successes they were obligated to continue these deadly and dangerous ramming tactics until they were killed or else wounded so badly that they could no longer fly. They were regarded as doomed men and were celebrated among the ranks of those who were going to certain death as
Tokkotai (kamikaze) pilots.
Some other Ki-61 pilots also became well-renowned, among whom was Major Teruhiko Kobayshi who was credited by some with a dozen victories mostly due to conventional attacks against B-29s.
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