Sortie! SIRAGIKU Kamikaze
                                                          FUZIOKA, Yoshitaka 
 
It became in June also this year. If this season comes every year, special feeling 
will spring and come out of me. It is the feeling that it cannot explain by the mouth. 
Think it wonderful that it is now alive. The feeling it is sorry that it is alive. 
The feeling which is valid and thinks was good. It is the complicated feeling with 
which these were mixed.
 
About fifty years before and I was joined Kagoshima Navy flight corps. As The 12th 
team basic flight trainee. After graduating from basic flight trainee, I moved to 
Yatabe flight corps. Here, operation training with a middle training plane was received. 
Next, Himezi flight corps Operation training of torpedo attacker was received. And it 
moved to Operational unit as an independent operation member.
 
It started for its new assignment to 931 flight corps at the end of the year in 1944. 
It was in the Saiki air base of Oita Prefecture. Here, touchdown and takeoff training 
of performed to the aircraft carrier. Use attack model 97. Moreover, the patrol of 
a submarine was also performed. Set for Hiyuga Nada or Bungo Suidoo.

I was transferred to Tokushima flight corps in March, 1945. Here the flight of No.1, 
No.11, and No.21 it consisted of squads. However, we were not included in an old squad. 
And it was new and the No.31 squad was composed.

This squad was composed of the operation member of the fighter, attack plane, besides 
bomber into which it newly moved. In inside, those who did model conversion were also 
from the seaplane to the landplane.

The captain of the No.31 squad to whom I belonged was First Lieutenant Koyanagitu.
 He was the graduate of Naval Academy and was the operation member of an attack plane.
Our squad was composed of about 50 persons. Most officers were a reserve student's 
graduate persons. And the flight corps chief who commands these four squads was 
Lieutenant Commander Tanaka (Naval Academy and 67 term).
 
If everybody's talk is heard, many people will say that arrangement of a practice 
flight corps's instructor wished and started for its new assignment. However, according 
to the talk of the member who is working from before, it is said that the training 
flight to a student or a trainee is stopped. Since there is little fuel.

It whispered about rumor that Kamikaze party is moreover composed. If it is true, it 
means that we were assembled as a Kamikaze staff. Uneasiness just increased.
 
All airplane crews and about 250 persons were ordered to perform a set. It was the start 
in April. Here, Captain flight corps commander Kawamoto declared. "A Kamikaze member is 
ordered." Our uneasiness was right. The organization command of The"SHIRAGIKU Kamikaze 
party" was issued. This time and "Kamikaze member" were a command rather than collected 
an applicant. a flight squad's organization was changed into "Kamikaze member"
  
Shortly, training of Kamikaze attack by the training plane "SHIRAGIKU" was started.
The 31st squad is all the pilot member collected from the Operational unit of every
place, and it was inexperienced in "SHIRAGIKU." Therefore, the matter required for 
flights, such as a performance of engine, was given on the ground. And only the pilot 
member got in and training of a takeoff and landing was begun.

The training plane "SHIRAGIKU" was an easy airplane of operation as compared with the 
attack plane.

Training plane "SHIRAGIKU" (Tokushima flight corps).

And after training of a takeoff and landing finished, instrumental navigation training 
of daytime was performed. It is because it was thought that this had the advantageous 
attack of night which cannot be easily discovered by the enemy plane. "SHIRAGIKU" of 
a reason is because speed is extremely slow.

It took off from the airfield and navigation training of reliance of only a meter was 
carried out from the Awagi island to the sky of Wakayama and Himezi. An pilot member 
and a reconnaissance member perform such originally flight training by becoming a pair. 
But, it was that we composed the pair formally, just before marching out to a Kushira 
air base in response to a command of a sortie.
 
Among those, it mainly came to carry out flight training at night. It sleeps daytime. 
And flight training is carried out at night. The life which daytime and night reversed 
started. And the position and form of an island will be memorized in the intervals of 
flight training. They are the Kikai jima, Amami Oshima, besides Yoronjima in from 
Tanegashima before Okinawa main island, etc. After this finishes, next, the form of 
a warship is memorized. The form of the battleship, battle cruiser, aircraft carrier, 
etc. of the U.S. navy. This is memorized using a photograph, a slide, etc.


Discernment of a warship. No.1



Discernment from the side. No.1　



Discernment of a warship. No.2 (cruiser )



Discernment of a warship. No.3 (battleship)



Discernment of a warship.No.5 (cruiser and destroyer )



Discernment of a warship. No.6 (aircraft carrier)



Discernment of cargo boat. (War standardized ship)


The purposes of these training are marching at a low altitude and arriving at Okinawa 
certainly, and memorizing the form of the warship of the enemy who is the target of 
a bodily crush. The airplane for checking a guard and success in battle is not 
accompanied to "Siragiku." Therefore, a target must be chosen personally and this 
must be reported to air base just before a bodily crush.

When dashing oneself against a battleship, it transmits with "SETA SETA SETA." And it 
is "TSU ━━━━━━━", with a key forced. A continuation mark is transmitted.
When this continuation mark finishes. That is, it is the time of a bodily crush. And 
it is the time of a battle casualty.

It is the meaning referred to as that "HOTA HOTA HOTA" dashes itself against an enemy's 
aircraft carrier. "Utah Utah Utah" is a meaning that he is dashed against an enemy's 
transport ship. This is the abbreviation for communication decided in advance.

However, almost all airplanes had taken down the telegraph. A reason is for making 
weight of the body, in order to stack a 500kg bomb. However, a true reason is telling 
the airplane dashed itself and lost that a telegraph is wasteful.
 
However, even if it is stacking the telegraph, there are few opportunities to send 
a telegram. It is because gunfire is suddenly received from darkness, there is also 
no spare time which discriminates a warship and a bodily crush attack is delivered.

May 20, 1945. The next "sortie command" was transmitted to the Tokushima flight corps.
"A Tokushima flight corps commander should take 30 Shiragiku (daytime 15 groups and 
night 15 groups), and should advance to a Kushira air base. It will be by 21 days 
tomorrow. "  

Furthermore, the next command was received. May 22.
"1. The date of advance will be corrected on the 22nd. 2. A Tokushima flight corps 
commander should finish sortie preparation by 1300 on May 22. It is a night group 15 
and a daytime group 20. "

Then, the next command was transmitted. It is 0214 on May 22.
"It orders to make all the remaining Siragiku march out to a strategy base by May 22. 
It can attack on the day of X. "       

Making it such, I marched out to sortie base Kushira as a member of the first daytime 
group. A group is a group which performed training which departs at midnight, marches 
on night and attacks at dawn daytime. On the other hand, a group is departs for the 
evening and attacks at night. Anyway, since the night flight was performed, the sortie 
was carried out at night with the moon.
 
Night on the 21st which received the sortie command. The farewell party the Kamikaze 
crew was held. And alcohol was drunk till dawn. We gathered in front of the flight 
command place on a morning of the next day. And Colonel commander Kawamoto's address 
of instructions was received. There were those who are still getting drunk at this time.
 
Soon, the takeoff was started one after another. We left toward sortie base. 
We received their send-off. The department of maintenance, and the party who belongs 
in addition to this. It is the woman volunteer corps member which was working at the 
airplane factory which adjoined it. In order to supply the fuel which landed on the 
Tuiki air base the middle. However, the period until it arrives here was serious. 
A reason is that it cannot make a formation flight exact for drunkenness.

However, the brilliant formation flight made orderly after taking off from the Tuiki 
air base was made. We passed along the western course a little, and went to the Kushira 
air base. It passes through the sky of Aso, Amakusa, and Kirishima.

When arriving and landing on a air base, the trouble arose. A cause is because it did 
not take into consideration that a Kushira air base had altitude higher than a TUiki 
air base. Therefore, the airplanes which redo landing occurred one after another.          

May 24. The sortie command was issued by "No.7 Kikusui strategy." 
It is "A bodily crush attack." to the warship of the enemy around Okinawa.
I was the daytime group of the first attack party. That is, it will attack first in 
the group which attacks at dawn.

We sent the start of a night group. Shake a hat. It was the night on May 4. Then, we 
had a nap in temporary barracks. It is converted the Kushira elementary school.
Then, it was wrapped up in the blanket and became width. However, it was not able to 
sleep excitedly.

It rises at 3:00 a.m. The table was prepared in front of the command place. It was 
covered by the white cloth.
The Kawamoto commander gave instruction. "Good luck to a success". And a toast was 
given all together.

This finished and it went to the shelter which its own airplane has placed, 
respectively. The airplane was already loaded with fuel. Moreover, the wings of two 
pieces and both were equipped with the 250kg bomb. And preparation operation was also 
completed so that it could leave immediately. by Maintenance man.

It made a test run by showing up in a cockpit. And it came out of the shelter, and 
went to the takeoff point. However, directions of an "attack stop" were transmitted
suddenly. "some accidents happened" I returned to the original shelter.
  
Since the weather of the destination was bad and was not able to discover an attack 
target, this was stopped. This direction of time Okinawa. It is the report from a 
group night. They left on yesterday night. Another reason is that the day has broken 
when a "Siragiku" arrives in Okinawa. It is because 90-knot a "Siragiku" takes 5th 
hours for arriving in Okinawa.

In this situation, it was judged that there was much damage and success in battle 
could not be expected. As this backing, it acted as all the attacks from the 1st time 
to the 5th time enforcement by the group night. The group did not sortie daytime.

The group of the daytime, was ordered to return to Tokushima air base on that day. 
The reason is unknown. We took off from the Kushira air base. While worrying about 
those who were left behind. And it flew over Miyazaki and went to the Tokushima air 
base. Miyazaki is the hometown given up when it did not return again.

Us a daytime group from Operational unit it was composed of the operation member
which has moved in Therefore, we were imagined being due to use for a mainland 
decisive battle. However, right or wrong are unknown.          

As for The"Tokushima Siragiku Kamikaze party", 61 sets sortied from 1 time on May 24,
1945 to 5 times on June 25. 29 sets of attacks were successful. Therefore, 57 persons' 
person was accepted to be "A Kamikaze battle casualty" below First Lieutenant Inoue. 
And the distinguished services were proclaimed to all navy.          
 
When we did "a Kamikaze sortie", we were able to ask for writing a report.
The following text is the report which was ready for it and wrote the battle casualty 
then. The about 50 year was also 18 years old those days a long time ago.
 
     The feeling over a sortie. 
                  No.31 Operational unit.
                       Petty Officer 1st class.    HUZIOKA, Yoshitaka        
 
It does not forget to write specially in a sortie.
However, I want to apologize for dying ahead of a father, 
without carrying out no requital of a favor. Even if it is for a country.
It should receive the father who brought me up instead of a weak mother. 



Mr. Huzioka was The 4th group of the 22nd squadron in Kagoshima flight corps. 
It was the writer's next group. It is the friend who is the same The 4th squadron 
and received flight training also by flight trainee of Yatabe flight corps.
Flight training of the same attack model 97 as him was received. But, he was 
Himegi flight corps and I was Hiyakuri flight corps.

The same was said of the duty after flight trainee graduation. The duty was gaining 
control of an enemy's submarine. However, the unit was another.
Moreover, it was included in The "SIRAGIKU Kamikaze party" at the same time. 
Be transferred to the No.10 Air division. Moreover, he is doing to experience in 
front of a sortie.

He says. Was it better whether was good and to be alive and to die also with it at 
that time? I am also the same thought. However, since it survived, I want to render 
the remaining life for them who were killed in war. It is my duty.

The fighter of "SHIRAGIKU Kamikaze party."

(Translation Jun 1, 2003)