naval aviation recruiting
poster and enlisted in
June 1936. Nishizawa ex-
pressed interest in flying,
and he graduated six-
teenth out of a class of 71
in March 1939. By the
time the Pacific War
broke out on December
7, 1941, he was flying
with the Chitose Air
Group in the Marshall Is-
lands as a chief petty offi-
cer, first class. Nishiza-
wa’s unit was then
equipped with the mar-
ginally obsolete Mitsu-
bishi A5M fighter, known
as Claudeto the Allies.
Nonetheless, having trans-
ferred to Rabaul, Nishi-
zawa bagged his first
victim, an Australian
Consolidated PBY Cata-
lina,on February 3, 1942. Shortly afterward,
elements of the elite Tainan Kokutai arrived
at Rabaul, and he transferred there. He transi-
tioned to the more modern—and more
deadly—Mitsubishi A6M, the dreaded Zero
fighter. At length, Nishizawa came under the
tutelage of leading ace Saburo Sakai, who
instructed him in the finer nuances of aerial
combat. He then quickly emerged as a peer-
less dogfighter and, in concert with Sakai and
another leading flier, Toshio Ota, the three be-
came known among fellow pilots as the
“Cleanup Trio.” For many months they were
the terror of Allied air units over Port
Moresby, New Guinea.
On May 1, 1942, Nishizawa commenced his
distinguished career by bagging a Bell P-39
Airacobraover Port Moresby, the first of 86
kills. Throughout that summer, he rolled up
his score by easily shooting down numerous
P-39s and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks,neither of
which was a match for a well-piloted Zero.He
performed his best work on August 7, 1942,
following the American landings on Guadal-
canal Island, 500 miles
east. While escorting a
long-range bombing mis-
sion, Nishizawa encoun-
tered U.S. Navy Grum-
man F4F Wildcatsfor the
first time and flamed six.
He continued running up
his score that fall, but
many of his fellow pilots,
Sakai included, were ei-
ther killed or wounded.
This necessitated dis-
banding the Tainan unit
and consolidating the
survivors into a new out-
fit, the 251st Kokutai. On
May 14, 1943, Nishizawa
was again performing es-
cort duty when he ini-
tially engaged Lockheed
P-38 Lightnings. This
large, twin-engined fighter
was a fast and difficult
adversary, but Nishizawa quickly added one
to his toll. The following month he was
closely engaged in combat over the Russells,
where he battled U.S. Navy Chance-Vought
F4U Corsairsfor the first time. This was then
the best fighter aircraft on either side, but by
expert flying he claimed one—the first of 35
F4Us to follow. Consequently, Adm. Jinichi
Kusaka presented Nishizawa an elaborate
ceremonial sword with the engraving buko
batsugun(for conspicuous valor). Consider-
ing the antipathy of Japanese military senti-
ment toward individuals, this was a signal
honor, indeed.
Tall at five feet, nine inches, Nishizawa was
a superb combat flier but, by Japanese stan-
dards, a cold, reserved fellow who rarely so-
cialized with fellow pilots. One reason for this
aloofness might have been his state of health,
which was always poor. Beset by tropical
fevers and stomach ailments, Nishizawa usu-
ally remained alone until combat beckoned.
Then he hurriedly suited up, jumped in his
plane, and roared off, oblivious to his ailments.NISHIZAWA, HIROYOSHI
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa
Author’s Collection