(Peregrine Falcon), bet-
ter known to the Allies as
Oscar. Anabuki dubbed
his machine Kimikaze
after his wife, Kimiko.
In June 1942, the 50th
Sentai transferred to Ran-
goon, Burma, then the
principle theater of IJA
air operations. This meant
almost daily contact with
aircraft of the Royal Air
Force staging out of
India. In time Anabuki ac-
quired the reputation of a
shrewd fighter pilot who
possessed excellent fly-
ing skills and fanatical
bravery. On December 24,
1942, while taking off in
response to a British raid
upon his airfield, Ana-
buki’s Hayabusa was
damaged and had to fight
with its landing gear still
extended. Nonetheless,
in the ensuing fray he managed to claw down
three British Hawker Hurricanefighters. As
the months rolled by, American air strength in
the China-Burma-India theater also increased,
and the Japanese found themselves locked in
combat with aircraft that were more modern
than their own. On January 24, 1943, Anabuki
destroyed his first Consolidated B-24 Libera-
tor,a massive four-engine bomber that was
heavily armed and dangerous to engage. But
despite their losses, the Americans kept
showing up in ever greater numbers.
The defining moment in Anabuki’s flying
career occurred on October 8, 1943, over Ran-
goon. The 50th Sentai was scrambled to meet
an incoming raid by American aircraft, but
Anabuki’s fighter was delayed by faulty spark
plugs. Several minutes later, he roared sky-
ward alone, only to lose sight of his compatri-
ots in the heavy mist. Flying on, he looked
around in vain until encountering a force of
11 B-24s and two Lockheed P-38 Lightning
fighter escorts. Anxious
to engage the enemy,
young Anabuki single-
handedly dove Kimikaze
straight down upon the
enemy formation. Four
successive passes then
added two of the lumber-
ing bombers and both
fighters to his tally. How-
ever, Anabuki severely in-
jured his left hand, and
gasoline vapors began
filling Kimikaze’s cock-
pit. He remained deter-
mined to fight. “To go into
combat now may mean
my demise,” Anabuki re-
flected. “Mother forgive
me! But then I thought I
heard her say ‘Charge,
Satoshi, and the way will
open.’ I had no regrets.
The enemy was there. I
will charge.” Struggling
for consciousness, he
made a final ramming attack upon a third B-
24, hitting the giant bomber’s tail, bouncing
off, and landing on the rear of its fuselage!
Kimikazeflew piggyback in this manner for
several minutes, and Anabuki confessed, “I
was seriously worried about being carried to
their base like this!” The fighter slid off its op-
ponent’s back and the bomber began spiraling
to the ground. Anabuki managed to restart his
struggling fighter before crash-landing on the
beach. He was the first Japanese pilot to
down so many American aircraft in a single
action.
The norms of Japanese military behavior
are predicated upon group effort, with little
attention to individuals. Therefore, awards
for bravery were usually granted to entire
units, rather than pilots, although individuals
who die in combat might be commemorated
posthumously. However, Anabuki became an
object of such public acclaim that the High
Command singled him out for good con-ANABUKI, SATOSHI
Satoshi Anabuki
Author’s Collection