特攻隊隊長　指名　

Appointment

Soon after Yukio was assigned to the Philippines, suddenly ordered to appear, and went to the officer room. He was asked to become the captain of special attack (direct interpretation from Japanese . In Japan people do not express "suicide attack") against US task force in Leyte by Zero Fighter equipped with a 250-kilo bomb. 

There was no immediate answer. It is quite sudden for him who just arrived from Japan. In addition, he was originally a bomber and unfamiliar with Zero Fighter and had never commanded the squadran.  He could not answer "yes". Finally, he answered, "Please let me think about it overnight" and returned to the poor bedroom for the time being. ("Five people of Shikishima corps" "Special attack of commanders")

On October 20, Seki told Onoda, a correspondent news agency reporter and a member of the Navy press group, on the bank of the Bang Bang River near Mabalacat West Airfield:

Press member, Japan is over killing a good pilot like me. I'm confident that I'll hit the enemy aircraft carrier's flight deck with 500 kilos bomb. (Seki's Zero will be equipped with 250 kilos bomb)

 I don't go for His Majesty the Emperor or for the Japanese Empire. I'm going for my beloved KA (my wife in Navy slang). There is no choice but to obey instructions. If Japan loses, KA may be raped by the enemy. I shall die to protect her. Die for most beloved one. How is it? Would be great.

神風特別攻撃隊　敷島隊・大和隊・朝日隊・山桜隊

Kamikaze special squadron  　  

     Shikishima, Yamato, Asahi, and Yamazakukra Corps    

October 20, Lieutenant General Takijiro Onishi, who was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the First Air Fleet, had the last meeting with Seki, Shikishima, and Yamato members at Mabalacat West Airfield and exchanged a farewell cup.

From left: Seki, Ikuo Nakano, Noriyuki Yamashita, Nobuo Tani, Hiroshi Shiota (Yamato Corps). The rear view is Tamai on the left and Onishi in the center. Onishi met a special attacker before returning to Manila headquarters. (Photographed by Nihon Movie/Kunihiro Inagaki on October 20) The members were dressed in different clothes because they were called in a hurry.

On October 20, the US military began landing on the island of Leyte in the Philippines.

On the morning of October 21, a 100-type reconnaissance plane discovered an American MTF on the eastern coast of Leyte Island. In response to the news of the discovery of the enemy fleet, the sorties are decided to be Shikishima and Asahi.

Seki entrusted his hair to Tamai and started at Mabalacat West Airfield with his fellow aircrafts at 9 o'clock.

However, even though he joined the "Asahi Corp" that started from Mabalacat East Airfield and aimed for an enemy fleet, he could not find it, and abandoned the attack due to the fuel situation and accidentally landed at Legazpi. In the early morning of October 22, Seki led the "Shikishima Corps" and "Asahi Corps" to return to Mabalacat, and apologized to Tamai for tears, saying "I haven't done it".

Lieutenant Kuno of Yamato Corps

The special attack corps that first launched on October 21 were the "Shiwashima corps" and "Asahi corps" as well as the "Yamato corps" that had moved to Cebu. At 16:25, bomb-equipped two Zeros and one support Zero made a sortie, but due to bad weather, the one Zero and the supporter returned. However, Captain Yoshinobu Kuno did not return.

Kuno loves airplanes, and since he was a student at Hosei University, he has become a member of the Student Flight Federation, flying at Haneda. He also plays piano skillfully, borrowing a piano in the Western-style house in the base and playing "Moonlight sonata" until the night before the sortie.

According to Retrospective Flight Chief Masataka Nakajima, Kuno said, "I don't need a machine gun and radio as well, remove them and leave them there." Nakajima advised that he could need a machine gun when he encountered an enemy when he could not find an carrier, but he said, "If I can't find a carrier, I will go to Leyte. If I go to Leyte, I will always have a goal, so I will never turn back." 

It was announced at a later date that it was presumed to have been a plunging attack, based on his strong determination before the sortie. However, the first official announcement of the special corps was the Shikishima corps, which was dispatched later. While Seki dispatched and returned three times, Kuno dispatched four days earlier than Seki and did not return.

October 19, US troops land on Suruan Island about 100km east of Leyte Island, and cruisers and destroyers support this. On the 20th, the Leyte Island landing operation started, starting with the shooting of 3 battleships, 6 destroyers and the air bombardment of about 1200 aircraft and 3200 ground planes, leading the landing craft equipped with rocket guns. Originally about 700 ships and over 200,000 land troops flooded. Kuno's prediction was correct that there will be many US warships in Leyte Bay on the 21st.

According to US records on October 21, the Australian Navy heavy cruiser "Australia" was attacked by Japanese military aircraft at 6:30 am (30 missing, 64 injured, not sunk). However, it is said that this is not Kuno because Kuno started at 4:25 pm ("Document Kamikaze"). It is said that the Japanese military aircraft was Aichi D3A Type 99 Carrier Bomber (Allied reporting name "Val"), and it was not the Zero  that Kuno rode. Heavy cruiser Australia was firing in support of US landings on Leyte Island.

Shikishima Corps 

On October 23, "Asahi　Corps" and "Yamazakura Corps" moved from Mabalacat to Davao. "Shikishima Corps", the only one remaining in Mabalacat, stormed on 23rd and 24th, but was forced to return due to bad weather. Seki apologized to Tamai every time he returned, and said that he was unable to even sleep until the night before the sortie, according to the recollection of Navy Surgeon Captain Taizo Soejima. He might think that he had fallen behind Lieutenant Kuno.

The Kurita fleet that was sailing off Palawan on the day to sail into the bay of Leyte was attacked by a submarine. The heavy cruisers, Atago and Maya sunk and Takao was heavily damaged. Atago was the flagship, so battleship Yamato was changed to a flagship.

The next day, on October 24th, in the Sibuyan Sea, Battleship Musashi sank due to a total of 264 US military aircraft attacks. Heavy cruisers dropped, and two destroyers left. Battleship Yamato  continued the battle with ramained ships even though it received hit bombs, and headed for Leyte Bay.

Off Luzon, the aircraft carrier Princeton blasted and sank (10 officers and 98 soldiers were killed in the battle) due to the armor-piercing bomb of a Japanese military aircraft Suisei(Comet) that was launched from a base on Luzon. The explosion also damaged the light cruiser Birmingham, which was put on the rescue side with 233 dead and 426 injured.

ブルネイを出撃する第一遊撃部隊主隊右から戦艦長門、武蔵、大和、重巡摩耶、鳥海、高雄、愛宕、羽黒、妙高 from right, battleship Nagato, Musashi, Yamato, Heavy cruiser Maya, Chokai, Takao, Atago, Haguro, Myoko

Battleship Musashi 戦艦武蔵、　攻撃を受ける武蔵、Musashi under attack,    戦艦大和Battleship Yamato

At night, Nishimura's fleet, which had been planning Brunei storming with Kurita's fleet, decided to rush alone due to Kurita's delayed arrival. Detecting this, Maj. Gen. Oldendorf's 7th Fleet Second Group (6 battleships, 4 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 26 destroyers, 39 torpedo boats) prepared for a night battle and destroyed the Nishimura fleet (Battleship Yamashiro, Fuso, Heavy cruiser Mogami, 4 destroyers). Many of the Shima fleets that followed were damaged.

The Ozawa fleet (the aircraft carrier Zuikaku, Chiyoda, Chitose, Zuiho, Battleship Ise, Hinata, Light cruiser 6, Destroyer 5), which has the only aircraft carrier and became a decoy in the northeast of Philippines, is also attacked and damaged heavily by a U.S. military aircrafts, fleet and submarines headed by General Halsey. In the attack, he suffered a great deal of damage, including losing all of its aircraft carriers.

 The special attack、Kamikaze, was started during the Japan-US naval battle, which is said to be the largest in history. Japan has no aircraft carrier to act with the fleet in the near sea, relying on attack aircrafts from the air bases on the Philippines, which were destroyed by  previous US air raid and were overwhelmingly in short supply.

On October 24, Lieutenant General Onishi orders Mabalacat, Cebu and Davao bases to launch a special attack corps for the first time in response to Lieutenant General Takeo Kurita's entry into Leyte Bay early October 25. The Kurita Fleet's entry into Leyte Bay attacking the US forces was the Japanese military's most important operation in the Battle of Leyte.

Shikishima Squadron was joined by Shigeo Oguro, a senior aviation engineer from Ehime from the Battle 311 Squadron.

At 7:25 on October 25th, 10 fighters of the "Shikishima Corps" led by Seki (6  of 250kg bomb-equipped Zero and 4 supporting Zeros ) depart from Mabalacat West Airfield. On the way, Yamashita, which had been working together since the first assault, returned to Legazpi due to an engine malfunction, and the number of "Shikishima Corps" was 5 Kamikaze and 4  supporters from this point.

10:10 They confirmed Kurita Fleet to return surprisingly after abandoning the entry into Leyte Bay ,

10:40: Discovered the 7th U.S. fleet No. 77.4.3 mission group of 6 escort aircraft carriers and 7 destroyers,

10:49 All 5 aircrafts rushed to the fleet, headed by the captain Seki's aircraft.

US 7th Fleet 77.4.3 Task Force (Tuffy 3) Commander General Clifton Sprey was east of Leyte Bay to prevent the Kurita Fleet from entering Leyte Bay. Tuffy 3 constists of

6 escort aircraft carriers, namely Fanshaw Bay (flagship), White Plains, Kalinin Bay, St. Lo, Kitokan Bay, Gambia Bay, together with 3 destroyers and 4 escort destroyers.

30 minutes after sunrise, Major General Clifton Sprague received a report from s patrol aircraft that a Japanese fleet consisting of 4 battleships, 7 cruisers, and 11 destroyers was approaching at 30 knots with current location,  20 nautical miles northwest of the Sprague fleet. The Kurita fleet is approaching to plunge into Leyte Bay.

The "Kitokan Bay" watchman found the Japanese battleship Pagoda Mast on the horizon and ordered the pilots to take off. The U.S. fleet changed its course to the east while setting up a smoke screen, and ran toward the squall at full speed, while requesting relief by telegram to other aircraft carrier units and the 7th fleet of Thomas Cassin Kinkaid .

At 6:59 am, the battleship "Yamato" starts shooting. Part of the high-speed cruiser unit was dispatched along with  destroyers to try to move the US escort aircraft carrier back within the range of the main gun of the Japanese battleship unit. The cruiser unit starts shooting when it approaches the US escort aircraft carrier group.

The US fleet changed course with a sharp angle leaving Gambia Bay and Kalinin Bay behind. Two carriers were hit by Japanese cruisers shells. Gambia Bay capsized and Kalinin Bay leaned to starboard. But,

9:11 am The Kurita fleet suddenly stopped the battle and changed the needle.

At 10:00 a.m., the crew members of the US aircraft carrier St Lo were taking a rest,  drinking coffee. There were four torpedoes, six depth charge bombs, 55 bombs, and a large number of machine gun bullets on the deck in preparation for the sortie of the fighters and torpedo bombers. At that time,

Navsource on line     Kalinin Bay      center photo : Deck scene on USS Kalinin Bay CVE-68 as she is near missed by Japanese shells, during the battle off Samar, 25 Oct 1944. Japanese ships are faintly visible on the horizon.

Navsource on line

Gambier Bay burning and shells from Japanese surface forces splashing down beside her. (Circled ship is a Japanese heavy cruiser. This is one of the few photos showing both American and Japanese ships in the same image.) 

At 10:49 am, Seki, who was in the sky, shook his wings and directed an assault on his subordinates.

A Zero Fighter aircraft that stopped its descent near the 1000-meter stern of the St. Lo, flew toward her at an altitude of about 30 meters, with a posture of landing on her flight deck.  20mm machine guns and  40mm machine guns fired at it, but no effect. This Zero Fighter pilot made a rush without avoiding bullets.

At 10:52 am, Zero Fighter dropped a bomb on the flight deck, overturned it, and crashed and exploded near the fifth braking line on the flight deck, 5 meters to the port side from the center line. The aircraft was flown to the bow while rotating along the flight deck.

Fired gasoline was scattered on the deck, causing a fierce fire. At the same time, a bomb that penetrated the flight deck and stopped inside the hangar exploded. Some crew members, who had no time to reach the shelter on the side of the flight deck, hit the body with ignited gasoline.

The fire hoses that had been prepared for aircraft landing was immediately pulled out. Two of them were foam fire hoses. The diameter of the hole in the flight deck due to the penetration of the bomb was less than 60 cm. As far as Captain McKenna sees, this is the only "St Lo" loss.

But under the flight deck, the situation was very different. The watering device did not work. The crew pulled out a fire hose, but only one of them had sufficient water pressure, which also ran for a very short time. About 30 seconds after the bomb exploded, the airplane with high octane gasoline in the hangar flew apart. Gasoline spilled over the deck of the hangar and burned violently. The second explosion caused numerous injuries. Even the first-aid members, who were spraying water into the hangar with a fire hose from the hole through which the bomb penetrated on the flight deck, suffered terrible burns because of the fire and thick black smoke.

At 10:54 am, a more violent third explosion took place with a bright yellow flash. Part of the flight deck was blown away by the explosion, and the rear elevator was also thrown into the air. The explosion at that time caused Captain William P. Taylor of the cruiser "Minneapolis" to be blown into the sea through the door on the side of the port. Numerous crews of "St. Lo" were blown outboard and even more were killed.

Captain McKenna issued an order to "prepare for the total withdrawal".

At 10:56 am, a fourth explosion occurred. Two minutes later, a fifth explosion occurred, destroying the port bulkhead of the hangar. Captain McKenna ordered the "total withdrawal". When the crew escaped into the water, traveling along knotted ropes and fire hoses, and jumping off the deck, more explosions occurred. When the sixth explosion occurred when Captain McKenna, who was finally leaving the ship, was still on the bridge. The captain withdrew after the seventh explosion. Five minutes after the eighth explosion, "St Lo" leaned to starboard and sank.

A destroyer and an escort destroyer rushed to the scene to rescue the survivors. The rescued St Lo CVE63 had 784 crew members, of whom about half were injured or burned. Of the crew, 24 were killed in battle.

According to "The Sacred Warriors" of Denis and Peggy Warner, a minute of so before the St. Lo was hit, Seki started his run on the Kalinin Bay. Seki`s plane was smoking when he spiraled in from an angle of about sixty degree., struck the flight deck, gouged out several holes, and then skidded overborad on the port bow. The plane caused numeroussmall fires, which were quickly put out. Seki's bomb failed to explode.

Seeing that his leader had only partly accomplished his mission,Seki's wingman followed him in. The second plane, on fire from repeatedanti-aircraft hits, almost missed the ship, scoring a glancing blow beforeplunging into the sea. This time the bomb went off, causing numerous but
minor casualties and some small holes in the hull.

The fourth pilot in the Seki formation chose the Kitkun Bay. A lookout sighted the plane and its escort at 10:49 w.M. The Zeke crossed ahead of the ship from port to starboard and came under anti-aircraft
fire. Then it climbed rapidly, rolled, and headed straight for the bridge, strafing as it came down. It was a great piece of flying, but not quite great enough. After missing the bridge, the pilot failed to bring his nose down in time to hit the flight deck and instead struck the port catwalk before crashing into the sea about thirty-five yards from the ship. The bomb exploded, lit fires aboard the ship, but inflicted only minor damage.

敷島隊の最後の五番機は、「ホワイト・プレインズ」に向かった。五番機が飛行甲板の後部に体当たりするよう突進中、「ホワイト・プレインズ」の砲手がこれを徹底的に射撃した。零戦がまさに衝突しようとしたとき、「ホワイト・プレインズ」が取舵を一杯とった。この零戦は左側外側通路のわずか数センチ上をかすめて、舷側通路と水面とのあいだで火の玉となって爆発し、その破片が飛行甲板のうえに夕立のように落下した。この至近弾によって「ホワイト・プレインズ」の船体が激しくねじ曲げられ、一時停電し、装甲鉄板がへこんだ。

The fifth plane, the last in Seki's attack unit, went for the White Plains. The gunners worked it over as the pilot maneuvered to hit the aft part of the flight deck. Hard left rudder turned the carrier at precisely the

right moment. The plane skimmed over the port catwalk, only inches above it. It exploded in a ball of fire between the catwalk and the water, showering the flight deck with debris. The near-miss also twisted the ship violently, cutting off electric power temporarily and denting the armor plating .

サマール島沖で栗田艦隊の砲撃に包まれるホワイト・プレインズ（後方）。手前はキトカン・ベイの飛行甲板（1944年10月25日）USS White Plains CVE66 under fire of Kurita Fleet behind, flight deck of Kitkun Bay in front

突入寸前の敷島隊零戦　Zero fighter of Shikishima Corps, a second before plunge

空母ホワイトプレインズ USS White Plains CVE66

　敷島隊の四機の直掩機のうち一機が、米軍の戦闘機か、「カリニン.ベイ」の対空砲火によって撃墜された。残り三機の直掩機は、何千メートルも空中高く昇った黒煙と「セント.ロー」が沈没するのを見とどけて、中島正中佐が大和隊を配備していたセブ基地へ急いで帰投した。歴戦のパイロットで、中島中佐の古い戦友でもある西沢広義飛行兵曹長が、興奮して零戦から駆け出してきて、この吉報を報告した。西沢は、編隊の先頭にいた関大尉の零戦が空母(これはその後「セント・ロー」であったと考えられた)を直撃し、ついで別の一機がこれにならって、同じ空母のほとんど同じ個所に体当たりしたと、語った。特攻機の攻撃を受けた米護衛空母の戦闘報告には、同時に特攻機二機の攻撃を受けた唯一の空母は「カリニン・ベイ」とある。

西沢は、巡洋艦一隻も撃沈され、さらに中型空母一隻火災停止と報告しているので、彼の報告は正確さの点では一段劣っていたが、彼は米軍戦闘機の攻撃を受け、その二機を撃墜しながらの特攻戦果確認であったのでやむを得ないだろう。

　セブに帰投した西沢およびその他の直掩機のパイロットたちは、翌日、一式陸攻でマバラカット基地へ輸送されている途中、撃墜されたので真実は霞の中に隠れた。このように戦果確認は直掩機がいても簡単ではなかった。次第に直掩機が随伴することもなくなり戦果の確認もできなくなるとともに、最後をみとる僚友もなく突入することになる。 

Of the four escorting planes, either U.S. fighters or the Kalinin Bay's anti-aircraft guns shot down one. The other three, after seeing columns of smoke rising for thousands of feet into the air and the St. Lo go down,

sped to Cebu, where Commander Tadashi Nakajima had established the Yamato special attack unit. Chief Warrant Officer Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, a very experienced pilot and an old flying comrade of Nakajima's, ran excitedly from his plane to report the good news. He said that Seki's plane, which was in the lead, had made a direct hit on a carrier (which was subsequently thought to have been the St. Lo) and was followed by another plane which hit the same ship in almost the identical place.
The action reports of the ships involved indicate that the suicide attacks occurred almost simultaneously. The only ship to take two hits was the Kalinin Bay. Since Nishizawa thought that a cruiser also had been
sunk and that a medium size carrier had been set afire and stopped, his reporting was less than precise, understandably so. He was attacked by American fighters and claimed to have shot down two. If he was right, however, and Seki was flying one of the two planes that hit the Kalinin Bays one of Seki's four fellow pilots must claim the St. Lo. The issue is unlikely to be resolved: Nishizawa and the other escort pilots who reached Cebu were shot down the following day when they were flying toMabalacat in a Betty.

西沢広義　日本の撃墜王の一人（撃墜公認記録143機内単独では36機、87機とも）

Hiroyosi Nishizawa on Zeke (One of the Ace pilots, official record of 143 planes, including team attack)

10月25日、関行男大尉率いる神風特別攻撃隊敷島隊の直掩を務め戦果を確認する。10月26日、乗機をセブ基地の特別攻撃隊に引渡し（これに大和隊勝又富作が搭乗しスワニーに特攻したという）、新しい飛行機受領のため、マバラカット基地へ輸送機に便乗して移動する。その途中、輸送機がミンドロ島北端上空に達したところで、ハロルド・P・ニュウェル中尉のグラマンF6Fの攻撃を受けて撃墜され、西沢は戦死した

菊水隊

組織的な航空特攻の公式初戦果としては、関が率いる「敷島隊」となっている。だが、実際は「敷島隊」より3時間早くダバオを発進した「菊水隊」(特攻機2、直衛機1)が戦果を挙げていた(『戦史叢書海軍捷号作戦〈2〉フィリピン沖海戦』)。
菊水隊はミンダナオ島スリガオ沖の東方で米第77.4.1任務群「タフィー1」(護衛空母六、駆逐艦七)を発見、午前7時40分に突撃した。セブ基地に帰還した直衛機の報告で「二機正規空母ノ艦尾二命中火災停止」したことが確認された。突入したのは宮川正一飛曹、加藤豊文一飛曹。直衛は鹽(塩)森実上飛曹である。

　米側の資料によれば、午前7時40分、特攻機が機銃を撃ちながら空母「サンティー」Santeeの飛行甲板左舷前部に命中、16人が戦死、27名が負傷した。さらに空母「スワニ-」Suwanneeを別の一機が襲い、後部エレベーター前に命中した。（71名戦死、82名負傷）

「本来ならば神風特別攻撃における、戦果を確認された最初の隊として、その栄誉は菊水隊に与えられるべきであったが、確認に手間どり連合艦隊司令長官への報告が遅れたためか、その栄誉は関大尉指揮の敷島隊が担うことになった」「戦史叢書　海軍捷号作戦」報告遅れが原因だったのか、あるいは海軍エリート（海軍兵学校出身）の関を前面に出そうとしたのか。真相はわからない。

Kikusui Corps

The official announcement of the special attack(Kamikaze) is the "Shikishima Corps" led by Seki. However, in reality, the Kikusui corps (2 kamikaze aircraft, 1 support aircraft) that launched Davao three hours earlier than the "Shikishima corps" were demonstrating the results of the battle (Naval record "Battle of the Philippine" Operation "Sho"<2> Battle of the Philippine Sea)

The Kikusui Corps discovered the 77.4.1 US task group "Taffy 1" (Escort aircraft carrier 6, destroyer 7) in the east off Surigao, Mindanao, and charged at 7:40 am. It was confirmed in a report from the support aircraft that returned to Cebu Base that "two planes hit a regular aircraft carrier Stern made it  stop". It was Shoichi Miyakawa and Toyofumi Kato who assaulted. Supporter is a  Minoru Mori.

According to data from the US side, at 7:40 am, a special attack aircraft shot a machine gun and hit the front side of the flight deck of the aircraft carrier "Santee", leaving 16 people dead and 27 injured. In addition, another aircraft hit the aircraft carrier "Suwanee"  and hit him in front of the rear elevator. (71 dead, 82 injured)

"Originally, the honor was to be given to the Kikusui Corps as the first party to confirm the battle result in the special attack of Kamikaze, but because the confirmation was delayed, the report to the Commander-General of the Combined Fleet was delayed, The honor was taken by the Shikishima corps under the command of Captain Seki." Was it because of the delay in reporting the "War History Series: Navy Operation", or was he trying to put Seki in the Navy Elite (from the Naval Academy) in the foreground? .. I don't know the truth.

USS Santee

USS Suwannee CVE-27

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USS Kalinin Bay CVE68

​Flight deck of USS Kalinin Bay CVE68 near missed by Japanese shells.Japanese ships are faintly visible on the horizon. Photo by P Willard Nieth. National Archives NARA

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Flight deck of USS Kalinin Bay CVE68 on 25 Oct 1944. At 1050 the task unit came under a concentrated air attack and during the 40-minute battle with kamikaze, all escort carriers but Fanshaw Bay were damaged. Four diving planes attacked Kalinin Bay astern and the starboard quarter. Third plance crashed into the port side damaging it badly, The forth destroyed the aft port stack.

National Archives