Kato Hayabusa Sentotai - War diary of 64th Sentai (Resurrected)

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.38
Date: January 14th, 1942 Tokyo time

Short report from Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers about situation in Southern China Area:
11th Army: South of Wuchang units of the 11th Army together with 13th Army managed to encircle enemy force trying to capture Kiukiang. Enemy units are pushed against the river in a swamps without possibility of supply.
13th Army: Major operations of this army led to clearing up considerable area in southern China with the help from 11th and 23rd Army. It also managed to turn enemy attempt to capture Nanchang.
23rd Army: This army faced two major thrusts - against Swatow and Amoy. With help of the 38th Division both were turned back.
Vietnam: Chinese forces penetrated into Vietnam territory - forcing the creation of 3 Vietnamese Militia Divisions. While of limited combat ability, they will certainly help to keep enemy intruders at bay.

Picture: Approximate front lines and enemy concentrations in South China as well as 13th Army offensive and 23rd Army defensive operations

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.39
Date: January 15th, 1942 Tokyo time

Today 6 of the 64th Sentai Hayabusas were sent along as escort for 7 army type 99 bombers to bomb retreating enemy forces at Sumatra. In a cloudy and stormy sky it was decided to fly low - at 6000ft. In heavy rains it was not an easy task to find retreating enemy columns on jungle trails, but with the help of pursuing ground troops of the 2nd Division it was possible to release bombs in the vicinity of the target. All had probably missed as the ground troops didn't reported any bodies on the ground. But at least it had forced Dutch troops to take cover and slowed their retreat.

Picture: Formation of Army Type 99 bombers

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.40
Date: January 16th, 1942 Tokyo time

Short report from Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers about situation in Burma:
33rd Army had encountered strong enemy position at Moulmein and is currently waiting for reinforcements to catch up the advancing columns to put decisive pressure on enemy. Meantime Victoria Point and Tavoy had been occupied. Our recon planes also reported a buildup of enemy forces on Andaman Islands. Several air raids were sent against the islands, but otherwise situation in Burma theater is a quiet one.

Picture: Approximate front lines and past advances in Burma

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.41
Date: January 17th, 1942 Tokyo time

Short report from Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers about situation in Malaya:
Our 25th Army is steadily advancing from its initial landing sites in north Malaya towards south. Fighting their way not only through enemy forces, but also through jungles Imperial HQ announced that forward units reached vicinity of Johore Bahru - southernmost point on Malaya peninsula.
Other elements under direct command of Southern Expeditionary army occupied northern Borneo with its important oil center at Brunei.

Picture: Initial landings and subsequent advances of IJA units in Malaya and N.Borneo

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.42
Date: January 18th, 1942 Tokyo time

On this day both parts of the 64th Sentai had seen some action - 1st Chutai sent 3 of their Hayabusas to escort 7 Army type 99 bombers to attack Dutch forces retreating north on Sumatra while 3rd Chutai repeated their visit over Batavia. Sole Dutch Curtiss fighter was spotted in the air, vigorously pursued and shot down by 2nd Lt. Hirabayashi. Airfields near Batavia were mostly empty with only several wrecked planes and mostly what seemed to be abandoned positions and buildings. It is probable that Dutch, realizing the situation they were in decided to make a last stand at Sorebaya.

64th Sentai welcomed several new pilots in their ranks - men of the 50th Sentai. Eight of them were sent to 64th Sentai partially to fill for vacant positions in the 1st Chutai and partially to be trained on Hayabusas so they can pass their skills on new pilots. As enemy air forces had disappeared from the skies of Philippines, it was decided that one of the two army fighter Sentais would be used to train new pupils in the Akeno Army Flying School in advanced combat training while second one will continue to provide fighter support for ongoing operations. Thus pilots from the 50th Sentai were distributed to 64th, 59th and 11th Sentais flying Hayabusas.
Of the eight pilots four were gone after two weeks of familiarization flights and combat training over southern Sumatra. Other four pilots were destined to be written in the 64th Sentai combat history: WO Miyazaki, WO Anabuki, WO Hoshikura and WO Sasaki.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.43
Date: January 19th, 1942 Tokyo time

Short report from Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers about situation in Sumatra:
Units of the 2nd Division of 16th Army had occupied southern Sumatra with its rich oilfields. After vicious air activity on the first days after invasion the situation became a calm one - Dutch ground forces are retreating north being pursued by our Army, while western Java was subject to several air raids by already famous 64th Sentai under command of Col.Kato driving enemy air forces to the eastern part of Java.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.44
Date: January 20th, 1942 Tokyo time

Short report from Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers about situation in 3rd Fleet area:
After defeating strong enemy task force in vicinity of Palau islands, it was easier for our forces to advance uncontested. So far, our progress in this area has been steady and our forward troops recently captured Kendari - advanced base on southern Celebes. Other flank of the advance is currently knocking on the doors of Ambon. It is also obvious that enemy is trying to use island of Timor as stronghold to shield the North Australia.

[GreyJoy]

Could u post an up2date screenshot of the 64th sentai pilot rooster?

[Barb]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

Could u post an up2date screenshot of the 64th sentai pilot rooster?

Intended on diary entry No.49

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.45
Date: January 21th, 1942 Tokyo time

3rd Chutai went to revisit Batavia in full strength in case enemy had brought in any reinforcements. Flying through severe storms they had not spotted any sign of air or ground activity. Port of Batavia also appeared empty except native fishing vessels.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.46
Date: January 22th, 1942 Tokyo time

Short report from Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers about situation in Southeast Area Fleet:
Troops of Imperial Japanese Army with strong elements of our Navy managed to capture the most important strategic objectives in this area in first days of January - Rabaul and Port Moresby. Rabaul, being best port far-and-near and enough room to grow, located on the island of New Britain is one of the best strategically located bases in this part of the world. Located on the southern coast of New Guinea, Port Moresby had potential to become the strongest enemy position to check our advance and a constant threat to Rabaul. In our hands it had become part of our main defensive perimeter covered by many inter-locking bases in the Solomon Sea. Enemy forces present in Port Moresby had retreated northward to Buna in hope of escaping - but the constant presence of our Army-Navy forces in the area this would only result in further enemy losses.

[1275psi]

I am enjoying this, especially the effort with the pictures, have not seen a lot of these.
(Just a lurker who does not comment often)

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.47
Date: January 23th, 1942 Tokyo time

As no combat mission was to be flown on this day and weather was not very friendly to flying operations with fog and low clouds, some spare time was taken by units based on Palembang Airfield. A football tournament was hastily organized with three teams participating: 2nd Infantry Division, 64th Sentai and 82nd I.F.Chutai. Victory went to the light bomber unit, but all participants and spectators enjoyed the day out-and-out.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.48
Date: January 24th, 1942 Tokyo time

Two of the pilots, wounded while serving with the 64th, returned on this day to flying duties:
W/O Ishimori - WIA on 27th December 1941 - after being shot down by enemy fighter returning back from Singapore and rescued the next day by patrol boat spent three weeks in army hospital in Saigon recuperating arrived by courier plane.
W/O Agawa - WIA on 6th January 1942 - after being hit by several bomb fragments at Palembang returned from the 2nd Division field hospital at Palembang with several bandages around his chest, but a big smile on his face.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.49
Date: January 25th, 1942 Tokyo time

While nothing serious is happening around Sumatra except Imperial Japanese Army closing on Singapore, it is time to look on the 64th Sentai actual pilot roster:

[GreyJoy]

ORIGINAL: Barb

64th Sentai war diary entry No.49
Date: January 22th, 1942 Tokyo time

While nothing serious is happening around Sumatra except Imperial Japanese Army closing on Singapore, it is time to look on the 64th Sentai actual pilot roster:

Amazing! How do you do that? You keep track of every single mission manually or there is a tool that does it for you?

[&o]

[Barb]

Well it is kind of a tricky and lot of guess work. Tracking each pilot if he had sortied each turn would be time consuming. So instead I rely on WITP Tracker. I am basically tracking:


Fortunately we have several well known pilots in the 64th Sentai now, so for several future turns we will give some informations on them as nothing combat-related is happening around Palembang. For the men of the 64th Sentai this can almost be considered as holidays - a lot of sun, palms and beaches not far away [:D]

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.50
Date: January 26th, 1942 Tokyo time

W/O Yasuda, Yoshito

Born in 1916 in Shimana prefecture, entered army in December 1936 and served with 6th Rentai in Pyongyang in Korea. He wanted to be a pilot and later entered 84th NCO Cadet course and graduated in June 1940. He was assigned to serve in 64th Sentai in Dongjingcheng, Manchuria, where he was assigned to 3rd Chutai. In January 1941, the unit was reassigned to China and later, at the end of the year to Southeast Asia.
Japanese Army Air Force Units and Their Aces, 1931-1945 by Ikuhiko Hata,Yashuho Izawa,Christopher Shores

So far he had demonstrated an eye for the enemy by shooting down one Martin 139WH-3 on 5th January 1942 over Palembang as a member of a Sentai staff flight.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.51
Date: January 27th, 1942 Tokyo time

Lt.Col Takeuchi, Shogo

Shogo Takeuchi was born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1918, subsequently graduating from the Army Flying Military Academy with the 52nd entry of cadets in September 1939. He showed early promise as a fighter pilot, possessing both courage and good marksmanship.
Japanese Army Fighter Aces: 1931-45 by Ikuhiko Hata,Yashuho Izawa,Christopher Shores

He took command of the 1st Chutai of the 64th Sentai, taking part in the opening phases of the Pacific War under quidance of Lt.Col. Tateo Kato and alongside Capt. Katsumi Anma (leading 2nd Chutai). Since the start of war he had flown more than 50 missions, but due to scarce contact with enemy aircraft his claims are limited to one Martin 139WH-3 shot down over Palembang on 5 January 1942.

[Barb]

64th Sentai war diary entry No.52
Date: January 28th, 1942 Tokyo time

Maj. Hinoki, Yohei

Born in 1919 in Tokushima Prefecture, Hinoki graduated from 53rd intake of the Army Flying Military Academy in June 1940. He joined the 64th Sentai at Dongjingcheng in November 1940, where he received intensive training from Capt. Iori Sakai, the 2nd Chutai leader. In February 1941 the unit moved to Canton, and from December participated in the fighting over South-East Asia.
Japanese Army Fighter Aces: 1931-45 by Ikuhiko Hata,Yashuho Izawa,Christopher Shores

Hinoki's first combat occured over Kota Bharu, Malaya, on 8 Deccember 1941 when he claimed the destruction of Brewster Buffalo flying as leader of 2nd shotai of the 1st Chutai.