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Top scoring Japanese army aces

[Bear in mind that these figures are reconstructions, that all fighter pilots overclaim for a variety of very good reasons, and that for the reasons explained above Japanese pilots were especially enthusiastic claimers. And note that most JAAF high scorers fought in the Nomonhan border war with Russia in 1939, which compares interestingly with the huge scores attributed to Finnish Brewsters in their 1941-44 border war on the Russian's western front. Rank is the highest attained in life. KIA = killed in action, MIA = missing in action, AK = accidentally killed.]

W/O Hiromichi Shinohara - born 1921 - Nomonhan - kia 27 Aug 39 - 58 vics

M/Sgt Satoshi Anabuki - 1921 - fought in the Philippines, Burma, and defense of Japan - 39 vics

Lt Misuyoshi Tarui - 1915 - Nomonhan, Malaya, Dutch Indies, New Guinea - kia 18 Aug 44 - 38 vics

W/O Isamu Sasaki - 1921 - Philippines, Burma, home defense - 38 vics

Maj Yasuhiko Kuroe - 1918 - Nomonhan, Malaya, Burma (with the 64th Sentai vs. the AVG), home defense - 30 vics

Capt Kenji Shimada - 1910 - Nomonhan - mia 15 Sep 39 - 27 vics

Lt Goichi Sumino - 1923 - Burma - kia 6 Jun 44 - 27 vics

W/O Rikio Shibata - 1917 - Nomonhan, China - kia 18 Dec 44 - 27 vics

Lt Moritaugu Kanai - 1919 - Nomonhan, China - 26 vics

2n Lt Shogo Saito - 1918 - Nomonhan, Philippines, New Guinea - kia 2 Jul 44 - 26 vics

Lt Isamu Hosono - 1917 - Nomonhan, China - kia 6 Oct 43

W/O Goro Furugori - 1915 - Nomonhan, China, Philippines - kia 3 Nov 44 - 25 vics

M/Sgt Tomio Hanada - 1916 - Nomonhan - ak 7 Oct 1939 - 25 vics

2nd Lt Chiyoji Saito - ? - Nomonhan, Philippines, China, New Guinea - kia 20 Aug 43 - 24 vics

W/O Shoji Kato - 1912 - Nomonhan - ak 6 Sep 41 - 23 vics

Maj Saburo Togo - 1913 - Nomonhan - 22 vics

Capt Tomoari Hasegawa - 1907 - Nomonhan, Burma? - 22 vics

Capt Hitoshi Asano - 1911 - Nomonhan, New Guinea - 22 vics

M/Sgt Zenzaburo Ohtsuka - 1919 - Nomonhan, Malaya - kia 29 Jan 42 - 22 vics

Maj Jozo Iwahashi - 1912 - Nomonhan, China - kia 21 Sep 44 - 21 vics

W/O Katsuaki Kira - 1919 - Nomonhan, Philippines, New Guinea, home defense, Philippines, Okinawa - 21 vics

W/O Naoharu Shiromoto - 1918 - Nomonhan, Malaya, Burma, Solomons, New Guinea - 21 vics

M/Sgt Bunji Yoshiyama - 1916 - Nomonhan - kia 15 Sep 39 - 20 vics

Capt Nakakazu Ozaki - 1919 - China, Indochina, China - kia 27 Dec 43 - 19 vics

Capt Shogo Takeuchi - 1918 - Malaya, Dutch Indies, Burma (with 64th Sentai vs. the AVG), New Guinea - ak 21 Dec 43 - 19 vics

M/Sgt Saburo Kimura - 1915 - Nomonhan - kia 8 Aug 39 - 19 vics

W/O Bun-ichi Yamaguchi - 1918 - Burma, China, Philippines, Okinawa - 19 vics

W/O Yojiro Ohbusa - 1918 - Burma (with 50th Sentai vs the AVG), Indochina, Formosa - one of few living pilots to receive Bukosho citation - 19 vics

W/O Takeo Ishii - ? - Nomonhan - 18 vics

Maj Yukiyoshi Wakmatsu - 1911 - China - kia 18 Dec 44 - 18 vics

Lt Col Tateo Kato - 1903 - China Incident, Malaya, Dutch Indies, Burma (commanded the 64th Sentai vs the AVG) - kia 21 May 42 when dove into the sea after his Ki-43 was hit by mg fire from Sgt McLuckie, turret gunner on an RAF Blenheim out of India (this celebrated pilot was promoted to major general and given the status of "war god" upon his death, which shocked the Japanese people more than any event of the war up to that time) - 18 vics

W/O Kazuo Shimizu - 1918 - Timor, New Guinea, home defense, Okinawa - 18 vics

W/O Haruo Takagaki - ? - Nomonhan, Malaya, Burma, New Guinea, Philippines, home defense - ak 15 Jul 45 - 17 vics

Lt Shoichi Suzuki - 1910 - Nomonhan - kia 29 Jul 39 - 17 vics

W/O Mamoru Hanada - ? - Nomonhan - kia 10 Jul 39 - 17 vics

Lt Keiji Takamiya - 1921 - New Guinea - ak 1 Feb 44 - 17 vics

M/Sgt Muneyoshi Motojima - 1918 - Nomonhan - kia 4 Aug 39 - 16 vics

W/O Riichi Ito - 1910 - Nomonhan - 16 vics

Maj Hyoe Yonaga - 1914 - Nomonhan, Philippines, China - 16 vics

Maj Kiyoshi Namai - 1919 - China, Indochina, Burma, New Guinea, Philippines - 16 vics

Lt Tameyoshi Kuroki - 1918 - Nomonhan, Indochina, Burma, New Guinea - 16 vics

W/O Misao Inoue - 1917 - Nomonhan, New Guinea - ak 15 Dec 44 - 16 vics

M/Sgt Yukio Skimokawa - ? - Burma - 16 vics

W/O Mitsuo Ogura - 1914 - Philippines, China, New Guinea, Philippines, Okinawa - 16 vics

Sgt Kisaku Igarashi - 1920 - Burma - kia 17 Jun 44 - 16 vics

Lt Yoshihiko Yajima - 1917 - Nomonhan - kia 25 Aug 39 - 16 vics