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| JAAF 68th Hiko Sentai
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Aircraft History Built by Kawasaki during September 1943. Uncoded serial number unknown (three digits). Delivered to the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) as Type 3 fighter / Ki-61-I Tony manufacture number unknown (three digits). Equipped with "Ko" armament of 2 x 12.7mm Ho-103 machine cannons in the nose and two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns in the wings. Wartime History Assigned to the 68th Hiko Sentai (68th Flying Regiment). This aircraft had a bare aluminum finish with dark green spray paint applied to the upper surfaces in a snake weave pattern. The leading edge of the wing had a yellow identification stripe. The tail had the stylized "6 in V" motif. Mission History On January 16, 1944 took off piloted by W/O Takashi Noguchi on a fighter sweep and strafing mission against Nadzab Airfield led by Major Kiyoshi Mimura. Returning, this Tony was intercepted and by sixteen P-38 Lightnings during a twenty-five minute air combat. This Tony was one of three lost from the 68th Sentai including Ki-61 Tony pilot Major Kiyoshi Mimura (MIA), Ki-61 Tony pilot Sgt Masaru Kawamoto (MIA) and this aircraft. Fate of the Pilot Noguchi survived, either bailing out or ditching into the sea and was unhurt. Later, he was captured by the Allies and became a Prisoner Of War (POW). References Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units And Their Aces 1931-1945 pages 44 (January 16, 1944), 300 (pilot losses 1/16/44) 248th Hiko Sentai: A Japanese “Hard luck” Fighter Unit, Part 3 by Richard Dunn "The following day [January 16, 1944] Major Kiyoshi Kimura of the 68th Sentai led the Japanese fighter force. The 248 th under Capt. Tozuka flew as part of the 59th's formation led by Capt. Shigeo Nango, one of the most successful Japanese fighter pilots in New Guinea. The Japanese flew to the Madang area to challenge American strike aircraft. The mission proved disastrous. No pilots were lost from Nango's formation but the other Japanese units suffered heavily. The 68th and newly arrived 63rd Sentai suffered the loss of seven pilots including Major Kimura and W.O. Noguchi. It seems in total ten Japanese fighters were shot down. Most of these fell victim to fifteen P-40Ns of the 35 th FS, which claimed nineteen victories. Some may have fallen when a few of the Japanese fighters attacked two formations of B-25s that claimed to have destroyed three ZEKES (including fighters reportedly seen to crash into the sea from low level). Finally the Japanese fighters engaged in a 25-minute combat with sixteen P-38s. For the day the Japanese claimed seven bombers, three P-38s and three P-40s. Only one B-25 was lost and a few others damaged. Three P-40s and three P-38s were damaged." Contribute
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