72nd Hiko Sentai (72nd Flying Regiment)
Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF)

Background
On May 30, 1944 established as the 72nd Hiko Sentai (72nd Flying Regiment) in the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) equipped with the Type 4 Fighter Hayate / Ki-84 (Frank) at Kita-Ise near Akeno Airfield. Also operates from Sagami. In August 1944 moves to Itami. In October 1944 returns to Sagami.

Wartime History
During December 1944 moves to Kōkan Airfield (Taichung) on Formosa (Taiwan) then to Bamban Airfield on Luzon in the Philippines.

On December 17, 1944 lost is 1st Lt. Shigeo Wakasa over Mindoro.

By early January 1945 the unit had lost all of its planes. On January 16, 1945 officially disbanded.

Markings
During 1944-1945 the first chutai had a large horizontal white stripe with red outline on the tail. The second chutai had a large horizontal red stripe with white outline on the tail. The third chutai had a large horizontal yellow stripe with red outline on the tail.

Later, the markings changed to three diagonal lines on the tail, white for first chutai with a white rectangle at the base of the tail, red for second chutai and yellow for the third chutai with a yellow rectangle at the base of the tail.

Commanding Officer (C.O.)
Major Eisuke Tsuzaki

References
Emblems of the Rising Sun page 32 (72nd Sentai)
Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units And Their Aces 1931-1945 (2002) pages 163-164 (72nd Hiko Sentai), 311 (December 17, 1944)

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