Hiromichi Shinohara
Encyclopedia
was the highest-scoring fighter ace
of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
(IJAAF). On 27 June 1939 he set a Japanese record by downing 11 planes on a single day. He was shot down and killed on 27 August 1939, having claimed 58 victories in only three months of combat. He scored all his aerial victories while flying a Nakajima Ki-27
.
, near Utsunomiya
in the Tochigi Prefecture
. After finishing his formal education he went into military service, joining the 27th Cavalry regiment in 1931. In that capacity he took part in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and was involved in the Jiangqiao Campaign
in April 1932.
, Manchukuo
(Manchuria
). By the end of 1938 he had climbed through the ranks, becoming a Warrant Officer
. He was 25 years old and had six years of flying experience by the time the Nomonhan Incident (Battles of Khalkhin Gol) began in May 1939.
During his first combat sortie, on 27 May 1939, Shinohara, flying a Nakajima Ki-27
, downed four Soviet Polikarpov I-16
fighters. He became an ace within 24 hours, after he claimed six more victories, downing a Polikarpov R-Z
reconnaissance plane and five Polikarpov I-15
biplane fighters. No other pilot in history scored 10 victories during his first day of combat. From then on his victories continued, culminating on 27 June 1939 in a Imperial Japanese Army Air Force record of eleven victories in a single day during an air battle over Tamsak-Bulak. Only Erich Hartmann, top ace of all times, scored more victories in a single day (12).
Shinohara's luck however ran out on him two months later when on 27 August 1939 he himself was shot down by Soviet Polikarpov I-16 fighters after claiming three victories during a bombing escort mission. Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara was posthumously promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer
(Second Lieutenant
), having claimed 58 victories in only three months of combat—the last three in the battle that would take him down—earning him the nickname of the Richthofen
of the Orient.
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
The , was the land-based aviation force of the Imperial Japanese Army. As with the IJA itself, the IJAAF was developed along the lines of Imperial German Army Aviation so its primary mission was to provide tactical close air support for ground troops while maintaining a limited air interdiction...
(IJAAF). On 27 June 1939 he set a Japanese record by downing 11 planes on a single day. He was shot down and killed on 27 August 1939, having claimed 58 victories in only three months of combat. He scored all his aerial victories while flying a Nakajima Ki-27
Nakajima Ki-27
The was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy...
.
Early life
Hiromichi Shinohara was born in August 1913 on a farm in SuzumenomiyaSuzumenomiya Station
is a JR East railway station located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It was opened on July 6, 1895.-Lines Serving Suzumenomiya:* Utsunomiya Line * Shonan-Shinjuku Line-Platform usage:...
, near Utsunomiya
Utsunomiya, Tochigi
is the capital and most populous city of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. In October 2010 the city had an estimated population of 510,416 and a population density of 1,224.49 people per square kilometer. The total area is 416.84 km². had a population of 888,005 in the 2000 Census...
in the Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
. After finishing his formal education he went into military service, joining the 27th Cavalry regiment in 1931. In that capacity he took part in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and was involved in the Jiangqiao Campaign
Jiangqiao Campaign
- External links :*****Topographic maps of campaign area.* San-chien-fang 三间房 area, Angangxi , Tsitsihar* Nenjiang Bridge area...
in April 1932.
Imperial Japanese Army Air Force career
In June 1933 he went to the Tokorozawa Flying School (Tokorozawa Rikugun Koku Seibi Gakkō), graduating in January 1934 and he became enlisted as a Corporal in the 1st Chutai of the 11th Hiko Datai, posted in HarbinHarbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
(Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
). By the end of 1938 he had climbed through the ranks, becoming a Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
. He was 25 years old and had six years of flying experience by the time the Nomonhan Incident (Battles of Khalkhin Gol) began in May 1939.
Nakajima Ki-27
The was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy...
, downed four Soviet Polikarpov I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
fighters. He became an ace within 24 hours, after he claimed six more victories, downing a Polikarpov R-Z
Polikarpov R-Z
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
reconnaissance plane and five Polikarpov I-15
Polikarpov I-15
The Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
biplane fighters. No other pilot in history scored 10 victories during his first day of combat. From then on his victories continued, culminating on 27 June 1939 in a Imperial Japanese Army Air Force record of eleven victories in a single day during an air battle over Tamsak-Bulak. Only Erich Hartmann, top ace of all times, scored more victories in a single day (12).
Shinohara's luck however ran out on him two months later when on 27 August 1939 he himself was shot down by Soviet Polikarpov I-16 fighters after claiming three victories during a bombing escort mission. Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara was posthumously promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
(Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
), having claimed 58 victories in only three months of combat—the last three in the battle that would take him down—earning him the nickname of the Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
of the Orient.
See also
- Nakajima Ki-27Nakajima Ki-27The was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", although it was called "Abdul" in the "China Burma India" theater by many post war sources; Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy...
- Battle of Khalkhin GolBattle of Khalkhin GolThe Battles of Khalkhyn Gol was the decisive engagement of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese Border Wars fought among the Soviet Union, Mongolia and the Empire of Japan in 1939. The conflict was named after the river Khalkhyn Gol, which passes through the battlefield...
- List of World War II aces from Japan
- List of World War II air aces