Tateo Katō

Infobox Military Person
name= Tateo Katō
lived= September 28, 1903 - May 22, 1942
placeofbirth= Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
placeofdeath= Bay of Bengal


caption=Japanese ace Tateo Katō
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=
serviceyears=1925 -1942
rank=Major General (posthumous)
commands=64th "Sentai"
unit=
battles= Second Sino-Japanese War
World War II
awards=
family=
laterwork=nihongo|Tateo Katō|加藤 建夫|Katō Tateo|extra=September 28, 1903 - May 22, 1942 was a Japanese ace army aviator, credited with at least 18 aerial victories and who was honored posthumously by an award of the Order of the Golden Kite.

Biography

Katō was born and raised in present-day Asahikawa, Hokkaido. [ [http://www6.plala.or.jp/guti/cemetery/PERSON/K/katou_tate.html] ] His father Sergeant Tetsuzo Katō was killed in the Russo-Japanese War. [ [http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/japan_kato.htm] Credibly researched bio notes + digitized photographic image ] He graduated from the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1925, and enrolled in the Tokorozawa Flying School two years later.

In May 1927 he was posted to the 6th "Hiko Rentai" (flight regiment) in Pyongyang, Korea. His flying skill with the Kawasaki Ko-4 biplane fighter (a license-built Nieuport-Delage NiD 29) was shown to be so outstanding that he was selected to become a flight instructor at Tokorozawa n 1928.

In 1932, Katō was promoted to become head instructor at the Akeno Flying School, the premier air academy for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. In 1936, Kato became commander of the 5th "Rentai" and with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, he became commander of the 2nd "Daitai", equipped with Kawasaki Ki-10 'Perry' biplane fighters, which quickly achieved air superiority over northern China. Katō claimed nine Chinese fighters during his rotation, making him the top-scoring Army pilot in China during the period 1937-41.

Katō returned to Japan in 1939 to attend the Army Staff College and was assigned to the headquarters staff of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He also visited Europe on assignment together with General Hisaichi Terauchi, and inspected the Luftwaffe in Germany. During this period he was also promoted to major.

In 1941, with the start of the [Pacific War] , Katō was again given a combat command – this time as commander of the 64th "Sentai", based at Guangzhou, China, and equipped with the latest Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" fighters. [Sakaida, Henry. (1997). "Japanese Army Air Force Aces, 1937-45," pp.27-28.]

His unit participated in the early stages of the war, especially distinguishing itself during the Battle of Malaya. The 64th "Sentai" was based at Duong Dong airfield on Phu Quoc Island to provide cover for the Japanese invasion fleet bound for Malaya, and to attack ground targets in Malaya and Burma. Under Katō's command, the unit recorded over 260 aerial victories over Allied aircraft. He disallowed individual victory credits for the sake of teamwork. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50716F8385D167B93C4A8178BD95F468485F9&scp=1&sq=Order+of+the+Golden+Kite+Japan&st "Tokyo Awards List Big Officer Loss; Vice Admiral, 2 Rear Admirals and 2 Major Generals Win Posthumous Honors; 55 Naval Fliers Named; Group Included Covers the Japanese Pacific Dead Up to Mid-February,"] "New York Times", October 16, 1942.] Katō was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in February 1942. However, only three months later, on May 22 1942, while over the Bay of Bengal, Katō was killed in action while attacking a flight of Royal Air Force Bristol Blenheim bombers.

Katō,was posthumously promoted two steps in rank to that of Major General, and was honored by a special State Shinto ceremony at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine as a "god of war" in mid-October 1942. [see above] ]

Katō's heroism had considerable propaganda value, and the Japanese government sponsored a movie titled nihongo|"Katō Hayabusa Sentotai"|加藤隼戦闘隊| glorifying his life story.

Notes

References

* Hata, Ikuhiko Hata (2002). "Japanese Army Air Force Units and Their Aces: 1931-1945." London:Grub Street. 10-ISBN 1-902-30489-6; 13-ISBN 978-1-902-30489-2 (cloth)
* Sakaida, Henry. (1997). "Japanese Army Air Force Aces, 1937-45." London: Osprey Publishing.ISBN 1-85532-529-2
* Stanaway, John. (1998). "Nakajima Ki.43 "Hayabusa": Allied Code Name "Oscar." Bennington, Vermont: Merriam Press. 10-ISBN 1-576-38141-2

External links

* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,850186,00.html?promoid=googlep "Japan's Hero's,"] , "Time Magazine." October 26, 1942.
* Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War: [http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/japan_kato.htm Credibly researched bio notes + digitized photographic image]
*

ee also

* Japanese Invasion of Malaya
* List of World War II aces from Japan