World War II Database

Satoshi Inoguchi was the son of Navy Captain Toshihira Inoguchi. He graduated from the Naval Academy on 15 Sep 1943 and went directly to the Naval Air Force training center. When he completed his training, he was assigned to the Philippines as part of Lieutenant Kenzo Nakagawa's 165th Fighter Unit. On 24 Oct 1944, battleship Musashi under his father's command was attacked by an overwhelming American air force and sank. Several days later, he arrived at Clark Field in the Philippines to meet with his uncle, Captain Rikihei Inoguchi. "What do you know about my father", he asked his uncle. "I understand he went down with his ship", Rikihei Inoguchi answered. Satoshi Inoguchi signed and repeated "down with his ship" to himself. On 2 Nov, a group of American ships were detected, and a kamikaze attack force was prepared to attack them. Inoguchi pulled rank on a bewildered pilot and took over the fighter just before take off. "Lieutenant Inoguchi said, 'I am to go instead of you,' and he took my plane", recalled the pilot who originally volunteered for the special attack duty. Sadly, the special attack force of 12 fighters was shot down before they reached their targets. He died only ten days after his father's death.

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