World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
24 Oct 2009 10:27:42 AM

"If you would shoot a general, first destroy
his horse"

-Japanese Proverb-

First Successes..
Lieutenant Seki, who had been the first to
volunteer, should be the first to succeed.
Seki's aircraft the older Mitsubishi A6M2
Model 21, loaded with a 250-kilogram bomb. For four days,he had sortied,only to return
in disappointment.But the fifth time,it was different. On October 25, 1944 flying from
Mabalacat at 07:25 hrs. the plan was to search for the enemy in waters east of the
Philippines.
If this proved unsuccessful, the planes were to strike the enemy vessels in Leyte Gulf.
Enemy fleet sighted at 10:10 hrs. The attack
started... Three zeros landed the first came to a stop,out jumped Hiroyoshi Nishizawa one
of the escorts. He had witnessed the first
special attack mission. Each pilot had
selected his target and at a banking signal
from Seki, who was in the lead, their planes
dived Seki's plane hit first at 10:45hrs and was followed by another which hit the same
carrier. Smoke and flame from the two hits rose 1,000 meters into the air. The U.S. escort carrier St.Lo (CVE-63) was sunk this date by suicide plane.
A third plane hit another carrier and set it afire, A fouth plane also hit another ship,
the fifth plane failed to score a hit.
Ships damaged by suicide attack, were the
Kalinin Bay(CVE-68)the Kitkun Bay,(CVE-71)and
the White Plains(CVE-66).

2.  Bill says:
4 Nov 2015 03:44:07 PM

WARRIOR UNTO DEATH:

Photo of Lt. Seki who was the first to volunteer
for such a one way mission. Did you know that
he flew four other missions, only to return finding no targets.
On the fifth mission Oct. 25, 1944 flying from Mabalacat at 0725hrs. Later at 1045hrs Seki sighted his target the US Escort Carrier St. Lo and made his dive against it. The St.Lo (CVE-63) was sunk by an enemy suicide attack October 25, 1944...