Satoru Anabuki
Surname | Anabuki |
Given Name | Satoru |
Born | 5 Dec 1921 |
Died | 1 Jun 2005 |
Country | Japan |
Category | Military-Air |
Gender | Male |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseSatoru Anabuki was born in Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan in 1921 to Yasutaro Arabuki, a farmer. He entered the Japanese Army Aviation School in Tokyo, Japan in Apr 1938. In Apr 1939, he enrolled in the Kumagai Army flight school in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In Oct 1940, he was enrolled in Tachi'arai flight school in Fukuoka Prefecture, graduating in Mar 1941. In Oct 1941, he was promoted to the rank of corporal. In late Oct or early Nov, he was assigned to the 3rd Squadron (Chutai) of the 50th Air Squadron (Sentai) stationed in Taiwan. He scored his first victory in the opening chapters of the Pacific War, shooting down an American P-40 fighter on 22 Dec 1941 over Lingayen, Luzon, Philippine Islands while flying a Ki-27 aircraft. He returned to Japan with his squadron in Apr 1942, where the squadron was re-equipped with Ki-43 Hayabusa aircraft; Anabuki named his new fighter "Fubuki", partially based on his own surname. In Jun 1942, his squadron was transferred to Burma, where he would see combat over Burma, India, and southwestern China. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in Dec 1942. On 20 Dec 1942, he shot down a Blenheim bomber over Magwe, Burma, the first of many bomber victories. On 24 Dec, he shot down three British Hurricane fighters in combat over Magwe, Burma; it was after the engagement when he looked at his own shadow on the ground that he had realized he had forgotten to pull up his landing gear. In May 1943, he received a new Ki-43 fighter; he named this new aircraft "Kimikaze" after his wife Kimiko. He was seriously wounded in combat while flying "Kimikaze" over Rangoon, Burma on 8 Oct 1943; after initial recuperation, he was transferred to the Akeno Army Flying School in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan in Feb 1944. In late 1944, after being cleared to fly once again, he shot down four US F6F Hellcat fighters over Takao (now Kaohsiung), Taiwan and the Philippine Islands while ferrying Ki-84 Hayate fighters from Japan southwards. In Dec 1944, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant major. In the final months of the war, he was an instructor at Akeno with frequent combat assignments; in this role, he scored his 39th and final confirmed victory (53rd claimed victory), a B-29 bomber, over Japan while flying a Ki-100 fighter. After the war, he joined the Police Reserve in 1950, eventually reaching the rank of captain. Later, he joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, becoming a helicopter pilot stationed in northeastern Japan; he retired from his military career in 1971 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He worked for Japan Airlines before retiring in 1984. He passed away some time in Jun 2005.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia
Last Major Revision: Jan 2015
Photographs
Satoru Anabuki Timeline
5 Dec 1921 | Satoru Anabuki was born in the village of Yamada (now in the town of Ayagawa), Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. |
22 Dec 1941 | Satoru Anabuki, flying a Ki-27 fighter, shot down a P-40 fighter over Lingayen, Philippine Islands, his first victory. |
9 Feb 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying a Ki-27 fighter, shot down a P-40 fighter over Bataan, Philippine Islands, his third victory. |
25 Oct 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a P-40 fighter over an area of India now Bangladesh, his fourth victory. |
10 Dec 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Hurricane fighter over Chittagong, India (now Bangladesh), his fifth victory. |
15 Dec 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", claimed the downing of a Hurricane fighter over Chittagong, India (now Bangladesh), but he did not receive a victory. |
20 Dec 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Hurricane and a Blenheim aircraft over Magwe, Burma, his sixth and seventh victories. He sustained injury during combat. |
23 Dec 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down an aircraft over Burma, his eighth victory. After dark, he shot down a Blenheim aircraft over Magwe, Burma, increasing his score to nine. |
24 Dec 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down three Hurricane fighters over Magwe, Burma, increasing his score to 12. |
30 Dec 1942 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Blenheim aircraft over Meiktila, Burma, his 13th victory. |
14 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Hurricane fighter over an area of India now part of Bangladesh, his 14th victory. |
16 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a P-40 fighter over Yunnan Province, China, his 15th victory. |
17 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Hurricane fighter over Burma, his 16th victory. |
19 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down two Hurricane fighters over Akyab (now Sittwe), Burma, his 17th and 18th victories. |
24 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Wellington bomber over Rangoon, Burma, his 19th victory. |
26 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a B-24 bomber over Mingaladon, Burma, his 20th victory. |
30 Jan 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a B-25 bomber over Toungoo, Burma, his 21st victory. |
28 Feb 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Hurricane and a Blenheim aircraft over Akyab (now Sittwe), Burma, increasing his score to 23. |
2 Mar 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", claimed a Hurricane fighter over Burma, but the downing was not confirmed. |
24 Mar 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a B-25 bomber over Meiktila, Burma, his 24th victory. |
29 Mar 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", claimed a Hurricane fighter over Mindon, Burma, but the downing was not confirmed. |
30 Mar 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down two Hurricane fighters over Mindon, Burma, increasing his score to 26. |
31 Mar 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down three Hurricane fighters over Patenga, India (now Bangladesh), increasing his score to 29. |
4 Apr 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down two Hurricane fighters over Dohazari, India (now Bangladesh), increasing his score to 31. |
20 Apr 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", claimed a Hurricane fighter and a P-36 fighter over Imphal, India, but only the P-36 downing was confirmed, increasing his score to 32. |
21 Apr 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down two P-36 fighters over Imphal, India, increasing his score to 34. |
28 Apr 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a P-40 fighter over Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, his 35th victory. |
4 May 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down a Hurricane fighter over Cox's Bazar, India (now Bangladesh), his 36th victory. |
15 May 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down four P-40 fighters over Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, increasing his score to 40. |
22 May 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down two Hurricane fighters over Chittagong, India (now Bangladesh), increasing his score to 42. |
29 May 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Fubuki", shot down two British fighters over Chittagong, India (now Bangladesh), increasing his score to 44. |
8 Oct 1943 | Satoru Anabuki, flying Ki-43 fighter "Kimikaze", shot down a P-38 fighters and three B-24 bombers over Rangoon, Burma, increasing his score to 48. He was seriously wounded in combat. |
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