World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseKanichi Kashimura was born in Shikoku, Japan in 1913. In Jun 1933, he enlisted with the Japanese Navy at Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. He saw combat over Shanghai, Nanjing, Nanchang, and other sites in China after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. On 9 Dec 1937, he gained fame for being able to nurse his A5M fighter back to base, 600 kilometers away, after having a third of his port wing shot off by Chinese fighters. Instead of repairing the A5M fighter, it was instead shipped back to Japan for public exhibition. For his gallantry in China, he was awarded Order of the Golden Kite 5th Class. When the Pacific War began in Dec 1941, he was with the Yokosuka Naval Air Group. In Dec 1942, he was transferred to Rabaul in New Britain. On 6 Mar 1943, he was shot down in combat by an American F4F fighter over the Russell Islands in the Solomon Islands. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of lieutenant. At the time of his death, his score was 10 kills.

Kanichi Kashimura Interactive Map

Photographs

Kanichi Kashimura Timeline