Mitsuo Fuchida | |
|---|---|
 Commander Mitsuo Fuchida (1941-44) | |
| Native name | 淵田 美津雄 |
| Born | 3 December 1902 Katsuragi, Nara, Japan |
| Died | 30 May 1976 (aged 73) Kashiwara, Osaka, Japan |
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan |
| Service |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Years of service | 1924–45 |
| Rank |    Captain |
| Unit | 1st Air Fleet |
| Commands | Akagi: 1st (flag), 2nd and 3rd air squadrons |
| Battles / wars | |
| Other work |
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Mitsuo Fuchida (淵田 美津雄, Fuchida Mitsuo, 3 December 1902 – 30 May 1976) was a Japanese captain[1] in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and a bomber observer in the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War II. He is perhaps best known for leading the first wave of air attacks on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Working under the overall fleet commander, Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, Fuchida was responsible for the coordination of the entire aerial attack.
After the war ended, Fuchida became a Christian convert and evangelist, traveling across the United States and Europe to tell his story. He later settled in the U.S. (although never taking American citizenship for himself).[2] Some of Fuchida's wartime claims have been challenged as self-serving by historians, including his claimed advocacy for a third wave attack on Pearl Harbor.