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Hiroyoshi Nishizawa | |
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| Native name | 西澤 広義 |
| Nickname(s) | Devil of Rabaul Assassin of Sakura |
| Born | 27 January 1920 Nagano Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | 26 October 1944 (aged 24) Mindoro, Philippines |
| Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
| Service | Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN) |
| Years of service | 1936–1944 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Junior Grade (posthumous) |
| Unit | Tainan Naval Air Wing 4th Kokutai 251st Kokutai |
| Battles / wars | |
Lieutenant Junior Grade Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (西澤 広義, Nishizawa Hiroyoshi, January 27, 1920 – October 26, 1944) was a Japanese naval aviator and an ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during World War II. Nishizawa was known to his colleagues as 'the Devil' for his breathtaking, brilliant, and unpredictable aerobatics and superb control of his aircraft while in combat.[1] He was a member of the Tainan Kōkūtai's famous "clean up trio" with fellow aces Saburō Sakai and Toshio Ōta and would see action in the New Guinea campaign as well as in the aerial battles over Guadalcanal and over the Solomon Islands.[1] He was killed in 1944 during the Philippines Campaign while aboard an IJN transport aircraft. It is possible that he was the most successful Japanese fighter ace of the war, reportedly telling his last CO that he had achieved a tally of 86 or 87 aerial victories[2]- post war he was linked with scores of 147 or 103, but both of these scores have been considered inaccurate.[3]
- ^ a b Millman, Nicholas (2019). A6M Zero-sen Aces 1940-42. United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 9781472821454.
- ^ Yenne, Bill (2020). Aces. United States: Book Sales, Incorporated. p. 172. ISBN 9780785838340.
- ^ Sakaida, Henry (1998). Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937–45. United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. p. 66. ISBN 9781855327276.