Miyakonojō, along with Chiran, Kengun, and Bansei, served as the main
airfields in Kyūshū that were used by Japanese Army pilots to make special
(suicide) attacks during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Miyakonojō had two
airfields, east and west, from which special attacks were made.
On November 15, 1977, a monument was erected by the Miyakonojō City Special
Attack Corps War Dead Support Association at the prior site of Miyakonojō
East Airfield, which is now an industrialized area with no traces remaining of
the former airfield. The monument is located in a very small park within the
industrialized area. The front of the monument has the following words: "Special
Attack Squadrons Takeoff Location." The right side has engraved these words:
"Former Miyakonojō East Airfield Site."
A sign to the right side of the monument gives a detailed history of
Miyakonojō East Airfield:
In the latter stages of the Pacific War in the outskirts of Miyakonojō City
where Miyazaki's military leaders were located, Miyakonojō West Airfield and
Miyakonojō East Airfield were used as Army tokkō (special attack) bases.
From April 6 to July 1, 1945, 79 young men in 10 Shinbu Squadrons took off
from both airfields in special attacks.
In the first half of 1944, Miyakonojō East Airfield was hurriedly
constructed as an airfield from rice fields of the Okimizu River basin
after the Navy obtained cooperation of local residents. The surface and
rough taxiway were made into a shape that extended like octopus legs about 1,500
meters north to south and 500 meters east to west. It was just like a
natural grass-covered plain.
In the beginning the Navy trained at this location with Zero fighters, but in March
1945 preparations were made for the expected Battle of Okinawa. The 101st Hikō
Sentai (Flying Regiment), equipped with Type 4 fighters (nicknamed Hayate)
under the command of the 100th Hikōdan (Air Brigade), was deployed. After
that time it became a base used only by the Army.
On March 18 of the same year, the West Airfield received an air attack.
However, the East Airfield's special attack aircraft avoided the air attack
by using the runways like octopus legs and being hidden in various shelters
near the forest and foot of the mountains.
Moreover, since the unit's barracks were half-underground bunkers in a
hilly area about 50 meters long on the southeast side, special attack planes
took off from this airfield until the end.
On April 6 of the same year, 8 men from 10 volunteers of the 101st and
102nd Sentai (1st Shinbu Special Attack Squadron) took off as part of the
1st Combined Air Attack [1] (included special attack sortie of Battleship Yamato).
On April 12, the remaining two men of the 1st Shinbu Special Attack Squadron
took off as part of the 2nd Combined Air Attack.
Many special attack planes and buildings were directly hit in continuous
air attacks on the west airfield on April 27 and 28 of the same year. There
were 18 men killed in these attacks. Moreover, not being able to do repair operations due to time-delay
bombs, the 61st Shinbu Squadron (7 men) scheduled to take off together with
the 5th Combined Air Attack hurriedly moved to the East Airfield and took
off from there [2].
The dates below are in 1945:
May 4, part of 6th Combined Attack - 60th Shinbu Squadron (6 men)
May 12, part of 7th Combined Attack - 60th Shinbu Squadron (3 men)
May 25, part of 8th Combined Attack - 57th Shinbu Squadron (11 men), 58th
Shinbu Squadron (10 men), 60th Shinbu Squadron (1 man)
May 28, part of 9th Combined Attack - 58th Shinbu Squadron (1 man), 59th
Shinbu Squadron (3 men)
June 8, part of 10th Combined Attack - 59th Shinbu Squadron (6 men)
June 21, part of combined attack - 26th Shinbu Squadron (4 men)
June 22, part of combined attack - 27th Shinbu Squadron (6 men), 179th Shinbu Squadron (5 men)
July 1 - 180th Shinbu Squadron (2 men)
They took off one after another, and the lives of many young men were
lost in battle.
On August 15, the war ended.
We pray that the souls of these men may rest in peace and that
generations to come may know that Japan's peace was paid for by their noble
sacrifices. We sincerely pray for realization of eternal peace and prosperity
for humanity.
June 2001
Miyakonojō Special Attack Corps War Dead Support Association
Chairman, Tatsuya Iwahashi
There were also Special Attack Corps members who took off alone.
About one kilometer west and slightly south of the
Miyakonojō East Airfield Monument there is a sign post with a small monument next
to it (shown below) in a corner of the parking lot of the Mihara Area
Community Center.
The Mimata Town Board of Education erected the sign post in
March 1997. The front states "Special Attack Corps Base Site," and one side
gives the following information:
The monument next to the sign post has nothing to do with
Miyakonojō East Airfield. It is a monument in remembrance of settlement of
the area in December 1946.
The following last letters were written by Special
Attack Corps members who took off from Miyakonojō East Airfield and died in special attacks:
