Miyazaki Special Attack Base Monument
The Miyazaki Special Attack Base Monument, erected in 1983, is located in a
secluded area near the edge of the Miyazaki City Airport. The main monument
shown at right has inscribed the Japanese word chinkon (meaning
"repose of souls"). In addition to the main monument, there are
several stone tablets that give the history of the air base and that honor the
men from Miyazaki Air Base and Miyazaki Prefecture who died in World War II.
The Navy established Miyazaki Air Base in December 1943 as a training base.
Later in the war Miyazaki become a major base for both Navy and Army air
operations.
There were 47 Ginga (Francis) bombers with 140 crew
members who took off from Miyazaki Air Base to make special attacks [1]. Suisei (Judy) dive bombers, with a total of 19 crew
members, also took off on March 27 and 29, 1945, to make special attacks (Tokkotai
Senbotsusha 1990, 162, 323). In addition, 605 Navy and Army crew
members who participated in conventional attack and torpedo attack operations perished after taking off from
Miyazaki Air Base.
A stone tablet to the left of the main monument honors the 22 Army and 46
Navy airmen whose home was in Miyazaki and who died in special attacks during
the war.
Note
1. The information in this paragraph comes from a
sign dated March 1999 at the entrance of the walkway to the main monument.
However, a stone plaque dated March 1983 to the left of the main monument
indicates that 127 Ginga crew members perished in special attacks. An exhibit at
the Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum indicates that 125 men in total from Miyazaki Air Base
died in special attacks.
The first sign one sees when taking the road to the monument indicates that
544 planes and over 1,400 men died in special attacks after taking off from
Miyazaki Air Base. No explanation is provided for the inconsistency of these
numbers with the figures on the other sign and on the stone plaque. Based on
other sources such as Tokubetsu Kougekitai (1990) and the Kanoya Naval Air Base Museum,
the figures on this first sign appear to be grossly overstated.
Source Cited
Tokkotai Senbotsusha Irei
Heiwa Kinen Kyoukai (Tokkotai Commemoration Peace Memorial Association). 1990.
Tokubetsu Kougekitai (Special Attack Corps). Tokyo: Tokkotai Senbotsusha Irei Heiwa Kinen Kyoukai.
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