Comments on: Hiroyoshi Nishizawa: Japan’s World War II Ace of Aces http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:31:52 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Terrence Flynn http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-98234 Terrence Flynn Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:17:32 +0000 #comment-98234 The upsetting part of this story is that the Western media has watered down his kills to 'around' 86. The figure of 272 is the correct one. He was usuaklly the only plane left to return on many missions from late 1942 and on. Figuring his life was over, he just never counted. The upsetting part of this story is that the Western media has watered down his kills to ‘around’ 86. The figure of 272 is the correct one.

He was usuaklly the only plane left to return on many missions from late 1942 and on. Figuring his life was over, he just never counted.

]]> By: Giacomo Bagarella http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-60470 Giacomo Bagarella Tue, 12 May 2009 21:31:15 +0000 #comment-60470 I am a student entering college, and I have been a fan of Sakai and his heroic friends for years. My father gave me Samurai in Italian and I just bought it in English...it is definitely my favorite book and I must have read it more than 10 times. I am passionate about WWII history, especially about stories of men unconventional as these that will never make the history books but will always be a notch above everyone else. I heard there is a movie about Sakai (Ozora no Samurai) but it is only in Japanese with no English subtitles. Does anyone know if it is available in English too? On a side note, does anyone else think Japan got too overconfident with the Zero and didn't make plans for better planes until it was too late? Gian Piero, come si chiama il libro che stai scrivendo? Anch'io ho gente della Guerra in famiglia, mio nonno si e' fatto l'Africa in carro armato. I am a student entering college, and I have been a fan of Sakai and his heroic friends for years. My father gave me Samurai in Italian and I just bought it in English…it is definitely my favorite book and I must have read it more than 10 times.
I am passionate about WWII history, especially about stories of men unconventional as these that will never make the history books but will always be a notch above everyone else.
I heard there is a movie about Sakai (Ozora no Samurai) but it is only in Japanese with no English subtitles. Does anyone know if it is available in English too?
On a side note, does anyone else think Japan got too overconfident with the Zero and didn’t make plans for better planes until it was too late?

Gian Piero, come si chiama il libro che stai scrivendo? Anch’io ho gente della Guerra in famiglia, mio nonno si e’ fatto l’Africa in carro armato.

]]> By: Maurício Fonseca http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-58827 Maurício Fonseca Wed, 06 May 2009 01:42:17 +0000 #comment-58827 Nishizawa was great, but I think there's little doubt that he overclaimed a lot, like all aces, and most of this overclaiming was, of course not intentional. Anyway, no amount of overclaiming can take away the merit and courage necessary to face live-or-die battles above the unforgiving Pacific. Nishizawa was great, but I think there’s little doubt that he overclaimed a lot, like all aces, and most of this overclaiming was, of course not intentional.

Anyway, no amount of overclaiming can take away the merit and courage necessary to face live-or-die battles above the unforgiving Pacific.

]]> By: Icepaq http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-29238 Icepaq Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:32:36 +0000 #comment-29238 If a movie is made on nishizawa or sakai, it would benefit from a bit of screenwriter's license to include in guys like akamatsu and muto as peripheral characters. Leave the stories true but you would probably have to put together these pilots who might have not flown together for the sake of letting the amazing stories be shown that wouldln't if they stayed strict to history. If a movie is made on nishizawa or sakai, it would benefit from a bit of screenwriter’s license to include in guys like akamatsu and muto as peripheral characters.

Leave the stories true but you would probably have to put together these pilots who might have not flown together for the sake of letting the amazing stories be shown that wouldln’t if they stayed strict to history.

]]> By: terry wilshaw http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-27983 terry wilshaw Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:03:02 +0000 #comment-27983 yes nisiwara should be made a film like the red baron terry yes nisiwara should be made a film like the red baron
terry

]]> By: Mick Dunn http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-20593 Mick Dunn Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:33:45 +0000 #comment-20593 I am a Naval Historian and still meet people who like to challenge the claims of Japanese Fighter Pilots in the Pacific War! Air Marshall Johnny Johnson, saw no reason at all to question the claims of pilots who had flown and fought continuously, without ANY furlough, for 6-7 years! I might add, that to a man, the Japanese Aces loved their supposedly outclassed Ki43s and Zeros right to the end and did not feel at all compromised by their performance (speed). You see folks...air combat is not at all like Pylon Racing. In general terms, all the combatants entered the melee at around 350 mph from all directions! Corsairs, Hellcats, Hayabusas, Zeros all having a lovely time! Speed was generally called on to break combat and 'get the hell outa there!' I am a Naval Historian and still meet people who like to challenge the claims of Japanese Fighter Pilots in the Pacific War!

Air Marshall Johnny Johnson, saw no reason at all to question the claims of pilots who had flown and fought continuously, without ANY furlough, for 6-7 years!

I might add, that to a man, the Japanese Aces loved their supposedly outclassed Ki43s and Zeros right to the end and did not feel at all compromised by their performance (speed).

You see folks…air combat is not at all like Pylon Racing. In general terms, all the combatants entered the melee at around 350 mph from all directions! Corsairs, Hellcats, Hayabusas, Zeros all having a lovely time!

Speed was generally called on to break combat and ‘get the hell outa there!’

]]> By: George Laue http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-16349 George Laue Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:04:37 +0000 #comment-16349 I often come to this sight just to reread the story of nishizawa. Even though I am an American serviceman I have married a Japanese girl and we own a house here. My children are half and I always teach them about heroes from both sides of their culture. I let my son read Saburo Sakai's book from my personnel collection. It's to bad that the names of these brave warriors on both sides are being lost to time. The youth of today grow up idolizing Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan instead of true heroes who fulfilled their obligations of duty and honor to their utmost. I often come to this sight just to reread the story of nishizawa.
Even though I am an American serviceman I have married a
Japanese girl and we own a house here. My children are half and
I always teach them about heroes from both sides of their culture.
I let my son read Saburo Sakai’s book from my personnel
collection. It’s to bad that the names of these brave warriors on
both sides are being lost to time. The youth of today grow up
idolizing Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan instead of true heroes who
fulfilled their obligations of duty and honor to their utmost.

]]> By: Gian Piero Milanetti http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-4047 Gian Piero Milanetti Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:14:32 +0000 #comment-4047 Sorry...I want to sign what I wrote...my full name is Gian Piero Milanetti, I am a teacher/writer from Rome, Italy Sorry…I want to sign what I wrote…my full name is Gian Piero Milanetti, I am a teacher/writer from Rome, Italy

]]> By: Gian Piero http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-4046 Gian Piero Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:11:59 +0000 #comment-4046 I think that people like Nishizava should deserve much much much more space in the web, in the libraries and in the bookshops, but I am afraid that he killed too manny americans airman and shattered too much the false myths of allied propaganda to gain more than we can find around...I am writing a novel about italian pilots in second world war (my father was in the Regia Aeronautica) and we have the same problems here in let to know abroad what heroic italian pilots did in the war. I tell you just that: warrant officer Luigi Gorrini in the summer of 1943 often attacked ALONE, with his Macchi mc 202 hundreds of american bombers and fighters that shattered (most of the times) civilians sites, like Rome and villages. When he could have the outstanding Macchi 205 (better than any allied planes, at lower altitudes) in one single mission he could shot down up to 3 bombers and fighters and come back home whithout kerosene, flying his "caccia" as a glider...But the winners write the history and the allied are not an exception to that...But I try to do my best to change that...everybody can do something to let the thruth come afloat.... I think that people like Nishizava should deserve much much much more space in the web, in the libraries and in the bookshops, but I am afraid that he killed too manny americans airman and shattered too much the false myths of allied propaganda to gain more than we can find around…I am writing a novel about italian pilots in second world war (my father was in the Regia Aeronautica) and we have the same problems here in let to know abroad what heroic italian pilots did in the war. I tell you just that: warrant officer Luigi Gorrini in the summer of 1943 often attacked ALONE, with his Macchi mc 202 hundreds of american bombers and fighters that shattered (most of the times) civilians sites, like Rome and villages. When he could have the outstanding Macchi 205 (better than any allied planes, at lower altitudes) in one single mission he could shot down up to 3 bombers and fighters and come back home whithout kerosene, flying his “caccia” as a glider…But the winners write the history and the allied are not an exception to that…But I try to do my best to change that…everybody can do something to let the thruth come afloat….

]]> By: Shawn Etheridge http://www.historynet.com/hiroyoshi-nishizawa-japans-world-war-ii-ace-of-aces.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2857 Shawn Etheridge Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:47:04 +0000 #comment-2857 I wish there were more memoirs of Japanese pilots available. Sakai's Samurai biography is a classic, but besides that and "Kamikaze" by Kuwahara, there is nothing else published in English, as far as I know. The shame of it is that these brave gentlemen are quickly passing fromn the scene, and we will lose an important piece of history - I wish their families could interview them. I wish there were more memoirs of Japanese pilots available. Sakai’s Samurai biography is a classic, but besides that and “Kamikaze” by Kuwahara, there is nothing else published in English, as far as I know. The shame of it is that these brave gentlemen are quickly passing fromn the scene, and we will lose an important piece of history – I wish their families could interview them.

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