The Last Zero Fighter: Firsthand Accounts from WWII Japanese Naval Pilots
by Dan King, Pacific Press, Irvine, Calif., 2012, $24.95.
This remarkable book resulted from a confluence of personal interests, work assignments, linguistic talent, excellent writing, dedicated research and varied experience with films and video games. Dan King, who is fluent in Japanese, interviewed almost 100 Japanese veterans of World War II in the course of his research.
His stated goal is to share the pilots’ thoughts and motivations. I found it especially interesting that King has the wisdom to recognize that not everyone will automatically sympathize with the Japanese who waged war against the United States. He does posit that Americans and Japanese are “not that different,” which may be true today. It may have applied even during the war when it came to matters related to love of family, etc. It is indisputable, however, that the military clique that ruled Japan in WWII dictated the discipline, code of honor and practices of Japanese servicemen. That clique espoused views that were very different indeed from the outlook of its opposite numbers in the Allied forces. As a result, the Japanese conducted warfare in a far more vicious manner, torturing prisoners and treating them with contempt, and they were also brutal to their own people.
That said, the valor, skill and indeed the humanity of the six men profiled by King come through, delivering an in-depth view of the war as seen by Japanese naval aviators. Each narrative is filled with fascinating sidelights. For example, we learn about the lavish entertainment the Germans provided for the crew of the Japanese submarine I-29, which carried back to Japan detailed information on both the Messerschmitt Me-163 and Me-262. From another we learn new nicknames for the Lockheed P-38, including Katsuobushi, which alludes to the profile of dried skipjack tuna.
King provides an overview of all six aviators’ careers, beginning with their family background and extending to their postwar activities. He gives a particularly interesting account of the life of Haruo Yoshino, who trained as a navigator, including the intricate details of launching the special torpedoes developed for use at Pearl Harbor.
The author is astute in his use of quotations from the interviews. Rather than rely on lengthy quotes, he instead integrates brief comments from the Japanese fliers, enhancing the solid information provided by his own research. The Last Zero Fighter is an unusual read, filled with information not to be found elsewhere. It offers almost X-ray insight into the hard life of six survivors of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.
Originally published in the September 2013 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.