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'B-29!' No other term struck such terror in the hearts of the Japanese public during World War 2 than this single, most-hated name. It was then only natural that the pilots who attempted to shoot these high-flying Boeing bombers out of the skies over Tokyo, Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Kobe should become known as the elite of the Japanese Army Air Force. This book details the exploits of the ‘Dragon Slayers’ who, flying the very latest single- and twin-engined fighters, exacted a heavy toll on the AAF Boeing bombers using a range of tactics including ramming.
Koji Takaki was born in Saeki City, Japan, in 1933, and is one of the last generation to see B-29s fly over Japan. During childhood he lived close to a seaplane station and an airfield of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force, which started his interest in military aviation. He graduated from Kyoto University School of Economics in 1957 and worked chiefly in the textile business for 40 years retiring in 1997. He has written The Sea and Sky over Ashizur, (1995), a combat history of the 56th Army 'Tony' Fighter Squadron. Since 1996, he has been engaged in joint-projects with Henry Sakaida, writing air combat stories of various units and pilots. The first was printed in The Hook (1997) magazine under title of Catfight Over Chiba, and is a combat story of Army Ki-79 trainers with fixed landing gear against Hellcats on 16 February 1945. The second is AEU 5: B-29 Hunters of the JAAF. They are currently working on a Navy fighter project.
A third generation Japanese American (Sansei), Henry Sakaida has spent much of his life researching the shadowy history of the Japanese fighter pilot. His eye for detail, and exhaustive research, has led to him being given access to much archive material by former aces who have remained silent since the end of the war. Henry Sakaida was born in Santa Monica, California in October 1951. He became interested in Russian/Soviet culture and war history after taking a Russian language course and has travelled to the Ukraine and Russia twice to conduct research. He is an experienced author and has written a number of books about his other main interest, Japanese combat aviation history, including three for Osprey. Henry lives with his wife and two children in Temple City, 15 miles east of Los Angeles.
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