Tetsuzo iwamoto autobiography

Japanese World War II flying ace

Lieutenant Junior GradeTetsuzō Iwamoto (岩本 徹三, Iwamoto Tetsuzō, 15 June – 20 May ) was one of the top scoring aces among Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) fighter pilots.^[1] He entered the Imperial Navy in and completed pilot training in December His first combat occurred over China in early He emerged as one of the top aces of the Imperial Japan during World War II, credited with at least 80 aerial victories, including 14 victories in China.

Subsequently, he flew Zeros from the aircraft carrier Zuikaku from December to May , including at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Iwamoto decorated his planes with victory markings of cherry blossom flowers, with a single or double blossom flower referring to a shot down enemy fighter or bomber aircraft respectively.^[2]

In late , Iwamoto's air group was sent to Rabaul, New Britain, resulting in three months of air combat against Allied air raids.^[3]