721st Naval Air Group

Updated on Dec 26, 2023

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Country Empire of Japan Branch Imperial Japanese Navy		Allegiance Empire of Japan Type Naval aviation unit

Active October 1, 1944–August 21, 1945 Role Bomber, manned bomb, fighter

The 721st Naval Air Group (第七二一海軍航空隊, Dai Nana-Futa-Hito Kaigun Kōkūtai) was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. This air group was organised for specializes in suicide attack. Another known as God thunder Corps (Jinrai Butai).

Structure

Higher unit

Yokosuka Naval District (1 October 1944–14 November 1944)

Combined Fleet (15 November 1944–19 December 1944)

11th Air Flotilla (20 December 1944–9 February 1945)

5th Air Fleet (10 February 1945–21 August 1945, dissolved.)

Lower unit

Attack bomber Squadron (1 October 1944–14 November 1944)

Renamed 711th Attack Squadron on 15 November 1944.

Ohka Squadron (1 October 1944–21 August 1945)

Suisei Squadron (15 November 1944–14 February 1945)

Aircraft and airmen were moved to 722nd Naval Air Group on 15 February 1945.

305th Fighter Squadron (1 February 1945–19 August 1945)

306th Fighter Squadron (15 November 1944–19 August 1945)

307th Fighter Squadron (1 February 1945–19 August 1945)

708th Attack Squadron (20 December 1944–21 August 1945)

711th Attack Squadron (15 November 1944–5 May 1945, dissolved.)

Aircraft and airmen were moved to the 708th Attack Squadron on 5 May 1945.

Kamikaze

Shinken Unit

Shichisei Unit

Tsukuba Unit

Shōwa Unit

Commanding officer

Captain Motoharu Okamura (1 October 1944–21 August 1945, dissolved.)

References

721st Naval Air Group Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA