Rare c1940 Postcard Tsuchiura Air Group Pilot Training Japanese Navy Photo WWII for Sale

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Rare c1940 Postcard Tsuchiura Air Group Pilot Training Japanese Navy Photo WWII For Sale

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Rare c1940 Postcard Tsuchiura Air Group Pilot Training Japanese Navy Photo WWII:
$299.99

This rare photo of the Tsuchiura Naval Air Group is a fascinating part of World War 2 history, showing pilots in training. This postcard was posted and delivered within Japan, which makes the piece even more interesting.

Approximate size: 5.5 inches x 3.5 inches

The Tsuchiura Naval Air Group was a part of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It played a significant role in the training and orientation of flying cadets. For instance, on June 8, 1943, the battleship Mutsu was docked with 113 flying cadets and 40 instructors from the Tsuchiura Naval Air Group on board.
One notable figure associated with the Tsuchiura Air Group is Taijiro Aoki, a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He served as the commanding officer of the Tsuchiura Air Group from November 15, 1940, to April 25, 1942.
The Tsuchiura Air Group was also linked to the Yokaren (Japanese Naval Preparatory Flight Training Program), which started in 1930. The number of entrants to the Yokaren increased dramatically in the last two years of World War II. Many Yokaren-trained pilots and crewmembers carried out kamikaze attacks on Allied ships.The Tsuchiura Naval Air Group was associated with the Yokaren, which is a Japanese abbreviation for “Naval Aviator Preparatory Course Trainee”. The Yokaren program was established in 1930 to meet the increasing global demand for aircraft after World War I. Boys aged between fourteen and a half and seventeen were selected nationwide through an examination and given basic training as flight crews. Over the 15 years from the start of the program until the end of World War II, 240,000 boys were enlisted, and 24,000 of them completed the curriculum as combat pilots and were sent to the front.The Tsuchiura Naval Air Group also had a significant connection with the battleship Mutsu. On June 8, 1943, the Mutsu suffered a catastrophic explosion while at anchor, which resulted in the loss of 1,121 crew members and visitors. The explosion was investigated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, which concluded that it was probably caused by sabotage by a disgruntled crewman. The loss of the Tsuchiura Naval Air Group on the Mutsu had a significant impact on the Imperial Japanese Navy’s carrier force.
Taijiro Aoki, a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, served as the commanding officer of the Tsuchiura Air Group from November 15, 1940, to April 25, 1942. He was in command of the aircraft carrier Akagi at the time of her sinking at the Battle of Midway on June 5, 1942. After the battle, he was sent to the garrison of Japanese-occupied Hainan and made commander of the naval air group based at Haikou. He was subsequently recalled to Japan to command the Sasebo Air Group. Aoki was in command of the Genzan Air Group in Korea at the time of the surrender of Japan.The reference photo is of a newspaper article printed in the The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) on May 25, 1924. It regards an air base nearTsuchiura who offers a welcoming party to pilots from the United States who flew there, which is a fascinating intersection of history, especially considering what would happen just 15 years or so later. The air base mentioned in this article might be precursor to The Tsuchiura Air Group.

Please inspect the pictures, as they give the best representation of condition.May have discoloring, edge or corner wear, marks, creases, fading, smudges, corner or edge bends, tears, or corners missing.

(C2 inventory number)