05. Tetsuzō Iwamoto (いわもと てつぞう)

As the pearl harbor incident broke out, Japanese Navy and air forces (which is under the formation of the Navy and Army)  did their best to fight for their nation. Battles slaughtered millions of people, especially the one flew in the sky. However, didn't have any advantage doesn't meant that they don't have any ace fighter. Tetsuzō Iwamoto, known as the "Zero fighter's tiger"(零戰虎徹) was one of the greatest example.

Born in a cop's family, Iwamoto didn't won victory on the university entrance test, so he joint the Navy. He was just a sailor at first, but as he was assigned to the Japanese air carrier, he made up his mind to become a pilot. By determination and perseverance,  he won himself a place in it, and was assigned to China to escort the bomber.

the plane A5M 九六式艦上戦闘機, which Iwamoto flew first

He engaged as the enemy fighter tried to attack the bomber, and shot down 4 enemies that day, shot down another for Soviet made plane the next day directly on the enemies' air base. Though he was scouted and warned by his superior at first, he won himself a metal by killing down 14 aircraft before he was transformed to the  Ryūjō (りゅうじょう ) aircraft carrier. At that moment, had trained to fly the famous Zero fighter 21 type (A6M2), which was his favorite one in service.

Zero fighter type 21

He taken part at the Pearl harbor action as the escort, and then service at the Indian sea. He taken part in the greatest air carrier battle: the Battle of the Coral Sea. He was the escort of the air carrier Zuikaku, fighting with tons of SBD Dauntless, F4F Wildcat and TBD Destroyer. The aircraft carrier he was on saved itself by driven into the storm, but it lost nearly half of it's pilot, which is a serious harm to the Jap Navy. Since he was so good at killing down enemy, he was then become the tutor of the newby fighter pilot which is still training.

After that, he was sent to taken part in the 201 air force, known as the Rabaul air force. Since he was such a super fighter pilot who even flew to the enemy's air base ambush solo, some of the grounds(地勤人員) often said that "the Rabaul's sky belongs to Iwamoto." He won his reputation there, and was well-known by both of the army.

Grounds gave Iwamoto flower before he take off

At these moment, lots of Jap aces lost their life, but Iwamoto wasn't one of them. Why? It's because not only is he a great and talanted fighter, he can sense enemy from a super far distance and fight just like Irich Hartmann-- hit and run tactic. Not only that, he was a great war manager, chose the most benefit way to fight, from the best angle, the best position. 

After the Japs retreat from Rabaul, he was once sent to Taiwan, taken part in Formosa Air Battle and Philippines Campaign (1944–45) as the leader of the young fighter pilot. When the Yamamoto super battleship was preparing for the suicide mission, he even intercept a B29 solo. Though he trained the kamikaze pilot, he was against it, as he mentioned that those pilot were lack of training. 

Though he died after the war because of the Sepsis caused by the surgery of Appendicitis, his wife sort out his diary and published his biography.

They said he is the man born for the Zero Fighter.