08.Junichi Sasai (Rabel’s Richthofen)

Born and rise in a military family, whose grand uncle was a lieutenant general, Takijirō Ōnishi, he didn’t fulfill his parents, even families’ expect, as he is really weak as he was young. After graduated from the Tokyo First high school, he joint the Navy school, taken part in the pilot training as he graduated as lieutenant. He was a well known combative man during the training program, so he was nicknamed Shamo chicken.

 

Tainan Navy Air Squadron

He later joint the Tainan Navy air squadron, taken part in the mission with his colleague, Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Saburo Sakai, and Tetsuzō Iwamoto. He won his first confirm kill as he shot down a F2A fighter of the US. He shot down another enemy two weeks later. According to the record, he had a drawing of the famous samurai, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, in his room, which is his idol.

He and his squadron was transformed to Lae at 1942 April, where he proof himself as the ace and the leader. He became the commander a month later as they were transported to Lae. Though he was the superior, he wasn’t like others playing crucial to his man, actually they act more like friends. He was once discriminated as he lead his fighter squadron to intercept the incoming bomber instead of escort the bomber they sent to, and pissed off his superior, who punished him hardly.

At 1943 October, he and his squadron was transformed to Rabel. As the Japanese didn’t have a good way to dealt with tropical disease, all of his squadron was suffered from the disease. But this didn’t decrease his reputation. As he is so handsome, so skillful, just like Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, he was nicknamed the “Rabel’s Richthofen” and “Rabel Prince.”

However, ace might be shot down one day. As the disease among the pilot didn’t got control, he got a little disease, as well as a little fatigue. However, being a commander, he still lead his crew to escort the bomber. As he passed the enemy’s airbase, he found out that there was still a plane trying to take off. He dived and tried to shot it down, but the pilot in the plane that tried to took off already found his attempt, so they got into a dogfight, which Sasai was shot down and the aircraft totally tear apart in the sky. The guy shot him down was Marion Eugene Carl, an fighter ace in VMF－223. After the incident, when Carl became a tutor, he always told his student to put an eye on their rear.

Japanese lost one of their greatest ace once again.