'Kato Hayabusa Sentotai' 1944

[Peter H]

The 1944 movie 'Kato Hayabusa Sentotai' (Kato's Perigrin Falcon Squadron):






http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036980/

War-time Japan produced a number of excellent motion pictures regarding its military. One of those films, a product of the Toho Motion Picture Company, was the 1944 production of 'Kato Hayabusa Sentotai' (Kato's Perigrin Falcon Squadron). Col. Kato was indeed a real officer serving with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in Southeast Asia...an officer highly respected by his pilots for his fairness and excellent flying ability. The aircraft he and his men flew was the Nakajima Ki-43 'Hayabusa' fighter. One of the many highlights of the production was the use of the actual type aircraft used by the Kato squadron. Along with the realistic action, the acting and direction were superb. I would say that this feature is above par should it be compared with other films of this type including those produced in the United States and Europe. The motion picture was shot in black and white, and is about two hours in length.

[Peter H]

More:




Kato Tateo:

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/japan_kato.htm

In recognition of his distinguished service, Kato was elevated two ranks posthumously to Major General.
Even today his memory is kept alive by the popular song 'Kato Hayabusa Sentoki Tai' (Fighter Air Group Kato).

http://www.warbirdforum.com/64thvide.htm

We glimpse the young pilots singing to their commander, Major Kato Tateo, most famous of Japanese Army fighter pilots. Then we see Hayabusas flying through flak, presumably over Burma, and Kato diving upon a luckless P-40 which goes down in flames. Kato then paces a grassy airfield, waiting one of his men to come home--which he does, of course ... but not forever. Here are four Hayabusas where there should have been five, then an empty sky and waves dashing upon the shore. Thus ends the feature film with Kato's death, shot down over the Bay of Bengal in May 1942 by a Blenheim gunner named Sergeant McLuckie.

Finally we see a retrospective of Kato as group leader, of Ki-21 heavy bombers destroying colonial empires (including the cranes on the docks at Rangoon), and of the army's successful--and only--parachute drop of the war, which resulted in the capture of the oilfields at Palembang in the Dutch East Indies.