GENDA'S BLADE

The 343 Kokutai - Japan's squadron of aces. Recounted in English for the first time is the story of the Imperial Japanese Navy's famed 343 Kokutai. Formed in December 1944 and commanded by Captain Minoru Genda, the mastermind behind the raid on Pearl Harbor, the 343 Kokutai was an elite units of hand-picked pilots chosen to fly Japan's newest and most advanced fighter, the Shiden-kai ("George"), in the bitter defensive air battles over the Japanese homeland during the first half of 1945. The authors have spent years interviewing former pilots of both the 343 Kokutai and the American forces they encountered, to piece together this dramatic story and tell it largely from the personal perspective. This book will be an essential requirement for any student of the Pacific air war.