25th Air Flotilla

The 25th Air Flotilla (第二五航空戦隊,, Dai Nijūgo Kōkū Sentai, "Nijūgo Kōsen") was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific Campaign of World War II.

25th Air Flotilla
Enlisted fighter pilots of the Tainan Air Group, part of the 25th Air Flotilla, pose at Lae in 1942. Several of these aviators would be among the top Japanese Naval aces, including Saburō Sakai (middle row, second from left), and Hiroyoshi Nishizawa (standing, first on left).
Active	1 April 1942 – 5 May 1944 10 July 1944 - 10 February 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Navy
Type	Naval aviation unit
Role	Bomber, Fighter, Reconnaissance
Part of	11th Air Fleet
Garrison/HQ	Rabaul, New Britain Lae, Buka, and Buin, Papua New Guinea, and Shortland Islands and Tulagi, Solomon Islands
Engagements	New Guinea Campaign Solomon Islands Campaign
Commanders
Notable commanders	Sadayoshi Yamada

History

The 25th Air Flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reported to the 11th Air Fleet. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, and Yokohama Air Group. The 4th flew bombers, the Tainan fighters, and the Yokohama reconnaissance aircraft. The flotilla, under the command of Rear Admiral Sadayoshi Yamada, was deployed to Rabaul, New Britain on 29 March 1942. From this location, the unit supported Japanese military operations in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns. During these campaigns, the unit was augmented by aircraft from other flotillas (i.e., 2nd Air Group and 3rd Air Group). The operational title for this hybrid organization was the 5th Air Attack Force. The organization took heavy losses in air combat over Guadalcanal.^[1][2][3][4]

Organization

Date	Higher unit	Aviation units and vessels
1 April 1942 (original)	11th Air Fleet	4th Air Group[N 1], Tainan Air Group[N 2], Yokohama Air Group[N 3], MV Mogamigawa Maru
29 April 1942		4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, Yokohama Air Group, Seaplane tender Akitsushima, MV Mogamigawa Maru
7 August 1942		4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, 2nd Air Group, Yokohama Air Group (detachment), 14th Air Group (detachment)[5]
12 September 1942		4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, 2nd Air Group, Toko Air Group, Yokohama Air Group (detachment)[6]
10 October 1942		Tainan Air Group, 2nd Air Group, 3rd Air Group (detachment), 751st Air Group (ex-Kanoya fighter unit), Toko Air Group, 14th Air Group (detachment)[7]
1 November 1942		251st Air Group, 702nd Air Group, 801st Air Group
18 May 1943		251st Air Group, 702nd Air Group
1 July 1943		251st Air Group, 501st Air Group[N 4], 702nd Air Group
1 September 1943		251st Air Group, 253rd Air Group[N 5], 702nd Air Group, 705th Air Group[N 6], 751st Air Group[N 7]
1 December 1943		251st Air Group, 253rd Air Group, 751st Air Group
1 February 1944		251st Air Group, 582nd Air Group[N 8], 751st Air Group
5 May 1944	dissolved
10 July 1944	2nd Air Fleet	Nansei-Shotō Air Group[N 9]
15 November 1944		203rd Air Group[N 10], 701st Air Group[N 11], Nansei-Shotō Air Group
15 December 1944	3rd Air Fleet	203rd Air Group, 701st Air Group
10 February 1945	dissolved

Commanding officers

	Rank	Name	Date	Note
1	Rear-Admiral	Sadayoshi Yamada	1 April 1942
2	Rear-Admiral	Keizō Ueno	17 November 1942
x		dissolved	5 May 1944
3	Captain / Rear-Admiral	Tomozō Kikuchi	10 July 1944	Rear-Admiral on 15 October 1944.
4	Captain	Toshiyuki Yokoi	24 October 1944
x		dissolved	10 February 1945

Notes

1. Attack bomber unit. Renamed 702nd Air Group on 1 November 1942.
2. Fighter unit. Renamed 251st Air Group on 1 November 1942.
3. Flying boat unit. Renamed 801st Air Group on 1 November 1942.
4. Combined fighter- and dive bomber unit.
5. Fighter unit.
6. Attack bomber unit. Before the Misawa Air Group, until 31 October 1942.
7. Attack bomber unit. Before the Kanoya Air Group, until 31 October 1942.
8. Dive bomber unit. Before the 2nd Air Group, until 31 October 1942.
9. Air base guards unit.
10. Fighter unit. Before that known as the Atsugi Air Group, until 19 February 1944.
11. Attack bomber unit. Before that known as the Toyohashi Air Group, until 19 February 1944.