24th Air Flotilla
第二十四航空戦隊
Active1940-1944
CountryJapan
BranchAviation
Part of4th Fleet

The 24th Air Flotilla (第二十四航空戦隊, Dai-Nijūyon Kōkū-Sentai) was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. The flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and flying boats, reported to the IJN's 4th Fleet. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the 4th Air Corps, Yokohama Air Corps, and 1st Air Corps.[1]

Organization

  • The 4th Combined Air Group (第4連合航空隊, Dai-yon Rengō Kōkutai) was original unit of the 24th Air Flotilla, therefore, describe this section from the 4th Combined Air Group.
DateHigher unitUnit nameAviation units and vessels
15 November 1940 (original)Combined Fleet4th Combined Air GroupChitose Naval Air Group[N 1], Yokohama Naval Air Group[N 2], Seaplane tender Kamoi
15 January 194111th Air Fleet24th Air Flotilla
(renamed)		Chitose Naval Air Group, Yokohama Naval Air Group, Seaplane tender Kamoi, MV Goshū Maru
10 April 194111th Air Fleet24th Air FlotillaChitose Naval Air Group, Yokohama Naval Air Group, 1st Air Group[N 3], Seaplane tender Kamoi, MV Goshū Maru
20 December 19414th Fleet24th Air FlotillaChitose Naval Air Group, Yokohama Naval Air Group, 1st Air Group, MV Goshū Maru
16 February 19424th Fleet24th Air FlotillaChitose Naval Air Group, Yokohama Naval Air Group, 1st Air Group, 4th Air Group[N 4], MV Goshū Maru
1 April 194211th Air Fleet24th Air FlotillaChitose Naval Air Group, Yokohama Naval Air Group, 1st Air Group, MV Goshū Maru
1 December 194211th Air Fleet24th Air Flotilla201st Naval Air Group[N 5], 552nd Naval Air Group[N 6], 752nd Naval Air Group
5 August 194312th Air Fleet24th Air Flotilla531st Naval Air Group[N 7], 752nd Naval Air Group
1 December 194312th Air Fleet24th Air Flotilla281st Naval Air Group[N 8], 531st Naval Air Group, 752nd Naval Air Group
20 February 1944dissolved

Commanding officers

RankNameDateNote
1Rear-AdmiralRyūnosuke Kusaka15 November 1940
2Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral		Eiji Gotō15 April 1941
15 October 1941
3Rear-AdmiralMinoru Maeda1 June 1942
4Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral		Michiyuki Yamada20 January 1943
6 February 1944		KIA on 6 February 1944 at Ruot (Battle of Kwajalein).
Posthumly promoted to Vice-Admiral on same day.
xvacant post7 February 1944After unnoticed death of Rear-Admiral Yamada.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Attack bomber unit. Renamed 703rd Naval Air Group on 1 November 1942.
  2. ↑ Flying boat unit. Renamed 801st Naval Air Group on 1 November 1942.
  3. ↑ Attack bomber unit. Renamed 752nd Naval Air Group on 1 November 1942.
  4. ↑ Attack bomber unit. Renamed 702nd Naval Air Group on 1 November 1942.
  5. ↑ Carrier-borne fighter unit. Independent from Chitose Naval Air Group (703rd Naval Air Group) on 1 December 1942. Equipped Mitsubishi A6M
  6. ↑ Carrier-borne dive bomber unit. Equipped Aichi D3A
  7. ↑ Carrier-borne attack bomber unit. Equipped Nakajima B6N
  8. ↑ Carrier-borne fighter unit. Equipped Mitsubishi A6M

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Bullard, pp.32-33.

Bibliography

  • Japanese army operations in the South Pacific Area New Britain and Papua campaigns, 1942–43. Senshi Sōshō (translated excerpts). Translated by Bullard, Steven. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. 2007. ISBN 978-0-9751904-8-7.
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