Originally posted by brady
Lt. JG. Hiroshi Nishizawa, it is:)
He was suposed to of goten 87 Kill's but the likely kill number is probably around 60 to 70.
Image and Kill info from, Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in WW2 Isukhiko Hata and Yasuho Izawa, Naval Insitute Press.
Historian Henry Sakaida estimates that Nishizawa's score is probably in the range of 35 to 40, mostly obsolete aircraft.
Typically, Japanese kill tallies have been reassessed at about 30-40% of their claims, depending on the reliability of the individual pilot. Saburo Sakai's score has been revised to about 25. Japanese methods of assigning kills was based solely upon what they claimed, with no gun camera film or second and third person witnesses being required.
I remember reading that several Japanese Army aces with 5-6 kills had all of their kills stricken when Allied records indicated no losses whatsoever at the location and date of the claims. Basically, if a Japanese pilot fired at a plane and missed altogether, it was claimed as damaged, If it was hit, even slightly, it was always claimed as destroyed. Indeed, Japanese pilots claimed 97 Hellcats destroyed in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea. In reality, only 7 were lost to Japanese aircraft, a further 9 being lost to tripleA. American Navy pilots claimed about 40 more than they actually shot down (356 being claimed in total, another 19 killed by ship tripleA and gunners of Helldivers and TBMs). All nation's pilots over-claimed. However, the Japanese and Soviets made it an art form.
My regards,
Widewing
