Yoshimi Minami (南 義美, Minami Yoshimi, December 15, 1915 – November 25, 1944) was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Participating in many of the Pacific War battles and campaigns as a member of several units, Minami was officially credited with destroying 15 enemy aircraft. He was killed in November 1944 attempting to crash his aircraft into enemy ships off Leyte as a participant in Kamikaze operations.

Yoshimi Minami
BornDecember 15, 1915
Kagawa Prefecture, Japan
DiedNovember 25, 1944(1944-11-25) (aged 28)
Second Philippine Republic
AllegianceEmpire of Japan
Service/branch Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN)
Years of service1933-1944
RankLieutenant
Unit13th Air Group
Ōmura Air Group
12th Air Group
Saeki Air Group
Ōita Air Group
Hiryū
Zuihō
Shōkaku
601st Air Group
Taihō
653rd Air Group
Kasagi Unit
Battles/warsWorld War II:
Second Sino-Japanese War
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Indian Ocean raid
Battle of the Coral Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte

References edit

  • Hata, Ikuhiko; Yasuho Izawa; Don Cyril Gorham (translator) (1989). Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-315-6. {{cite book}}: |author3= has generic name (help)