Kato hayabusa sento-tai

LET US WORK TOGETHER WITHOUT STOPPING

Toho Production

COLONEL KATO'S FALCON SQUADRON

A national movie under the aegis of the Ministry of Information

With the assistance of the Department of the Army

Produced by the Toho Group

CANTON, CHINA

APRIL 1941

He was expected to arrive at 17:00pm.

It will be difficult in this weather.

He may have turned around.

Perhaps.

Exactly 17:00 pm.

Attention!

It's been a long time, Amba.

Indeed.

You came directly from Taiwan? We thought you might not make it.

The clouds were very low. I just had to fly above the waves.

You must be very tired. Do you want to go to your quarters?

No, first I have to make my report to the Brigadier General.

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Tateo Kato.

I am delighted to return to the crack 64th fighter group

as your new commander.

FIGHTER GROUP HEADQUARTERS

To your health! Nothing is more important!

Who used to live in this house?

A general in the Chinese air force.

They even have a piano.

Commander, the men have written a song that they'd like to sing for you.

With pleasure.

Kunimi?

Would you like to play the piano? Everyone else will sing.

I don't know how.

Don't be shy. Go ahead.

- Go on. Play for us. - Why don't you want to play?

Everyone... let's sing.

With the loud sound of the engine,

The Falcons go

To the ends of the clouds

The rising sun shining on our wings

And the Red Eagles drawn on our chests

Are the symbols of our fighters

Cold, wind, and intense heat is nothing to us

We can bear with trials and tribulations

Expert aircraftmen maintain the airplanes

And they pray their airplanes do well

With parental feelings for their lovely airplanes

Having had many air battles

The roaring sounds of bullets,

With faith in our ultimate victory

And cooperative spirit to die together if we die

We grab our sticks with our hearts

After years of fighting

We received seven testimonials

But there were tears in the shadows of our feats,

Ah, the samurais are gone,

With the spirit to die with a smile

We are proud of our tough eagles throughout the world

Our wings go through thousands of miles

Observing shining traditions,

We will create a new Great Asia

We are the fighter wing of the Imperial Army

A FEW MONTHS LATER

THE 64th FIGHTER GROUP RECEIVES NEW FALCON FIGHTER

I was wondering who flew this morning, just before dawn.

Looking out the window to the right, I saw our commander. Such courage!

Our commander has already mastered the Falcon.

He's both hard working and a natural pilot.

You both seem to admire it as if it's a new toy,

while our commander creates new tactics based on it's strengths.

I respect him a lot for that.

Taking off from our base at Canton,

I flew over the island of Hainan and then to French Indochina

but all of the airfields in this area were flooded.

So I decided to fly to a place called Phu Quoc.

You made it all the way to Phu Quoc?

I found a place that we can use as our new airfield. It does require some work though.

It just has a few cows but generally it's good.

You really went a long way.

Yeah, but I'm stiff all over. Getting too old for this.

Impressive... flying solo to Phu Quoc.

He is a very good navigator. Unlike you!

Before my return, I got a pass to Saigon where I bought this.

What is it?

What?! You really don't know? It's a coffee grinder.

Oh, right. You prepare coffee with it.

It's much better prepared this way.

I'll make coffee for every one of you.

It's very difficult to make coffee properly. I need to teach her.

Come here.

You... go boil up some water. Understand?

IN EARLY DECEMBER, THE 64th FIGHTER GROUP

RELOCATED TO THE ISLAND OF PHU QUOC IN SOUTHERN FRENCH INDOCHINA

MEANWHILE...

Our convoy containing General Yamashita's division

is currently in the Gulf of Thailand... heading toward the landings in Malaysia.

The convoy will enter enemy airspace on the 7th of December.

The Sugai air division must protect this convoy against the enemy's air attack.

Finally, the Aoto squadron

must provide air cover for the convoy during the day on the 7th of December.

I think it's impossible to fly at night on these instruments in this bad weather.

I've never been in a situation like this before. We could lose everything.

Everything depends on Yamashita's successful landing.

This campaign can influence the outcome of this war.

I request that I be in charge of tonight's mission.

I understand why you want to replace me but you're my senior pilot ...

... so you must remain here tonight.

If something happens to you at the beginning of the war,

the men's morale will be destroyed.

You don't trust me?! I'll come back no matter what!

I would like to come with you.

But you just got here.

That doesn't matter.

If I stay behind, I won't be able to do my duty.

This war will be a long one. For now, rest.

I'm very rested. Please.

No need to hurry.

As you order, I will remain here.

But can you at least take Takada with you? Please.

Okay, I'll take him.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

The weather is getting worse and worse. We must be careful.

17:30 TAKE OFF

THE CONVOY

19:10 ON PATROL ABOVE CONVOY

ESCORT FOR ONE HOUR

AS NIGHT FALLS, RETURN TO BASE

They should have been back by now.

"We climb, we will pass over the clouds.

"We climb, we will pass over the clouds.

"We climb, we will pass over the clouds."

They must have encountered some sort of trouble.

FATIGUE

DISORIENTATION

SLEEPINESS

Nakamitsu!

LT. TSUKUJI'S PLANE

6,000 METERS ALTITUDE

LACK OF OXYGEN

Are the signal lights working?

Yes, sir!

Turn on the searchlights.

Turn on the searchlights!

THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD BE FLYING OVER THE LAND ABOUT NOW

BUT THICK LAYERS OF CLOUDS PREVENTS THE SEARCHLIGHTS FROM BEING SEEN

LT. TAKADA'S PLANE

IS THAT A SEARCHLIGHT?

KATO DESCENDS 1,200 FEET

LT. ODA FOLLOWS HIM

Do you think that could be the commander?

Lt.s Nakamitsu and Tsukiji are dead.

And the commander?

I lost sight of him.

Takada?

I don't know.

Takada! Takada! Kato is here!

They'll be out of gas soon.

23:00 PM

Commander, the pilots who've returned should get some rest now.

Yes...

Returned!

Lt. Takada

He insisted on going with us.

I was too sentimental and now I almost feel...

...guilty.

I can't do this.

THE 8TH OF DECEMBER

ATTACKING THE ENEMY BASE TO PROTECT THE YAMASHITA DIVISION

PENANG

THREE ENEMY AIRCRAFT SET ON FIRE AND THREE DESTROYED

ALOR SETAR

THREE AIRCRAFT SET ON FIRE AND THREE DESTROYED

This morning the Yamashita division

managed to land on Kota Bahru, Singora and Patani.

That's great!

Excellent!

According to the radio,

the Imperial Navy has attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii.

They did?

Unbelievable!

TWO DAYS LATER, ON THE 12TH OF DECEMBER, THE 64TH FIGHTER GROUP MOVED TO KOTA BAHRU

The Yamashita division

is trying to occupy the bridge before the enemy can.

Our timetable for capturing Singapore depends on the capture of this bridge.

Our bombers will attack the enemy to prevent them

from destroying the bridge.

Enemy fighters will surely attempt to intercept our bombers

therefore we've been ordered to escort them.

But before that, I've decided that we destroy the enemy's base completely.

We will now destroy all enemy aircraft in Kuala Lumpur.

ENEMY AIRCRAFT!

THE SECOND SQUADRON ACTS AS BAIT

THE ENEMY CAUGHT IN THE TRAP ARE SENT TO THEIR GRAVES...

...BECAUSE THE AMBA SQUADRON PROVIDES HIGH COVERAGE

THIS WAS THE FIRST AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT,

IN WHICH KATO'S GROUP TOOK PART IN THE GREATER EAST ASIA WAR

ON THE 24TH OF DECEMBER, THE GROUP RETURNED TO THAILAND

Is she Japanese?

Yoshi?