Biplane fighter aces

Japan

NA 1/C Naoji Hayashi

In January 1942 Naoji Hayashi served on the seaplane tender Sanyo Maru flying the Mitsubishi F1M2 ‘Pete’ biplane scout.
On 10 January 1942 Sanyo Maru was covering a Japanese invasion force who was out to land troops in the Tarakan area on the north-east part of Borneo the following day. During the day two F1Ms, flown by Warrant Officer Masamitsu Ezoe and NA 1/C Hayashi, strafed a surfaced submarine and then attacked an aircraft identified as a Blenheim, one of three aircraft which they had seen taking off from Samarinda. In fact these aircraft were Glenn Martins of 1-VIG-I. After engaging one bomber for ten minutes, it began trailing white smoke and disappeared south-westwards. This aircraft was claimed as a probably destroyed. In fact M-547, flown by Ensign H. G. Bouwens, crash-landed on Tarakan airfield. The crew survived and managed to find a native boat, in which they sailed across to the mainland but were eventually captured after wandering through the jungle for several weeks.
Hayashi ended the war with 1 shared biplane victory.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1942
	10/01/42	½	Glenn Martin (a)	Shared destroyed	F1M2		Tarakan area, Borneo	Sanyo Maru

Biplane victories: 1 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 shared destroyed.
(a) Claimed in combat with a Glenn Martin of 1-VIG-I. Ensign H. G. Bouwens crash-landed M-547 at Tarakan airfield. The crew survived but was later taken captured by Japanese troops.

Sources:
Bloody Shambles Volume One - Christopher Shores and Brian Cull with Yasuho Izawa, 1992 Grub Street, London, ISBN 0-948817-50-X
Alexander Crawford has been most helpful, while compiling this information.