Final Defense of 357 depicts Capt. Teruhiko Kobayashi of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force's 244th Sentai during the desperate defense of Japan against B-29 Superfortress raids. The artwork focuses on the Ki-61 Hien, known to Allied forces by the reporting name “Tony.”
The Ki-61 Relic
The relic comes from a Kawasaki Ha-40 engine canister recovered in 1989 from Ki-61 No. 704 at Babo Airfield in New Guinea. The airfield had become an important Japanese base after Allied forces withdrew early in 1942.
Material from a Kawasaki Ha-40 engine component recovered with Ki-61 No. 704.
Defending Japan
Kobayashi commanded the 244th Sentai, a unit assigned to defend the Tokyo region. As B-29 operations intensified, Japanese fighter pilots faced bombers operating at altitudes and speeds that made interception difficult.
Capt. Teruhiko Kobayashi became one of the best-known Ki-61 pilots of Japan's air-defense campaign.
Some pilots resorted to deliberate ramming attacks when conventional gun attacks failed to stop the bombers. These extreme tactics reflected the growing disparity between Japan's remaining defensive resources and the scale of the American strategic bombing offensive.
Share: