25th Air Flotilla
# 25th Air Flotilla

The 25th Air Flotilla (第二五航空戦隊,, Dai Nijūgo Kōkū Sentai, "Nijūgo Kōsen") was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific Campaign of World War II.

## History

The 25th Air Flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reported to the 11th Air Fleet. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, and Yokohama Air Group. The 4th flew bombers, the Tainan fighters, and the Yokohama reconnaissance aircraft. The flotilla, under the command of Rear Admiral Sadayoshi Yamada, was deployed to Rabaul, New Britain on 29 March 1942. From this location, the unit supported Japanese military operations in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns. During these campaigns, the unit was augmented by aircraft from other flotillas (i.e., 2nd Air Group and 3rd Air Group). The operational title for this hybrid organization was the 5th Air Attack Force. The organization took heavy losses in air combat over Guadalcanal.

## Organization

| Date | Higher unit | Aviation units and vessels |
| - | - | - |
| 1 April 1942 (original) | 11th Air Fleet | 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, Yokohama Air Group, MV Mogamigawa Maru |
| 29 April 1942 | 11th Air Fleet | 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, Yokohama Air Group, Seaplane tender Akitsushima, MV Mogamigawa Maru |
| 7 August 1942 | 11th Air Fleet | 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, 2nd Air Group, Yokohama Air Group (detachment), 14th Air Group (detachment) |
| 12 September 1942 | 11th Air Fleet | 4th Air Group, Tainan Air Group, 2nd Air Group, Toko Air Group, Yokohama Air Group (detachment) |
| 10 October 1942 | 11th Air Fleet | Tainan Air Group, 2nd Air Group, 3rd Air Group (detachment), 751st Air Group (ex-Kanoya fighter unit), Toko Air Group, 14th Air Group (detachment) |
| 1 November 1942 | 11th Air Fleet | 251st Air Group, 702nd Air Group, 801st Air Group |
| 18 May 1943 | 11th Air Fleet | 251st Air Group, 702nd Air Group |
| 1 July 1943 | 11th Air Fleet | 251st Air Group, 501st Air Group, 702nd Air Group |
| 1 September 1943 | 11th Air Fleet | 251st Air Group, 253rd Air Group, 702nd Air Group, 705th Air Group, 751st Air Group |
| 1 December 1943 | 11th Air Fleet | 251st Air Group, 253rd Air Group, 751st Air Group |
| 1 February 1944 | 11th Air Fleet | 251st Air Group, 582nd Air Group, 751st Air Group |
| 5 May 1944 | dissolved | dissolved |
| 10 July 1944 | 2nd Air Fleet | Nansei-Shotō Air Group |
| 15 November 1944 | 2nd Air Fleet | 203rd Air Group, 701st Air Group, Nansei-Shotō Air Group |
| 15 December 1944 | 3rd Air Fleet | 203rd Air Group, 701st Air Group |
| 10 February 1945 | dissolved | dissolved |

## Commanding officers

| | Rank | Name | Date | Note |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Sadayoshi Yamada | 1 April 1942 | |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | Keizō Ueno | 17 November 1942 | |
| x | | dissolved | 5 May 1944 | |
| 3 | Captain / Rear-Admiral | Tomozō Kikuchi | 10 July 1944 | Rear-Admiral on 15 October 1944. |
| 4 | Captain | Toshiyuki Yokoi | 24 October 1944 | |
| x | | dissolved | 10 February 1945 | |
