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Japanese Lt. Yukio Seki died in a special (suicide) attack on Oct 25, 1944, at the age of 23 as leader of the Kamikaze Special Attack Corps Shikishima Squadron from the 201st Naval Air Group. He led five Zero fighters carrying 250-kg bombs that took off from Mabalacat Airfield in the Philippines, and he is credited officially with carrying out the first organized Kamikaze Corps attack.
The first Kamikaze Unit, which included 23 Zero fighter pilots and Yukio Seki as the commander, was formed in the early morning of October 20, 1944. The Shikishima Squadron made its first sortie from Mabalacat Airfield on Oct 21, but the five pilots returned to base when no enemy ships could be located. The same thing happened for three more days, until on October 25 enemy ships were located.
Seki (born Aug 29, 1921) was from SaijÅ City in Ehime Prefecture and graduated in the 70th Class of the Naval Academy at Etajima. He was promoted two ranks to Commander after his death in a special attack.
He wrote the following final letter addressed to the parents of his wife Mariko who was from Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture. Seki's mother lived alone in SaijÅ City in Ehime Prefecture, and his father passed away in 1941.
"Dear Father and Mother,
To Mother in SaijÅ, please forgive me for causing you hardships since I was very young and for my lack of filial piety.
Now standing at the crossroads of victory or defeat for the Empire, I am determined to repay the Emperor's grace with my own body. There is nothing that surpasses this as the long-cherished desire of a military man.
As for my Parents in Kamakura, please forgive me for going without being able to repay your kindness of truly loving me from the heart.
I am determined to repay the Emperor's grace by carrying out a taiatari (body-crashing) attack on an aircraft carrier with my own body for the Empire of Japan.
Everyone, take care. Yukio"
So it was. On Oct 25 Yukio Seki she fulfilled what she had proposed. The victim? the USS St. Lo carrier (CVE 63). During the Battle of Samar the plane hit the St Lo at 10:53hrs. Shortly after, a massive explosion of her own magazines caused an enormous mushroom shaped cloud to rise above the doomed vessel. Another six or seven explosions occurred after her commander, Capt F. J. McKenna, gave the order to abandon ship. The St Lo disappeared beneath the sea at 11:25 hrs taking with her 126 members of her crew.
The USS St. Lo dying
The first Kamikaze Unit, which included 23 Zero fighter pilots and Yukio Seki as the commander, was formed in the early morning of October 20, 1944. The Shikishima Squadron made its first sortie from Mabalacat Airfield on Oct 21, but the five pilots returned to base when no enemy ships could be located. The same thing happened for three more days, until on October 25 enemy ships were located.
Seki (born Aug 29, 1921) was from SaijÅ City in Ehime Prefecture and graduated in the 70th Class of the Naval Academy at Etajima. He was promoted two ranks to Commander after his death in a special attack.
He wrote the following final letter addressed to the parents of his wife Mariko who was from Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture. Seki's mother lived alone in SaijÅ City in Ehime Prefecture, and his father passed away in 1941.
"Dear Father and Mother,
To Mother in SaijÅ, please forgive me for causing you hardships since I was very young and for my lack of filial piety.
Now standing at the crossroads of victory or defeat for the Empire, I am determined to repay the Emperor's grace with my own body. There is nothing that surpasses this as the long-cherished desire of a military man.
As for my Parents in Kamakura, please forgive me for going without being able to repay your kindness of truly loving me from the heart.
I am determined to repay the Emperor's grace by carrying out a taiatari (body-crashing) attack on an aircraft carrier with my own body for the Empire of Japan.
Everyone, take care. Yukio"
So it was. On Oct 25 Yukio Seki she fulfilled what she had proposed. The victim? the USS St. Lo carrier (CVE 63). During the Battle of Samar the plane hit the St Lo at 10:53hrs. Shortly after, a massive explosion of her own magazines caused an enormous mushroom shaped cloud to rise above the doomed vessel. Another six or seven explosions occurred after her commander, Capt F. J. McKenna, gave the order to abandon ship. The St Lo disappeared beneath the sea at 11:25 hrs taking with her 126 members of her crew.
The USS St. Lo dying