| 252 Air Group | |
|---|---|
Air Group 252 zeros at Misawa Air Base in May 1944 |
|
| Active | 1 November 1942 – September 1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Type | Naval aviation unit |
| Role | Air superiority Fighter aircraft support |
| Size | 45-65 aircraft |
| Garrison/HQ | Tateyama Air Base Misawa Air Base |
| Aircraft flown | A6M Zero |
| Engagements | World War II |
The 252 Air Group (252 海軍航空隊 252 Kaigun Kōkūtai) was a fighter aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The unit's name is translated into English as the "252 Air Group" instead of "252nd Air Group" because each numeral in the unit's name was a discrete identifier of information pertaining to the unit. The unit was formed on 1 November 1942 by separating the fighter squadron from the Genzan Air Group.
The unit, equipped with A6M Zero fighter aircraft, was involved in several major battles in the south and central Pacific from 1942 to 1943. After being annihilated in combat over the Marshall islands in 1943, in February 1944 the unit was reconstituted in Japan and helped defend the home islands against Allied offensives, including B-29 bomber attacks from the Mariana Islands.