| Sadaaki Akamatsu | |
|---|---|
Akamatsu photographed in 1944 or 1945 with the 302 Air Group at Atsugi, Japan |
|
| Nickname | Matchan |
| Born | 30 July 1910 Kōchi Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | 22 February 1980 Kōchi, Japan |
| Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
| Service/branch | Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN) |
| Years of service | 1928-1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Junior Grade |
| Battles/wars | Second Sino-Japanese War Pacific War |
Sadaaki Akamatsu (赤松 貞明 Akamatsu Sadaaki, 30 July 1910 - 22 February 1980) was an officer and ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. In aerial combat over China and the Pacific, he was officially credited with destroying 27 enemy aircraft.
Akamatsu was credited with shooting down 11 enemy aircraft over China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, including four in a single engagement near Nanchang on 25 February 1938. In the opening months of the Pacific War, he served in the Philippines and Dutch East Indies campaigns. From January 1944 until the end of the war, Akamatsu flew out of Atsugi Air Base defending Tokyo from Allied air attacks.
After the war, Akamatsu worked as a fish search pilot for the Kōchi Fishery Association and later ran a small cafe in Kōchi. After struggling for years with alcoholism, Akamatsu died of pneumonia on 22 February 1980.