Shigetaka Ōmori | |
---|---|
Born | 1916 Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan |
Died | 26 October 1942 South Pacific |
Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
Service/branch | Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN) |
Years of service | 1933-1942 |
Rank | Ensign |
Battles/wars | Second Sino-Japanese War Pacific War |
Shigetaka Ōmori (Japanese: 大森 茂高; 1916 – 26 October 1942) 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, or assisting in destroying, nine to 16 enemy aircraft.
In February 1938 Ōmori was posted to the 13th Kokutai in China. He scored his first victory on 25 February 1938 over Nanchang. In March he was transferred to the 12th Kokutai with which he flew until December. At the beginning of WWII he was aboard aircraft carrier Hosho.
Ōmori flew from the aircraft carrier Akagi at the Battle of Midway and was credited with destroying two US aircraft over Midway Island and helped in shooting down six US torpedo bombers which attacked the Japanese fleet. After the battle he was transferred to the carrier Shōkaku. Flying from Shōkaku as part of the carrier's combat air patrol, Ōmori was killed in aerial combat during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942.