Kenji Okabe
Japanese flying ace (1915–September 1943)
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Kenji Okabe (岡部 健二, Okabe Kenji; 1915-September 1943) was an ace fighter pilot in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Participating in many of the Pacific War battles and campaigns as a member of several units, Okabe was officially credited with destroying 15 enemy aircraft. Okabe was credited with shooting down eight enemy aircraft on 8 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea, the IJN's official record for the number of aircraft destroyed in a single encounter.[1] He is famous for his strong opposition to the kamikaze attacks, rare in IJN at the time. Okabe was killed in action in September 1943 over Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
Kenji Okabe | |
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| Native name | 岡部 健二 |
| Born | 1915 |
| Died | September 1943 (aged 27–28) |
| Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
| Branch |  Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJN) |
| Rank | Ensign |
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| Conflicts | |
