Toshio Ōta

Japanese flying ace

Toshio Ota (?? ??, Ota Toshio, 20 March 1919 – 21 October 1942) was a World War II Japanese fighter ace.In early 1942, at the age of 22, he flew a Mitsubishi A6M Zero with the Lae-based Tainan Air Group.

There the young petty officer, 1st class became one of the so-called "Clean-up Trio" of Japanese aces, along with his squadron mates Saburo Sakai and Hiroyoshi Nishizawa.

Ota's first confirmed kill, of a U.S.Army Air Force P-40E Warhawk, was over New Guinea on April 11, 1942.

Transferred to Rabaul in August, Ota was killed in a dogfight with U.S.Marine Corps Grumman F4F Wildcats over Guadalcanal on October 21, shortly after shooting down a Wildcat himself.

His victorious opponent is believed to be 1st Lt.Frank C.Drury of VMF-212.Ota is credited with 34 victories, making him the Imperial Japanese Navy's fourth-ranking ace.

In his autobiography, Sakai described Ota as outgoing and amiable, in contrast to the more reserved Nishizawa, and said he would have been "more at home in a nightclub" than in Lae.

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