Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

A small potted history of Hideki Shingo’s career from the text of “Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in WW2” by Ikuhiko Hata & Yashuho Izawa (translated version by D.C. Gorham).
Hideki Shingo was not listed as an ace, so there’s no individual biography. This summary is from text mentions of him via the book’s index.

1.Oct.1941 – Group Leader LT. Shingo – Tainan Air Group

Tainan Air Group is eventually reorganised into Air Group 251, Shingo is listed as Group Leader Oct-41 to Apr-42.

8.Dec.1941 – Air Group under Shingo, claims 9 aircraft shot down over Iba and Clark airfields in Philippines.
8.Feb.1942 – 9 A6Ms led by Shingo, attack a formation of 9 B-17s (commanded by Capt. J.L.J. Dufrane Jr) over the Java Sea. 2 B-17s (including Dufrane’s) are claimed destroyed.
1.Apr.1942 – A portion of Air Group 251’s veteran flight personnel, under Shingo, return to the homeland.

Shingo is made Group Lead of the 6th Air Group between Apr-May, 1942. (The 6th A.G. will be eventually renamed Air Group 204.)

18.Apr.1942 – 26th Air Flotilla sends out 29 land attack bombers to attack the recently detected Hornet Task Force (Doolittle Raid). These land-based torpedo bombers were escorted by 12 A6M or the 6th A.G. (led by Shingo) and 12 A6Ms from the Kaga. Mission is unsuccessful in finding the Hornet Task Force.

Shingo is made Group Leader of Air Group 252 (formerly the Genzan Air Group) Fighter Squadron, between May and June 1942. Nominal fighter strength of the group is 36 A6M.

Shingo is made Group Leader of the Shokaku Air Group Fighter Squadron between Jul-Oct 1942.
During the Battle of the Eastern Solomons (Aug 1942), Shingo leads the second force of 15 A6Ms to Baku Base, and remains there 28-Aug to 4-Sep 1942.
Three major air actions occur (29-Aug, 30-Aug & 2-Sep) in which the A6Ms led by Shingo claim 15 fighters, for the loss of 6 veteran pilots – including Shingo who makes an emergency landing.
26.Oct.1942 – During the Battle of Santa Cruz, 5 A6Ms under LT Shingo, form the second attack escort.

1.Jul.1943 – Air Group 331 formed as a mixed unit with 24 A6M (under Group Leader LCDR Shingo – recent promotion) and 24 Type 97 bombers.
During the latter part of 1943, detachments from A.G.331 would serve on the Burma front.
3.Dec.1943 – 27 A6Ms led by Shingo transit form Sabang to Magwe (in Burma) via Tavoy.
5.Dec.1943 – A force led by Shingo (text is not clear how many A6Ms or if any bombers) raids Calcutta claiming 4 hurricanes destroyed and 2 probables for no loss.

4.Mar.1944 – A.G.331 Fighter Squadron is reorganized/renamed Fighter Hitokai 603 and transferred to Air Group 202 on Truk. 33 A6Ms depart Sumatra for Truk, via Surabaya, Kenderi, Davao, Palau and Wolei Atoll.
Early March 1944, the Fighter Hitokai 603 is engaged in intercepting B-24 raids over Truk.
30.Apr.1944 – US Task Force raids Truk (Operation Hailstone).
23.May.1944 – 14 aircraft under Shingo leave Truk for Sorong, via Guam and Yap.

Here the trail for LCDR Hideki Shingo peters out, and there is not much more mention of him in this book.

There are a few photos, including a number of large group photos of squadron/air-group personnel. My scanner is inaccessible at present, so I have included (or tried to) a few of low-res individual photos of Shingo and his A6M via my cell-phone. The photos are from the book referenced above.

Regards, ...geoff