343rd Naval Air Group

The 343rd Naval Air Group (第三四三海軍航空隊) was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. This article handles first generation and second generation.

Structure

 * Higher unit
 * 1st Air Fleet (1 January 1944–31 January 1944)
 * 61st Air Flotilla (1 February 1944–10 July 1944, dissolved.)


 * Commanding officers
 * Commander Masakatsu Takenaka (1 January 1944–10 July 1944, dissolved.)

Second generation
Reborn as interceptor fighter unit.

Structure

 * Higher unit
 * 25th Air Flotilla (25 December 1944–4 February 1945)
 * 3rd Air Fleet (5 February 1945–4 May 1945)
 * 5th Air Fleet (5 May 1945–24 May 1945)
 * 72nd Air Flotilla (25 May 1945–postwar.)


 * Lower unit
 * 301st Fighter Squadron (25 December 1944–postwar.)
 * 401st Fighter Squadron (5 February 1945–postwar.)
 * 402nd Fighter Squadron (5 February 1945–28 February 1945)
 * 407th Fighter Squadron (25 December 1944–postwar.)
 * 701st Fighter Squadron (25 December 1944–postwar.)
 * 4th Reconnaissance Squadron (1 February 1945–30 April 1945)


 * Commanding officers
 * Vacant post (25 December 1944–14 January 1945)
 * Captain Minoru Genda (15 January 1945–postwar.)
 * Captain Genda also served as commanding officer of the 352nd Naval Air Group, from 15 June 1945.