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Yasuna Kozono | |
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| Born | November 1, 1902 Minamisatsuma,Kagoshima Prefecture,Empire of Japan |
| Died | November 5, 1960 (aged 58) Japan |
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan |
| Service |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Rank | Captain (海軍大佐剥奪) |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
Yasuna Kozono (小園 安名,Kozono Yasuna, November 1, 1902 – November 5, 1960) was anImperial Japanese Navy officer who fought in theSecond World War.
He was born inKagoshima Prefecture inMansei City. He graduated from Tachikawa Junior Jigh School and entered the Japanese Naval Academy on August 26, 1920, graduating on July 14, 1923.
When he was the commander of a unit inRabaul onNew Britain he suggestedmodifying the ordnance fitment of theNakajima J1N as a night fighter, whichby 21 May 1943 was successful againstB-24s andB-17s, although less so againstB-29s.[1]
Kozono was in command ofAtsugi Aerodrome during the latter part of the Second World War, and initially refused to surrender. They printed leaflets and dropped them over the Kanto area calling for the war to be continued "to the end". Finally, 33 pilots left the base, andDouglas MacArthur arrived there on August 30.[2][3] Weakened bymalaria, Kozono was one of 70 soldiers to be arrested by the Imperial Japanese Navy for continuing to fight. They were all court-martialed for disobeying orders.
Kozono was stripped of his rank and pension, and sentenced tolife imprisonment. The other soldiers received prison sentences ranging from four to eight years. However, in November 1946, everyone convicted in the case, with the exception of Kozono, was released under an amnesty. Kozono's sentence was later reduced to 20 years, then to 10 years. He was released on parole in December 1950 and amnestied in 1952. Kozono spent the rest of his life as a farmer after his release. He died of acerebral hemorrhage in 1960.
Yasuna Kozono was portrayed byJun Tazaki in the 1967 filmJapan's Longest Day.