20 Jan 1942: 
Japanese ground forces advanced from Mae Sot into Burma to Kawkereik by the end of the day, with 77th Sentai Ki-27s patrolling overhead. During the day, RAF Blenheims came from Rangoon to bomb Mae Sot Airfield escorted by six Flying Tiger P-40s. The Ki-27s encountered the Allied flight and engaged with the P-40s. The results at the end of the day were one Ki-27 shot down with Shigeru Suzuki, pilot, killed; one badly damaged P-40 limping back across the border into Burma where the pilot parachuted out; another P-40, not so badly damaged, succeeding in getting back to Mingaladon; and the bombing of Mae Sot by the Blenheims going as planned.
References:
- ประว้ติกองท้พอากาส ในสงครามมหาเอเชียบูรพา ระหว่าง พ.ศ.-๒๔๘๔-๒๔๘๘ (นครราชสีมา: สมบูรณ์การพิมพ์, พ.ศ.๒๕๖๔) [History of the Royal Thai Air Force during the Great East Asia War, 1941-1945 (Nakhon Ratchasima: Somboon Printing, 2021)], p 75 (translated):
20 Jan 1942
Time 1115 hrs. Six RAF Blenheims, escorted by six Flying Tiger P-40s, bombed Mae Sot Airfield. Japan sent six Nakajima Ki-27 fighters to intercept and engage the Tigers. Squadron Leader John Newkirk shot down two Japanese aircraft and Robert Hawthrone Neale got one, as did Robert Moss.
- Ford:1
The Allied air force returned to Thailand that morning: six Tomahawks shepherding a like number of Blenheims. Jack Newkirk led the escort, consisting “self & Moss & Neale & Bartling & Christman & Gesel[bracht].” In the misty valley that marked the border, they ran into eight Nates from the 77th Sentai. Newkirk claimed two, to become the Panda Bears’ first ace. . . . Moose Moss also claimed a Nate before he was bounced by two more.
The 77th Sentai lost one plane in this engagement, piloted by Lieutenant Suzuki Shigeru . . . .
- Hammel:2
January 20, 1942
THAILAND: 2d AVG Fighter Squadron P-40 pilots down three Ki-27s over Mesoht Airdrome.
- Shores, et al:3
Tuesday, 20 January [1942] A . . . Japanese [ground] force advanced through the Dawna Mountains and had taken Kawkereik by the end of the day, whilst the 77th Sentai had provided patrols overhead. On one of [those patrols] around midday the . . . pilots . . . had escorted 31st Sentai Ki-30s to the area, and the eight Ki-27s were patrolling when six 113 Squadron Blenheims escorted by six 2nd Squadron P-40s approached, on their way to bomb Mesoht. Sqn Ldr Newkirk claimed two of the Japanese aircraft shot down and another probable . . . Neale one probable. . . . the [Japanese] claimed four victories and one probable . . . for the loss of Suzuki during the fight with the P-40s.
- Umemoto:4
p 452 line 4:
| Item | Japanese | English5 |
| Date | 1月20日 | 20 Jan [1942] |
| Unit | 77 | 77th Sentai [3rd Chutai] |
| Aircraft lost | 九七軽 | Nakajima Ki-27 Fighter |
| Pilot | 鈴木茂中尉 | 1Lt Shigeru Suzuki |
| Location | メソド郊外 | Mae Sot area |
| Shooter | 2Sqn/AVG·P40B型(ポブ・ 二一ルまたはジャック・ニ ューカーウ) | 2Sqn/AVG-P40B (Bob Neil or Jack Newkirk) |
| Details | 戦死 | Killed in action |
p 50:
77戦隊では、. . . 撃墜確実1機の戦果を挙げたとされている鈴木茂中尉の九七戦が撃墜され、かれは戦死した。
Translation:
In the 77th squadron, . . . Lieutenant Shigeru Suzuki, who is said to have downed one enemy aircraft in the melee, was shot down in his Ki-27 fighter and killed in the crash.
| First published on Internet | ||
Last Updated on 17 September 2026
- Ford, Dan, Flying Tigers (Washington: Smithsonian, 1991, 2007), p 165.[↩]
- Hammel, Eric. Air War Pacific Chronology. Pacifica Military History. Kindle Edition. 1998.[↩]
- Shores, Christopher and Brian Cull with Yasuho Izawa, Bloody Shambles, Vol One (London: Grub Street, 1992), p 260.[↩]
- 梅本弘,ビルマ航空戦・上 (東京:大日本印刷株, 2002) [Umemoto, Hiroshi, Air War in Burma, vol 1(Tokyo: Dai Nippon, 2002)] [↩]
- Google translations[↩]