WW2 Japanese Navy Canteen from Kamikaze Designated Airfield

Here is a very rare Japanese Navy Canteen from from a known Kamikaze airfield.

This is the standard naval issue canteen used throughout WW2.

However, this particular one is marked in the front with the Kanji 小松空.

This kanji best translates to Komatsu Airfield.

This airfield was established on September 1944 in Komatsu, Japan. Komatsu is located along the north central coast of Japan.

Komatsu airfield was built for elements of the 721st Naval Air Group. The 721st was a dedicated Kamikaze (Special Attack) group dispersed at nine airfields all over Japan, including Komatsu.

The 721st was known as the God Thunder Corps. Not surprisingly, Komatsu was established just one month before Kamikazes began to attack US ships.

In all, 3,800 kamikaze pilots died during attacks.

Komatsu airfield closed on 6/30/1945.  Either all the pilots left to carry out their missions or they were moved to other forward bases for strategic reasons.

This is the first Japanese Navy canteen from a dedicated Kamikaze unit we have seen in 50 years.

This canteen was either used by a pilot or a ground crew member, we cannot say which.

Regardless, it is a fact that pilots everywhere in the Pacific needed to drink water while en route to a target or while returning from a mission.  Many Kamikaze pilots were sent on missions where they could not find a target. These pilots would naturally return to their airfield.  Although Kamikaze pilots did not have a great deal of training, they would receive the minimum amount of flight hours to learn takeoff, flight procedures, attack techniques and certainly how to land

Need for Hydration: The principle of proper hydration for pilots, especially in the hot Pacific theater, was a significant concern for all pilots involved in the war. Pilots flying long-range missions, looking for opportune targets, would need access to water to avoid fatigue and heatstroke. Long flights over water were common in the Pacific theater, making personal water supplies essential for survival in case of being shot down or ditching at sea, and for general well-being during the flight itself.