I am doing what is called, The Super Hard Anime Quiz. For one question relating to the WW2-inspired anime Strike Witches, the question asks about a possible (second) inspiration for the episode. All I have been able to find is this isn't about Erich Hartmann (who is a known inspiration for the episode due to an incident where he stole Hitler's hat), and that the multiple-choice answers is that the pilot is: American, British, Italian, Japanese or Russian.
Thanks you for any help you can give; not only for helping out in this quiz but also for letting me know more about some of the light-hearted sides of terrible conflicts.
According to Henry Sakaida's Imperial Japanese Navy Aces, 1937-45, the pilot in question was Honda Toshiaki of the Tainan Air Group. According to Sakai Saburo's memoirs, Honda was something of a the Tainan AG's resident joker and at Rabaul, the former always had a fresh set of underwear while Sakai always seemed to run out. It turned out that Honda secretly stole Sakai's laundry. Honda's skills as a scrounger also came of use at Rabaul. Like Sakai, Honda was an NCO pilot and in the hierarchical structure of the IJN, officers got the best rations. Since Rabaul was at the extreme end of Japan's already tenuous logistical supply chain, the rations for non-officer pilots were poor and Honda pilfered the officers' mess on behalf of his squadron mates. Honda died on 13 May 1942 when P-39s of the 36th Fighter Squadron bounced his section during a fighter sweep of Port Moresby.