World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
18 Feb 2009 01:44:43 PM

Above photo: Mitsubishi A6M3 Navy Type O Carrier Fighter Model 22 of the 251st. Kokutai

2.  Bill says:
28 Dec 2009 06:58:33 PM

A Mitsubishi A6M3 Model 22 was recovered
from Babo, New Guinea in 1991. The Zero was restored using parts from other Zero fighters
The aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney
R-1830 engine.
Its original Sakai engine was beyond salvage
Interesting to note that before W.W.II the Japanese built under licence Pratt & Whitney
engines.
It is conceivable that Japanese aircraft
could have been powered by Japanese versions
of the U.S. design.
Today there are only(3)flyable Zero's in the
world. Pilots who have flown the Zero today
have respect for the Japanese pilots who had skill and courage. No armor protection, no bullet-proof glass, no protection for fuel tanks. The Zero was vulnerable to enemy fire
it had excellent maneuverability, and it was built as light as possible.
Made from T-7178 Aluminum a top-secret
development in Japan it was lighter and
stronger than normal aluminum used at that time.

3.  Bill says:
17 Apr 2010 10:10:44 PM

Photo of Hiroyoshi Nishizawa's Mitsubishi
A6M3-Model 22 tail code UI-105,of the 251st.
Kokutai, flying out of Rabaul: 1943. Camouflage is mottled green over light grey
the green color looks weathered, aircraft had
silver propeller spinner, the engine cowling is a blue-black color.

4.  Bill says:
28 Apr 2010 08:29:30 PM

"How Did The U.S. Navy Fight The Zero"

"The Thach Weave":
Named for the man that invented it. And put
it into operation. Lt.Commander John S. Thach
This system was setup to combat the Japanese
Zero fighter.
Two fighters,a leader and a wingman,fly about
200 feet apart. When a Zero got into position
on one of the fighters (six o'clock) or tail
position, the two planes would turn towards
each other, if the Zero followed the original
target through the turn, it would come into
a position to be fired on by his wingman.
This maneuver protected both US pilots, and
at the same time,gave each pilot a chance to
fire on the Zero.
This was used with very good results at the
Battle of the Coral Sea, and at the
Battle of Midway, this tactic helped makeup
for the inferiority of US fighters, until
new fighters were brought into service.
With the F4F Hellcat,F4U Corsair and the
P-38 Lightning appeared in the Pacific, the A6M Zero,lost its edge in air-to-air combat.
The US Navy's 1:1 kill ratio jumped to 10:1 However, after 1943 US sucessess also had to
do with the increasingly inexperienced
Japanese pilots.

5.  Bill says:
28 Apr 2010 08:48:44 PM

Out of the 10,449 Mitsubishi Zeros built only
a handful survive today,some in museums and
others that are able to fly, after years of
restoration work.
The aircraft that are flying, have had their
Japanese engines replaced with US engines but
only one is able to fly with its original
Sakae engine.
This aircraft "61-120" is now located at the
Planes of Fame Air Museum, in Chino Ca. USA

6.  Bill says:
6 May 2010 09:22:22 AM

Technical Air Intelligence:

Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit
South West Pacific Area A.T.A.I.U.-S.W.P.A.

During the early months of the Pacific war,
the Allies needed information on Japanese
aircraft. Teams were sent to find wrecked
or abandoned planes and related equipment.
Captured aircraft were made flyable usually
from parts of others.
A Technicial facility, was established at
Eagle Farms, Brisbane, Austrlia to test,fly and pass on information learned to Allied
forces.
Some of the aircraft tested at Eagle Farms
were Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero/Hamp.This fighter was rebuilt,from several aircraft.

Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar, was made flyable from
salvaged parts.

Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony, refurbished and tested
but grounded due to metal cuttings in the
engine.

It wasn't until American forces landed in the
Philippines, during 1944 and captured Clark Field, did they find large numbers of abandoned Japanese aircraft, both Army and Navy, that could be salvaged and tested.
It was as one pilot, said:
"A Real Treasure Trove". This was the biggest
find of the war

Another Air Intelligence Center, was setup
in the United States at Anacostia Naval Air
Station, Washington,D.C., Aircraft were also
tested at Wright Field, Ohio.

7.  Bill says:
23 May 2010 04:20:48 PM

The A6M is known as the Zero from its
Imperial Japanese Navy designation as:

Type 0 Carrier-based fighter, the 0 taken
from the last digit of the Imperial year
2600 (1940).

The Meaning of A6M:

The "A" Signified Carrier-Based Fighter
The "6" For Sixth Model Built For The Imperial Navy.

The "M" For The Manufacture, Mitsubishi


Allied Code Names:

Japanese Aircraft were given male names to
fighters, the Zero was code named "Zeke".

Female names were given to bombers, and bird names to gliders.

Tree names were given to trainers However,
the A6M2-K trainer was never given a seperate
code name, A6M5-K models were also built, but
in smaller numbers, this variant was based on
the A6M5, Model 52

In Japan the Zero was unofficially known as
the Rei-sen or Zero-sen. Japanese pilots
called their plane Zero-sen.

8.  Bill says:
18 Feb 2011 09:00:27 PM

NO SUCH THING...

Continued from #3, April 17, 2010
No such thing as an average fighter pilot, you were either an ace or a target.

Japanese ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa nick-named
"The Devil" with 80 kills to his credit, died as a passenger on a Nakajima or Showa
built L2D3 the Japanese version of the
Douglas DC-3.

9.  Bill says:
9 Oct 2011 01:52:39 PM

DIFFERENT SOURCES SAY ONE THING OR ANOTHER:
HISTORY IS A NEVERENDING DISCUSSION

Nishizawa "The Devil" with 80 kills died as
a passenger aboard a Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu
bomber converted into a transport.
The pilots were being flown to Mabalacat Air field, to pick up replacement zero fighters.
Two US Navy F6F Hellcats attacked the transport near Calapan.

Some photos do show a Nakajima or Showa L2D3/DC-3 on fire going down so the question will always be what's the real story.
"Histroy is a neverending discussion"
In 1936 he volunteered for the flight reserve enlistee training program, completed training in 1939 and qualified as a pilot in the IJNAF graduated 16th out of 71 men.
Assigned to fly the A5M "Claude" fighter, until replaced by the A6M Zero.
Photo shows Nishizawa flying his Mitsubishi
A6M3, Model 22 Zero fighter, of the 251st Kokutai.

10.  Bill says:
24 Nov 2011 05:09:13 PM

The A6M Zero didn't have any armor protection
for the pilot or fuel tanks. No bullet proof glass the plexiglass around the cockpit was 3/8 inch thick, just enough to keep the pilot out of the slipstream.
The Zero did have long range and was very maneuverable Allied pilots were told never turn with a Zero in a dogfight.

The improved Zero, A6M5 Model 52 Hei had armored glass in front and behind the pilot, the pilots seat was also armored, fuel tanks were protected and a C/02 system installed.

Armament also improved 2x20mm cannons in the wings with 125 rounds per gun, plus 2x13mm
machine guns w/240rpg in the wings, 1x13mm
machine gun in the upper fuselage.
In the hands of an experienced pilot the
Zero was still a deadly combat aircraft.

11. Ron says:
11 Sep 2014 03:08:24 PM

Didn't the wing cannon upgrade to a high velocity Type 99-II replacing the low velocity 99-I with the Zero 22?

What it lacked in rate of fire, it now made up for in long range hitting power.
This change was in a sense comparable to the Luftwaffe Bf 109E 20-mm low velocity cannon swicth to the high velocity Mauser MG 151/20 in the Bf 109F-4!

The Model 22 had full-span wings restored for carrying more internal fuel reinstating the range and manueverability lost by the Model 32 at the same time. Now you need a great pilot: Nishizawa!
Perfect.