#WW2 AIR COMBAT MANEUVERS FULL#

If I had done that, the Zero would likely have turned with me, locked on, and had me. If I hadn’t known which way to turn or roll, I’d have probably rolled to my left. From information that came from Koga’s Zero, I knew the Zero rolled more slowly to the right than to the left. As I did this and continued my dive, tracers from the Zero zinged past my plane’s belly. Then, as prescribed, I rolled hard right. I wanted at least 240 knots, preferably 260.

#WW2 AIR COMBAT MANEUVERS FULL#

As quoted in Jim Rearden’s book “Cracking the Zero Mystery,” Marine Captain Kenneth Walsh described how he used information from the Zero test flights to finish the war with 17 aerial victories over Zeroes: “With Zero on my tail I did a split S, and with its nose down and full throttle my Corsair picked up speed fast. Now armed with the knowledge needed to best the Zero in combat, the Allies quickly formulated strategies to defeat the Japanese in the air and, just as importantly, demystified the plane’s aura of invincibility. Thus, forcing the Zeroes to dive during a dogfight might make them easy targets for Allied gunners. Second, a poorly designed carburetor caused the engine to sputter badly when the plane was placed into a dive at a high rate of speed. This meant that forcing the enemy into such a maneuver would confer a tactical advantage to Allied pilots. First, it was nearly impossible to perform rolls at moderately high speeds. In the process, he discovered the Zero possessed not one but two Achilles’ heels. The plane performed beautifully, and Sanders went on to fly 24 test flights in 25 days. On September 20, Lieutenant Commander Eddie Sanders became the first pilot to fly a Zero in American colors. Salvaging what they could and fabricating the few new parts needed, Navy mechanics brought the plane back up to flying condition. At last, the Zero’s secrets would be revealed. After three recovery attempts, the Navy finally managed to capture the plane and send it to a base in San Diego, California, for restoration. But Akutan Island would not give up its prize easily. Navy pilot on routine patrol over the Aleutians spotted Koga’s wreckage through a break in the clouds. On July 10, as the world’s attention focused on the pivotal Battle of Midway, a U.S. And he and his Zero lay in the mist on Akutan, just waiting to be discovered by the Allies. Koga hadn’t survived, however: His neck had broken when the plane flipped over. They circled once or twice before returning to their aircraft carrier at the western end of the island chain. Koga’s plane appeared so undamaged, however, that his wingmen couldn’t bring themselves to shoot it up, fearing they might kill their friend. How the Battle of Stalingrad Marked a Turning Point in WWIIĪll Japanese pilots had standing orders to destroy any disabled Zeroes lest they fall into enemy hands. The bog snared Koga’s landing wheels and flipped the Zero end over end. That turf concealed a trap, though: Boggy soil lurked just below what appeared to be a solid landing strip. Designated by the Japanese army as an emergency landing field, Akutan boasted a long, grassy strip that must have looked to Koga like a sure bet for a smooth landing. With mere minutes to get the plane down safely, Koga headed west for Akutan Island.

Now, piloting a fighter trailing a stream of oil, Koga realized that the moment the last drop of lubricant spilled out, his plane’s engine would seize and his Zero would plummet to earth. During the engagement, his plane took ground fire that severed its main oil line. Emerging from the ubiquitous fog that envelopes the entire Aleutian Islands chain five or six days a week, Koga acquired his target and strafed the enemy base.

When Koga took off for Dutch Harbor that June morning, he probably expected to complete his mission and return to base as usual. But then, what Japanese pilot wouldn’t swagger with the indomitable Zero at his command? In an undated service photo, he looks directly into the camera, almost smiling, his left hand tucked into the pocket of his uniform. On June 4, with orders to bomb the Allied base Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island, young pilot Tadayoshi Koga, thought to have been 19 years old, strapped himself into his plane and prepared to carry out the mission of the Imperial Army. Whatever the rationale, sending Zeroes to the Aleutians would prove to be a critical intelligence error for Japan.

Ww2 air combat maneuvers