Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45: No.22 (Aircraft of the... - Sakaida, Henry

Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 193745Author(s): Henry Sakaida, Mike Chappell\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, United Kingdom\nImprint: Osprey Publishing\nISBN-13: 9781855327276, 978-1855327276\nSynopsis\nThe outcome of the Pacific War was heavily influenced by the results of naval battles between the Imperial Japanese fleet and the US Navy. One of the key weapons of the former force was its large fighter component, which had gained valuable experience supporting bombing sorties on Manchuria, China and Mongolia in the late 1930s. Flying A5M Claudes, at least 21 pilots achieved 'acedom' whilst securing total air superiority for the invading Japanese forces. Manufacturer Mitsubishi derived much from these limited campaigns, and subsequently produced one of the best fighters on eighter side during World War 2, the A6M Zero-Sen. Employing this fighter to telling effect, navy pilots proved to be both relentless and highly skilled when engaged by the Allied forces that.