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Interesting, but what exactly is a Tora-Tora plane??
There were few P-40's left operational by then, but also actually few Japanese fighters still deployed in the Philippines either. By early January 1942, the JNAF units had deployed further south, and all the JAAF units were withdrawn also except one company of the 50th Sentai, with Type 97's. So though the Americans understandably assumed themselves still under siege by a larger force, actually the US fighter force was about as numerous as the Japanese, and a more modern type, the P-40. Likewise the US-Fil force on the ground outnumbered the Japanese investing them, but of course the US side was cut off from resupply.Thats cool
but I've never heard of the Dogfight they mention looking at what stuff I could google , it must have been one of the last P40's left in the Philipines by the date and the aircraft recovered wasn't a bomber but a KI 27
A phase of air combat that I must claim ignorance of , I assumed most US airpower was gone at this pointThere were few P-40's left operational by then, but also actually few Japanese fighters still deployed in the Philippines either. By early January 1942, the JNAF units had deployed further south, and all the JAAF units were withdrawn also except one company of the 50th Sentai, with Type 97's. So though the Americans understandably assumed themselves still under siege by a larger force, actually the US fighter force was about as numerous as the Japanese, and a more modern type, the P-40. Likewise the US-Fil force on the ground outnumbered the Japanese investing them, but of course the US side was cut off from resupply.
The particular battle Feb 9 was 4 P-40's covering the recon mission by the Philippine pilot Jesus Villamor flying a PT-13 biplane trying to photograph Japanese artillery sites firing on Corregidor. 6 Type 97's attacked. One P-40 was missing, another shot up and landed at another base returning to Bataan later. One Type 97 was missing, another force landed at a forward field on Bataan and was desrtroyed there by US artillery. The Japanese claimed 5, the US pilots actually didn't make any specific claims but US public announcements at the time credited them with 6. The famous Japanese ace (famous overclaimer among Japanese aces, actually) Satoshi Anabuki claimed 2 victories in this combat.
Joe
A phase of air combat that I must claim ignorance of , I assumed most US airpower was gone at this point