DerAdlerIstGelandet >>> I was reading it in book about Zero by one american author, I can look at it during weekend and post more next week.
It happened during air battles over Singapore at the begining of war, that may tell more about type of Spitfre.
One Australian pilot which took part in those battles on Brevster Buffalo describe way in which Commonwealth fighters were masacred by Zeros. Then Hurricanes and Spitfires arived and British pilots took them up to repel Japanese attack. They used the same tactic as they used in Europe ...and result was as author predicted another masacre.
Japanese aviation was very advanced during years of ww2 ...on par with other waring sides. Zero was probably the best fighter in the world in time it apeared over China for the firsth time. At the begining of war in Pacific it won control over skyes for Japanese in respectiful way and kept it for firsth 1-2 years. G3M and G4M were also good medium bombers and served well until Zeros maintained control of skyes.
It is not true that Japanese doctrine called for range and maneurability. Japanese armed forces were divided in to army and navy. For navy range was very important and for good reason.
Army on the other hand never builded aircrafts with big range. Army doctrine was oriented against Chinese and Russians on the continent, for that they did not need range ...and that cripled army air forces in conflict over Pacific. Their aircrafts lacked range and pilots navigation training.
Japanese disadvantages in war were thin industrial base which was totaly orientated to weapon production. They had to make their aircrafths using tools imported from abroad because their own industry was not able to produce them.
Another problem was that they spreaded their human and industrial resources in too large area. They were developing too many identical aircraft types or were loosing time on improving old models instedat of developing new ones. If they would concentrate their limited resources they would be probably more succesful.
And the last thing was way they trained pilots and technical personels. They trained small group of elite pilots ...not a good strategy for prolonged conflict.
It happened during air battles over Singapore at the begining of war, that may tell more about type of Spitfre.
One Australian pilot which took part in those battles on Brevster Buffalo describe way in which Commonwealth fighters were masacred by Zeros. Then Hurricanes and Spitfires arived and British pilots took them up to repel Japanese attack. They used the same tactic as they used in Europe ...and result was as author predicted another masacre.
Japanese aviation was very advanced during years of ww2 ...on par with other waring sides. Zero was probably the best fighter in the world in time it apeared over China for the firsth time. At the begining of war in Pacific it won control over skyes for Japanese in respectiful way and kept it for firsth 1-2 years. G3M and G4M were also good medium bombers and served well until Zeros maintained control of skyes.
It is not true that Japanese doctrine called for range and maneurability. Japanese armed forces were divided in to army and navy. For navy range was very important and for good reason.
Army on the other hand never builded aircrafts with big range. Army doctrine was oriented against Chinese and Russians on the continent, for that they did not need range ...and that cripled army air forces in conflict over Pacific. Their aircrafts lacked range and pilots navigation training.
Japanese disadvantages in war were thin industrial base which was totaly orientated to weapon production. They had to make their aircrafths using tools imported from abroad because their own industry was not able to produce them.
Another problem was that they spreaded their human and industrial resources in too large area. They were developing too many identical aircraft types or were loosing time on improving old models instedat of developing new ones. If they would concentrate their limited resources they would be probably more succesful.
And the last thing was way they trained pilots and technical personels. They trained small group of elite pilots ...not a good strategy for prolonged conflict.