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About Japanese Air Power in 1943, My main interest lately has been the New Guinea campaign in 1943-44. Basically the JAAF built up a decent size force during 1943 but were soon very outnumbered by USAF and RAAF build ups. The largest problem for the JAAF in New Guinea was long range bomber raids on their distant "safe" bases by B-24's followed within an hour later by low level B-25 gunships dropping parachute-fragmentation bombs, all escorted by P-38's.
Without radar the interception of the raids was unreliable, and even if the Japanese fighters managed to scramble they were outnumbered around 5:1. However the JAAF continued replacing losses and these in turn were quickly destroyed, close to 70% of all JAAF aircraft losses in New Guinea were on the ground to these raids!
Maybe with radar or a more advanced ground observer system they may have had a chance (although camping in the deep jungle was not easy), also aircraft dispersal was poor as they thought the distant bases were safe (again building a base in the jungle not easy).
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I beg to differ. Did you read Horikoshi's book about designing the Zero? In order to save weight he shaved the structural safety margins rather thin. When you lighten a stressed skin structure by thinning the skin, you're eating into its damage tolerance. I very much doubt that a Zero hit the way that Hellcat in the picture was would trap back on the boat, and if it did I doubt it would be considered repairable. I think it would join Davy Jones airforce right quick.The crippling hit on an A6M's wing is going to be no more terminal in the immediate case than the same hit on an F6F's wing.
My point was that that level of damage would have the same effect on the immediate combat. That is, irrespective of whether the machine was able to return to base, that level of damage would remove the machine from combat immediately. The tactical effect of the damage is the same; the strategic effect varies, due to the differing pilot survival.I beg to differ. Did you read Horikoshi's book about designing the Zero? In order to save weight he shaved the structural safety margins rather thin. When you lighten a stressed skin structure by thinning the skin, you're eating into its damage tolerance. I very much doubt that a Zero hit the way that Hellcat in the picture was would trap back on the boat, and if it did I doubt it would be considered repairable. I think it would join Davy Jones airforce right quick.
Cheers,
Wes
After enlarging and inspecting that photo closely, I revise my judgement. That damage would remove a Zero from combat instantly and permanently, in other words, a shoot down. It would become uncontrollable and the resulting gyrations would cause a stress failure of the already weakened wing. The pilot would be unable to escape even if he wanted to. He would be pinned against the side of the cockpit by crushing G forces.That is, irrespective of whether the machine was able to return to base, that level of damage would remove the machine from combat immediately.
The Japanese planes when they were well maintained were equal to the US and Allies.
Interesting issue about logistics, enough was sent to the Allies in China to keep British Oil ports open in Burma.
For 1943-44 period with "ace" pilots the Ki-61 and A6M5 did have some unique abilities but required skill to use them, where as for average pilots the US planes even in 1943 was a superiour plane, the speed and dive advantage meant allied pilots could always enter and leave combat at will.
But I do not believe the late war japanese pilots overall were much inferior as often claimed, but the combination of less training, slower planes than the enemy and been outnumbered was fatal.
Burma is interesting as JAAF performed very well until 1944, but they were facing Hurricane and P-36 until almost 1944. But on the "south pacific Front" they faced P-38 and Corsair from early 1943!
There were no USAAC P-36 aircraft west of Pearl Harbor, the P-36s at Pearl Harbor having been delivered to Hawaii early in 1941. The US Far East Airforce in the Philippines had on hand: the P-26, P-35A and P-40B/E.There were only a few P36's in China and were gone by 1940. Hurricane stayed until 1943. Most of the air war was with P40's and some P43's by Chennault. The Chinese had a good batch of P40's but also the P66's and rest of the P43's. Later Mustang, Lightning and Thunderbolts. There were some Spitfires but
Its the golden (or is it bermuda triangle) of WW2 combatBurma, China, India...what's the difference?
Burma, China, India...
what's the difference?
I am not sure if there were even worthwhile resources Japan gained for their efforts.