For six months after Pearl Harbor the nimble Japanese Zero-sen plane dominated the Pacific air war. Then, on June 4, 1942, a Zero crashed on tiny Akutan Island in the Aleutians. It lay there for five weeks until spotted by an American plane. Hauled back to California, the Zero revealed its secrets in a series of tests and analyses. Fast, but lacking protection for the pilot as well as a self-sealing gas tank which all U.S. planes had, the Zero lost its predominance for the rest of the war.
Rearden tells for the first time in detail the exciting events leading to this crucial intelligence breakthrough, as important as the breaking of the Japanese naval code. An appendix analyzes the vital statistics of the Zero versus U.S. planes. Recommended for public and high school libraries.
The Japanese Zero...
Related Scanning WWII dates...
- 01 Apr 39: Prototype A6M Zero fighter takes its maiden flight
- 31 Jul 40: Japanese Navy receives its first Zero fighter planes
- 04 Jun 42: A Zero crashes in the Aleutians, will be salvaged and studied in five weeks
- 11 Jul 42: US military studies Zero fighter crashed during Pearl Harbor attack
- 15 Jul 42: US salvage crew recovers the Zero crashed 04 Jun 42 in the Aleutians
- 15 Aug 45: British shoot down seven Zeros, last ones prior to Japan's surrender
Related WWII Store items...
- Cracking the Zero Mystery:
How the US Learned to Beat Japan's Vaunted WWII Fighter Plane
