Two Combat Aircraft Captured and Studied in WWII Pacific Theater

Image result for Grumman F-4 F wildcatt

 

During the heated contest of the WWII Pacific Ocean War both the US Pacific fleet and the Axis forces of the Imperial Japanese captured each other’s primary fighter and after studying them, gained valuable intelligence on tactics. The first significant fighter aircraft to be captured, reconstructed and thoroughly tested was by the Japanese during the invasion of Wake Island on December 23, 1941. Shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7th, an F-4F Wildcat fighter crashed on the coral reef after being damaged in combat. This was an excellent opportunity for the Japanese to evaluate the primary carrier based fighter of the US Navy!

Image result for Japanese testing captured F-4 Wildcat

Once transported back to Japan and repaired, the Japanese put the aircraft through a number of tests and found it to be a tough and sturdy fighting platform. Well armored to protect the pilot, with self-sealing gas tanks and heavily armed with four 50 caliber machine guns, the Japanese were impressed with the reliability of the aircraft. Though it was slower than the A6M Zero and not as maneuverable, it could take punishment and dish it out as well as being able to out dive the Zero at 400 miles per hour! A dive that would cause a Zero to break into pieces! As a result the Japanese developed tactics to offset the strengths of the Wildcat using high speed tactics to stay away from the armament of the US Navy F-4F

Image result for Thatch weave

Not until the “Thatch Weave” used by F-4F Squadrons to neutralize Zero attacks, did the US Navy gain some parody against their Japanese opponents. A US Naval fighter pilot by the name of John S. Thatch, a flight commander, invented a tactic for the Japanese Zero to get into a kill position but instead be maneuvered into a trap as other Wildcats weaved around to shoot the attacker down! During the battle for Guadal Canal, US Marine Corps fighters managed a 1 to 1 to 2 to 1 kill ratio against their Japanese foes in that hotly contested beginning of the “Island Hopping” campaign. Not until the F-6F Hellcat by Grumman, in early 1944 did the US Navy finally have the air superiority machine they needed to dominate Japanese fighters. The makers of the F4F Wildcat basically took the old Wildcat design and made it faster and more maneuverable. It outperformed the Mitsubishi Zero in every regime, speed, turning capability, firepower, and even in resistance to battle damage.

Thach Weave - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

In 1942 the US forces finally captured an A6M Zero on Akutan Island in the Aleutian Chain off the shores of Alaska. What they learned from the nearly intact and repaired fighter altered tactics that would make dogfighting for American aviators more successful. They found that in order to make the Zero so nimble and quick, Japanese engineers had abandoned all safety measures to ensure pilot survival. There was no armor plating around the cockpit, no self-sealing gas tank to prevent an onboard fire if bullets pierced it. The sheet metal on the fuselage was so thin that unless a pilot climbing into the cockpit stuck the toes of his boots into the designated hard points, he could actually damage the metal skin of the plane. It was also discovered that the Zero was so fragile that it could not dive with an American fighter or it would break up.

Image result for Captured Zero at Atuka

As a result, American fighter pilots could approach aerial combat tactics with more success. Why Claire Chennault’s findings were not widely distributed among the US forces remains a mystery as he and the American Volunteer Group had been fighting the Japanese since December 7th in China and racking up record kills using the P-40 Warhawk as the Flying Tigers main combat aircraft. Had this intelligence been widely shared many lives of US pilots could have been saved!

Image result for Claire Chennault and foying Tigers

 

Views: 41

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted a blog post

What US Scientist unwittingly helped the Nazis devise the V-2 Missile?

  In the early 1920’s and leading up to World War II German technology outpaces the peace time…See More
13 hours ago
tjdavis favorited Sandy's video
yesterday
tjdavis posted a photo
yesterday
Christopher Walker is now a member of 12160 Social Network
yesterday
tjdavis posted videos
Sunday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

Reflection

"Let's see if this goes past indictment."
Saturday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Something Watches From Out there in the Wilderness
"cheeki kea That's very interesting history. So many things about history that go ignored or…"
Saturday
Burbia commented on Burbia's video
Saturday
Burbia posted a video

Programmed To Kill/Satanic Cover-Up Part 433 (The Charlie Kirk Conspiracy Show)

https://www.programmedtokill.net/projects---- DISCLAIMER! ----Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair u...
Saturday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Thumbnail

American werewolf- 2018

"Yip I've looked again and this is what the creature looks like, even has stripes just like…"
Saturday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Thumbnail

American werewolf- 2018

"The mystery continues I guess. ( reminds me of something out of the under world )"
Saturday
cheeki kea posted a photo
Saturday
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post Something Watches From Out there in the Wilderness
"Another fine story Doc V. I think it's Dogman the werewolf out there roaming around in high…"
Saturday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Saturday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post What Four UFO Whistle Blowers All Suffered in Common?
"Less Prone Thanks for you comment Buddy! Dabbling in government kept secrets can cost you dearly. I…"
Saturday
Burbia posted a blog post

Sebastion Piñera and 5G

 Sebastion Piñera “The start of the bidding process for the 5G network. Let’s listen to the threats…See More
Saturday
tjdavis posted a photo
Friday
Doc Vega posted a blog post
Thursday
Less Prone left a comment for Tammy
"Welcome"
Thursday
tjdavis posted a video

Mike Benz: DARPA & USAID are Weaponizing Music to Control Human Behavior

Watch every episode ad-free & uncensored on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjonesMike Benz is a former State Department official and current Executive Dire...
Thursday

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted