[blueunicorn6]

I just finished reading Sakai’s autobiography.

He felt that the Japanese had turned out two fighter aircraft that were equal to anything the Americans had. They just couldn’t produce large numbers of them because their factories were destroyed.

It was fascinating to read about the war from the point of view of a Japanese fighter pilot.

[jmacusa]

I read his bio years ago. The B-17 was major surprise to the Japanese. It's size, it defensive armament and the punishment it could take. Initially the Zero held the advantage in the early part of the war. But by the middle of 1943 with the introduction of the F6 Hellcat the Zero was done for. What was truly amazing is when Saki recounts how he came up behind that Grumman Avenger and was either unaware or had forgotten about the rear gunner underneath the plane and almost got his head blown off. He was seriously wounded but manged to fly, I think it was 100 miles(?) back to his base.