Here are my example of the dreaded Imperial Japanese Navy's (IJN) World War II fighter plane conveniently
called the “Zero”,
by a more technical terminology the planes are Mitsubishi A6M type-“0” or “Reisen” fighters,
the dark tint piece is by “Academy” and the light gray tinted model is by “Hobbyboss”
both are 1/72 scale plastic model kits. Although the models are nearly
dimensionally identical, the hobbyboss is a simpler kit to assemble with its
sturdier and fewer parts ideal for novice or young modelers, while its alternate
brand has many small parts but has a slight edge with regards to paneling
details. Completed these two models about six years ago, one after the other
in staggered occcasions in the span of several months.
As a boy I heard and watched plenty
of elder’s stories about World War II in the Philippines, many as most babies
from the “colonial generation” are; tell exciting and scary fairytales about
the brutal Japanese occupation which in one way or another will end up in the
blazing “I shall return” of the American G.I’s to reclaim it’s Far East
colonies. However, as I run over less folkloric books and features about the
said war, it seems that the “Japanese Zero’s” exploits are usually told with an
infamously legendary tone. First used during the late 1930’s against the
pragmatic Chinese nationalist regime, it’s notable slauther of the “Sino”
airforce was largely played-down by pre-war western military analyst mainly
because the Chinese has very obsolete fighters at the time anyway and no one
believed that the small stature “Japs” could actually create a fighter plane
that can rival western aeronautical design philosophies, one “origin story” goes that the “A6M-0 Reisen” evolved to be mockingly
coined as “Zero” because this planes are presumably so outclassed that its “nothing to worry about" if ever feated against the latest western
warplanes of its era.
It was on December 7, 1941 that the Allies learned that
this Zeros does not equate to inferiority, but instead regarded as a capable
and deadly adversary when encountered in battle. One key traits of the warplane
is its long range enabling its carrier to anchor far in the high seas lessening
the chance of being detected by enemy spotters or patrol aircrafts, and indeed
the distance of the Japanese carriers from its “target” contributed to the devastatingly
commendable outcome of the IJN's “surprise attack” on United
State’s “Pearl Harbor” naval base in Hawaii. Also feared for it maneuverability,
allied pilot are advised to avoid turning close quarters “dogfights” with a Zero even with the
introduction of more powerful and specialized American fighters planes later in
the war. Eventually, the Zero’s lack of Armour is revealed by the inevitable
circumstances as the reason for its lightness that sums up its superb combat performance,
the discovery of the Reisen’s weakness and gradual lost of veteran pilots enable
its nemesis to develop exploitative tactics to counter this Japanese aerial
menace, this led to the gradual demise of the Nippon air forces as an effective
offensive unit up to the culminaation of Japan’s complete defeat in 1945.
Many different variants with corresponding designation of the A6M was used throughout Asia from late 1930’s incursion in China to the desperate “Kamikaze” attacks on American naval forces as the war closes against Japan’s favor. Being the most common fighter build by the Japanese imperial air force; for history buffs, it has become one of the most endearing icon of Imperialist Japan’s rapturous attempt to establish an “Asian co-prosperity sphere” in the Pacific for which it will dominate and challenge existing western norms of cultural and race advantage, decades later Japan did manage to rise from the ashes of war and played its major share of influence in the the world, not through armed strength…but by economic strength.
:-)
