Country of origin:

Japan

Description:

Single-seat fighter and fighter bomber

Power Plant:

One 690 kw (925 hp) Nakajima Sakae 12 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun; two 20 mm Type 99 cannon with 60 rounds per gun; two 30 kg (66 lb) or 60 kg (132 lb) bombs

History:

In its day the ‘Zero’ was the foremost carrier-based fighter aircraft, and early in World War II was the subject off a myth of invincibility in the air. However, through lack of sufficient development, and the inability of the Japanese manufacturers to solve its shortcomings, the ‘Zero’ later was less able to deal with more powerful and faster British and American fighters which were quickly developed to meet the Japanese forces in the Pacific Theatre.

The A6M was designed as a replacement for the Mitsubishi Type 96 (A5M) fighter, and the prototype was flown for the first time on 1 April 1939. The design was accepted by the Japanese Navy on 14 September 1939 as the A6M1 Carrier Fighter, and production commenced immediately. Fifteen aircraft were sent to China to be tested against any aerial opposition that might be encountered in that campaign. Enthusiastically received by its pilots, the production model was adopted as the Type O Model 11 ‘Zero’.

The A6M2 Model 21 was the version employed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and, through the early stages of the war, it dominated all other fighters in the Pacific Theatre. At the beginning of the war against the United States (Japan had already been at war with China for some time) 400 Zeros were in service with the Japanese Navy and, to extend its capability in view of the lack of airfields on Pacific Islands, it was adapted as a floatplane fighter. In this role it provided air cover for ground forces during amphibious operations. Known as the Type 2 Floatplane Fighter Model 11, this model subsequently received the code-name ‘Rufe’ by the allies. To train pilots, a two-seat trainer variant was built known as the A6M2-K ‘Zero-Rensen’, and 508 examples of this model were built.

Development continued to the A6M3 with the 843 kw (1,130 hp) Sakae 21 engine; the A6M5 and the A6M6, with a number of sub-types of each model; and the A6M7. However, by this time the design was showing its age. The engine was not providing sufficient power to meet requirements and could not be developed further. The aircraft was getting heavier with increased armament and bomb loads, and structural strengthening to take the larger loads.

The A6M8 model then appeared with a new engine, the MK8K Kinsei 61 of 1,119 kw (1,500 hp). The Japanese navy was hopeful that this model would provide the solution required, as it did provide some increase in performance over previous models, the performance of which had remained almost static throughout their production life. The A6M8 had a maximum speed of 576 km/h (358 mph) at 5,998 m (19,680 ft). It was proposed to produce 6,300 examples of this model during 1946 but no production machines were flown, and the war concluded before full production could be established.

More ‘Zero-Sens’ were produced than any other Japanese aircraft. Mitsubishi built 3,879, and Nakajima 6,215. Some 844 trainers and floatplane variants were built by Sasebo, Hitachi and Nakijima, a total of 10,936 aircraft.

The ‘Zero-Sen’ was a light-weight fighter by Western standards, with little or no armour protection for the pilot, engine, or fuel tanks, in order to save weight, thus giving it superb manoeuvrability. However, in the development of the war effort the Japanese were unable to maintain the pace of the Western countries; plus the design itself was not really amenable to development. As well, by the Battle of Midway the tide of the war was turning against Japan.

A few ‘Zero-Sens’ have been seen in the Australasian region over the years. During early Japanese attacks on northern Australia, ‘Zeros’ were used to escort bombers and a number were shot down on Australian soil. A couple of these wrecks have been salvaged for museums, including the Darwin Museum, NT. A number of aircraft captured in New Guinea and the Pacific islands were rebuilt for comparison testing. One aircraft, which became XJ-001, was rebuilt from five airframes at Hangar 7, Eagle Farm, Brisbane, QLD by the ATAIU (Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit) and flown by RAAF and USAAF personnel late in the war in Brisbane. It was later shipped to Wright Field in the US for further testing as EB-201. This aircraft was flown from Eagle Farm, QLD to Laverton, VIC on 8 September 1943 where, for a period of ten days, testing was carried out on 14, 17 and 18 August, the A6M3 being flown by Sqdn Ldr Leslie Jackson DFC and Bar in mock combat with a Supermarine Spitfire V flown by Fl Lt Clive Wawn.

One, an A6M5-2 (serial 5622) was made airworthy by a RAAF detachment from No 457 Squadron at Clark Field, Luzon in the Philippines in April 1945 under the supervision of the South West Pacific Aero Technical Air Intelligence Unit and was test flown by Sqdn Ldr B D Watson, later being flown to Morotai Island in April 1945.

The remains of three were obtained from the jungles of the Pacific in the 1980s. One, an A6M2 Type 21 (serial 5784), was restored by the RAAF at Wagga Wagga, NSW for the Australian War Memorial, this being an aircraft flown by Japanese ace Sabauro Sakai of the 204 Kokutai. Two others (serials 3618 and 4043), being Models A6M2 and A6M5 respectively, were obtained to be used to build a static example for the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, VIC. In 1973 the Australian Government donated to the Chester Nimitz Centre at Fredericksburg, Texas, USA two Aichi D3A ‘Val’ dive bombers in exchange for an A6M5 ‘Zero’ which had been recovered from Gasmata in New Britain.

One group recovered a rare two-seat variant, an A6M2B in 1972 (serial 52-122) from the waters off Cape Lambert near the northwest tip of New Britain Island. Some restoration work was carried out at Essendon, VIC but, due to lack of funding, this work was not completed. It was exported to Japan and is now displayed in the collection of the National Science Museum in Tokyo. More than a dozen ‘Zeros’ survive in Japan and some are on display at museums. Three airframes located in the islands of the Pacific were shipped to Russia where restoration work proceeded for a time before they were taken to the United States for completion to airworthiness using Pratt & Whitney engines. At least one is airworthy in the United States with a Sakae engine.

One captured A6M3 Type 22 (serial 3544) from the 3rd Kokotai of the 582nd Kokotai based at Rabaul in 1943 was taken on charge by the RNZAF in 1945 and allotted the serial NZ6000. It was stored in the open for a period with a Supermarine Seafire and was eventually preserved. After restoration it was placed on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand.