Country of origin:

Japan

Description:

Single-engine fighter and fighter-bomber seaplane

Power Plant:

One 709 kw (950 hp) Nakajima NK1C Sakae 12 fourteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Two 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine guns in the upper fuselage decking and two wing mounted 20 mm type 99 cannon

History:

Due to the lack of available airstrips on some of the islands Japanese forces were taking during World War II, it was decided to develop a floatplane fighter version of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero-Sen fighter, and, as Mitsubishi was fully involved in producing the land-based variant, development of this aircraft was assigned to the Nakajima Kiko K K late in 1940, work commencing in February 1941. The airframe was virtually identical to the Zero-Sen but some changes were made to the vertical tail surfaces to enlarge the rudder and a small ventral fin was fitted. A large single float was attached under the fuselage with a single pylon and V-struts, a stabilising float being fitted outboard under each wing attached to the main spar.

The prototype was completed in December 1941 and, known as the A6M2-N type 2 Floatplane Fighter Model 11, the prototype flew for the first time on 8 December 1941 only hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. It entered production in April 1942 and eliveries were soon made to the Japanese Navy. Early production aircraft were first attached to the Yokohama Air Group in early 1942, this unit operating four-engine flying boats in New Guinea and the Solomons. Thirteen A6M2-Ns were conveyed to Rabaul via Truk. Combat air patrols were carried out and on 10 June 1942 one attempted to attack five Boeing B-17 Fortresses operating from Townsville, QLD. First ‘Rufe’ loss was on 17 July 1942 when it was shot down by a gun turret on board a B-17.

The type was encountered at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands and examples saw service with the Japanese 5th Fleet during the Aleutians campaign, being based on Kiska and Attu, serving as fighters in the defensive role and some seeing service in the reconnaissance role. The Koizuma facility of Nakajima produced a total of 327 examples but the aircraft was only an interim design and outsaw its usefulness.  Production was terminated in September 1943.  Eventually the survivors were used in the training role, the performance of the type not being sufficient to meet fighters of the RAAF and the US Navy.

The type had been considered to be a stop-gap design pending the development of more capable seaplane fighters such as the Kawanishi N1K1 ‘Rex’ which was powered by a 1,089 kw (1,460 hp) Mitsubishi radial engine. However, it proved its worth operating from isolated atolls where it was able to provide some form of air cover until airfield construction was completed.

Units receiving the type were the Yokosuka and Oppama naval air groups, and the 4th Koku Kantai operated the type. First operations were in the Solomon Islands where 12 were attached to the Tainan Kokutai as part of the 4th Koku Kantai at the new seaplane base at Taulagi Lagoon between the Guadalcanal and Malaita Islands alongside a number of Mitsubishi F1M2 ‘Pete’ reconnaissance seaplanes. However, on 4 May 1942 most of the aircraft were destroyed at their moorings during an air-strike by Douglas Dauntless and Douglas Devastator dive-bombers of the US Navy, these aircraft having an escort of Grumman Wildcats. Two of the ‘Rufes’ survived the initial strike, and one scored a victory, intercepting and shooting down a Douglas Devastator.

Further aircraft operated with the Japanese Imperial Navy seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru during the period when another seaplane base was built on the Shortland Islands south of Rabaul, New Britain. These aircraft were under the command of the 11th Koku Sentai (Air Flotilla). A large seaplane base was built and all types of Japanese seaplanes were operated from there including long-range bombing missions by large flying boats south to Australia.  A6M2-Ns operated in and around the Solomon Islands and a number are known to have staged through another seaplane base at Santa Isabel Island, attacking American positions on Guadalcanal and destroying aircraft in the landing pattern there, American aircraft lost being a Douglas Dauntless on 13 September 1942, and a Bell P-39 Aircobra on 13 February 1943.

On 10 October 1942 two A6M2-Ns were providing cover over Kolombangara Island when they were attacked by ten Grumman Wildcats, quickly being shot down. Quite often they were used as escorts to observation seaplanes such as the Aichi E13A ‘Jake’ and Mitsubishi F1M2 ‘Pete’ of the 958th Reconnaissance squadron when they attempted to locate missing Japanese pilots.

During the Aleutian Islands campaign A6M2-Ns were responsible for air defence and six were based at the seaplane base at Holtz Bay on Attu by August 1942. A further six were based at Kiska Harbour and the construction of an aerodrome was never completed in the area due to heavy bombing by American aircraft. A number of strafing attacks were attempted on American forces at Amchitka but it was not long before Allied forces commanded the air. In due course the Aleutian Islands were evacuated by Japanese forces and that pretty well ended the life of the type.

The 934th Kokutai was equipped in March 1943 with between eight and ten A6M2-Ns at Ambon in the Dutch East Indies, having moved there from Taberfane in the Aru Islands. They regularly met Bristol Beaufighters of No 31 Squadron, RAAF, Lockheed Hudsons of Nos 2 and 13 Squadrons, the North American Mitchells flown from northern Australia by No 18 (NEI) Squadron, and Consolidated B-24 Liberators of No 319 Squadron USAAF. On 25 April they claimed the shooting down of a Beaufighter, and a further Beaufighter (A19-59) the following day. On 4 May they intercepted two B-24s, claiming one as a probable.

On 12 June 1943 three ‘Rufes’ intercepted seven RAAF Beaufighters which were strafing the seaplane moorings, seven floatplanes being destroyed and two more damaged. At around that time A6M2-Ns were tasked to escort E13A reconnaissance aircraft searching for ships off the coast of north-west Australia and it was recorded one attacked two Spitfires of No 452 Squadron. Over Taberfane on 24 July eight Beaufighters were intercepted and A18-118 was shot down. On 21 August six Beaufighters attacked the seaplane base and an A6M2-N was shot down but two Beaufighters (A19-47 and A19-63) collided and were destroyed.

The Beaufighters continued to meet the A6M2-N and examples were shot down by the RAAF pilots. They regularly made attempts to intercept B-24 Liberators . In December 1943 the seaplane unit abandoned Taberfane, partly as a result of an earthquake, and moved to Manokwari in Western New Guinea where they provided cover for the construction of a new airfield and continued to intercept American B-24s.  By the end of 1943 the new Kawanishi N1K1 Kyofu ‘Rex’ was becoming available and nine were flown to Ambon via Java and Balikpapan. By 1 March 1944 the 934th Kokutai was disbanded, the surviving pilots having claimed 29 aircraft destroyed and seven probables for the loss of five pilots.

Although the type was 96 km/h (60 mph) slower than the standard model of the Zero-Sen at the time of its introduction, it was highly manoeuvrable, had good fire power and was quite fast. It remained in service in the Solomons, the Aleutians and New Britain until the superiority of American fighters saw it relegated to secondary duties. As the war drew to a close a few were used as last-ditch interceptors and occasionally were fitted with night flying equipment in order to intercept high flying bombers.