Figure 1.--

Japan was the only industrialized country in Asia, but it was not in the same league as America and Europe. They developed a small, but of some quality. this was not recognized by the Americans. When new Javanese aircraft appeared they were usually seen as a knockoff of an American or European plane. They were not. The Japanese studied American and European designs, but designed nf built their own aircraft. Many of which were designed for speed and maneuverability, and range. Little thought was given to pilot protection despite a huge effort on pilot training. The same thought process went into designing Japanese naval vessels. The design was all for the offensive striking power, protecting pilots and crews were not seen as very important. Japan had two separate air forces, operated by the Imperial Army and the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Army's was like the Luftwaffe primarily devoted to providing tactical close air support for ground operations as well as an air interdiction capability. It did not, however, have communication capability necessary for Blitzkrieg. The Army Air Service had some bombers and engaged in limited strategic bombing, mostly Chinese cities. Japan like Germany did not have the industrial capacity to build both a tactical and strategic force. So the focus of the Japanese was on tactical operations. They did this by reducing the weight of the fighter. This probably mean not including the armor protection for the pilots and crews. While this helped win early victories, in the long run it was a costly derision. The Japanese somehow did not understand that their superbly trained pilots were their greatest military asset. The Japanese surprised Western countries with their advanced Zero fighter and competence of its superbly trained pilots. The country was, however, unable, to maintain this lead once they began losing their pilots. The Zero was not that advanced, it's effectiveness was achieved by removing protective armor which had serious disadvantages. . American pilots began developing tactics to deal with the Zero to hold the line in the Pacific (1942). Planes without protective armor were not a reasonable step for a long war that allowed American industry to convert for war. After the first year of the war, American industry began turning out aircraft in numbers and quality that the Japanese could not match. Somehow the Japanese did not believe that American pilots would begin shooting back effectively. Their plan was for a short decisive war. That was not to be and the United States began turning out large numbers of advanced aircraft. Much of the success of the elegant A6M Zero was its light weight which was achieved primarily through lack of protective armor. Once advanced American aircraft reached the Pacific the Zero became very vulnerable. The same expedient was used for bombers, giving them impressive range--important for the Pacific War. This unexpected range was why MacArthur's air assets on he Philippines were largely destroyed even though as a result of Pearl Harbor, Gen. MacArthur knew that the war had begun. The Japanese also were unable to replace the well trained pilots with which they began the War. The Japanese training program took several years, especially carrier pilots. he shorter term training program proved a disaster, turning out pilots with inadequate skills. The impact of poorly trained pilots and obsolete aircraft was the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot (June 1944). The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was responsible for long-range strikes such as the Pearl Harbor attack. The Naval Air Service was also responsible for strategic air defense. Its failure at Midway and the Philippine Sea left the Home Islands open to American strategic bombardment. the United States with its new B-29 Super Fort was able to bomb Japan with only minimal opposition from Japanese air defenses. Japan had begin bombing Chinese cities (1931 and continued doing so for over a decade. The Japanese militarists again never conceive that their country would be bombed. Japan's wood and paper cities were the most vulnerable to aerial bombardment of any country in the world. And Japan's limited industrial and technological capacity that it had to fight off the advanced new American aircraft with the same aircraft with which they began the War. The Germans helped them build a small number of experimental aircraft, but the Japanese did not have the capacity to build them in numbers or even to protect them, especially as American submarines cut off Japan from the resources of their Southern Resource Zone. And the American Strategic Bombing Campaign obliterated industrial Japan.

Japanese Aviation Industry

Japan was the only indsdtrialized country in Asia, but it was not in the same league as Ameica and Europe. The Japanese through the 1920s equipped both the Imperal Army and Navy with largely obsolescent foreign aircraft. Some were purchased abroad and imported. Others were built in Japan under manufacturing licenses. The Japanese aviation industry largely developed through constructing foreign-designed aircraft types under license. Their aviation industry was technically inferior to European and American industries. This began to change in the 1930s. The Japanese with the rize of the NAZIs began to import large numbers of German aircraft. This exposed them to advanced aviation technology as did building aircradt under license. The Japanese aviation industry was almost entirely military oriented as the country had a very small civilian aviation industry. Japanese aircraft designers began designing their own aircradt in the early 1930s. Mitsubishi and Nakajima were the primary compsnies. This shift as it was for military airctaft was done in secret and was not well preceived in Europe and the United States. Thus the effectiveness of Japanese aircraft such as the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (or Zero) fighter which came in profuction (1940) came as a shock to the United States and Britain in the early months of the war. The Zero was an orignal Japanese design. Interestingly many sources continue to claim even today the Japanese copied it. The Japanese Army and Navy at the beginning of the War were superbly trained, but fought the War after the first year with increaingly outdated planes. Japan's industrial base did not have the capacity to produce aircraft in the numbers needed for a protracted war with the United states or to build improved aircraft types. The effectiveness of the Zero and Oscar fighters was largely premissed on their light weight. Thus spectacular performance could be gained by relatively small engines, in the case of the Zero 900 HP. The planes were light weight largely because of dispensing with defensive armor. Building large numbers of heavier planes with higher-powered engines would have required a greater indistrial capacity than Japan possessed. The Japanese approached worked well in 1942, but proved disatrous in 1943 when Japan's cadre of superbly trained polots had been depleted and more modern aircraft types (Lightings, Hellcats, and Corsairs) reached the American pilots. The Corsair for exanple had 3,600 HP. Not only did Japan begin to lose aircraft in large numbers, but also large numbers of poorly trained pilot.

Japanese Aircraft

They developed a small, but of some quality. this was not recognized by the Americans. When new Javanese aircraft appeared they were usually seen as a knockoff of an American or European plane. They were not. The Japanese studied American and European designs, but designed nf built their own aircraft. Many of which were designed for speed, maneuverability, and range. Little thought was given to pilot protection despite a huge effort on pilot training. The same thought process went into designing Japanese naval vessels. The design was all for the offensive striking power, protecting pilots and crews were not seen as very important.

Air Forces

Japan had two separate air forces, one operated by the Imperial Army and the other by the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Army's air arm was like the Luftwaffe primarily devoted to providing tactical close air support for ground operations as well as an air interdiction capability. It did not, however, have communication capability necessary for Blitzkrieg. They did this by reducing the weight of the fighter. This probably mean not including the armor protection for the pilots and crews. While this helped win early victories, in the long run it was a costly derision. The Japanese somehow did not understand that their superbly trained pilots were their greatest military asset.

Pilot Training

The Japanese somehow did not understand that their superbly trained pilots were their greatest military asset. The Japanese training program took several years, especially carrier pilots. Ee shorter term training program proved a disaster, turning out pilots with inadequate skills. The impact of poorly trained pilots and obsolete aircraft was the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot (June 1944).

The Pacific War

The Japanese surprised Western countries with their advanced Zero fighter and competence of its superbly trained pilots. The country was, however, unable, to maintain this lead once they began losing their pilots. The Zero was not that advanced, it's effectiveness was achieved by removing protective armor which had serious disadvantages. There was serious air conat in the first American pilots began developing tactics to deal with the Zero to hold the line in the Pacific (1942). Planes without protective armor were not a reasonable step for a long war that allowed American industry to convert for war. After the first year of the war, American industry began turning out aircraft in numbers and quality that the Japanese could not match. Somehow the Japanese did not believe that American pilots would begin shooting back effectively. Their plan was for a short decisive war. Japan like Germany did not have the industrial capacity to build both a tactical and strategic force. So the focus of the Japanese was on tactical operations. That was not to be and the United States began turning out large numbers of advanced aircraft. Much of the success of the elegant A6M Zero was its light weight which was achieved primarily through lack of protective armor. Once advanced American aircraft reached the Pacific the Zero became very vulnerable. The same expedient was used for bombers, giving them impressive range--important for the Pacific War. This unexpected range was why MacArthur's air assets on he Philippines were largely destroyed even though as a result of Pearl Harbor, Gen. MacArthur knew that the war had begun.

Strategic Bombing

The Army Air Service had some bombers and engaged in limited strategic bombing, mostly Chinese cities. Chinese cities were largely unprotected. So the Japanese bombing was limited only by the plsnes and bombs available. This did not begin to change until the arrival of the American Flying Tigers. The Japanese also were unable to replace the well trained pilots with which they began the War. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was responsible for long-range strikes such as the Pearl Harbor attack. The Naval Air Service was also responsible for strategic air defense. Its failure at Midway and the Philippine Sea left the Home Islands open to American strategic bombardment. the United States with its new B-29 Super Fort was able to bomb Japan with only minimal opposition from Japanese air defenses. Japan had begin bombing Chinese cities (1931 and continued doing so for over a decade. The Japanese militarists again never conceive that their country would be bombed. Japan's wood and paper cities were the most vulnerable to aerial bombardment of any country in the world. And Japan's limited industrial and technological capacity that it had to fight off the advanced new American aircraft with the same aircraft with which they began the War.

Axis Alliance

The Germans helped them build a small number of experimental aircraft, but the Japanese did not have the capacity to build them in numbers or even to protect them, especially as American submarines cut off Japan from the resources of their Southern Resource Zone. And the American Strategic Bombing Campaign obliterated industrial Japan.

Sources

Created: 7:07 PM 8/9/2022
Last updated: 7:07 PM 8/9/2022