German Raiders in the Pacific
Although the war in China had been raging since 1937, it wasn’t until 1939 that Europe likewise followed Asia into a general war. The two conflicts would remain largely separate endeavours until the Japanese attack […]
Articles by PE Matt
Heinkel He114
The Heinkel He114 was designed as a warship based reconnaissance and artillery spotting aircraft, which was intended to replace the company’s previous He60 aircraft that was standard in the Kriegsmarine at the time. Although the […]
Identification of the Japanese Fighters 96 and 97
USAAF Training film on identification of the Japanese Fighters 96 (Mitsubishi A5M Claude Type 96) and 97 (Nakajima Ki-27 Type 97). Notable for inaccurately claiming that both are the same aircraft, and that it is […]
Arado Ar196
The He114 was regarded as a failed design, due to its poor sea handling capability and that fact that its performance was not much better than previous types. Several firms were invited to put forward […]
Chungking Bombed Again – Fights On
Newsreel footage of the bombing of Chungking, showing the damage done to the city, the underground tunnels dug by the population, and General and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek inspecting the city.
Operation 101: Chungking, the Underground City
Operation 100 had proved that the Japanese had the capability to conduct a sustained bombing campaign against Chinese cities, however it had also proved that the effectiveness of these raids was questionable. The government of […]
Aichi D3A Type 99 “Val”
The Imperial Japanese Navy’s 11-Shi requirements for new aircraft, issued in 1936, included a request for a monoplane dive bomber to replace the biplane D1A. Both Nakajima and Aichi produced designs but it was the […]
Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter
A USAAF training video on recognition of the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 fighter, also known as “Zeke”. The film identifies the key characteristics of the Zero and compares them to those of the Curtiss […]
Nakajima B5N Type 97 “Kate”
In 1935 the year’s 10-Shi requirements included a request by the IJN for a new torpedo bomber to replace the B3Y Type 92, and the interim B4Y Type 96, which were both considered to be […]
Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 “Zeke/Hamp”
The Mitsubishi A6M was designed by the legendary aircraft engineer Jiro Hirokoshi in response to the Japanese’s Navy’s 12-Shi requirement for a new carrier fighter to replace the A5M Type 96. The request called for […]