Spitfire VC vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

Darwin 1943

Spitfire VC vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen cover

Description

The little-known yet fascinating story of when two of the most iconic aircraft of World War II dueled in the skies above Australia.

Fully illustrated with detailed full-color artwork, this is the gripping story of two iconic aircraft facing off against each other above Australia.

Just weeks after Pearl Harbor, Darwin was mauled by a massive Japanese attack. Without a single fighter to defend Australian soil, the Australian government made a special appeal to Britain for Spitfires.

A year later the Spitfire VC-equipped No 1 Fighter Wing, RAAF, faced the battle-hardened 202nd Kokutai of the IJNAF, equipped with A6M2 Zero-sens, over Darwin. This was a grueling campaign between evenly matched foes, fought in isolation from the main South Pacific battlegrounds. Pilots on either side had significant combat experience, including a number of Battle of Britain veterans. The Spitfire had superior flight characteristics but was hampered by short range and material defects in the tropical conditions, while the Japanese employed better tactics and combat doctrine inflicting serious losses on overconfident the Commonwealth forces.

Table of Contents

Introduction /Chronology /Design and Development /Technical Specifications/ The Strategic Situation /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Aftermath /Further Reading /Index

Product details

Published May 21 2019
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 80
ISBN 9781472829603
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 55 b/w; 20 col
Dimensions 10 x 7 inches
Series Duel
Short code DUE 93
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Peter Ingman

Peter Ingman is an author specialising in aviation…

Illustrator

Jim Laurier

Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives i…

Illustrator

Gareth Hector

Gareth Hector is a digital artist of international…

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