Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero"

The Mitsubishi A6M2 was the world’s best fighter aircraft when it came into service in 1940, or 2,600 in the Japanese Imperial calendar. It was designated as Type 00 from the last two digits of the Japanese year and nicknamed “Zeke” and later “Zero” by American forces. It had a range of 3,088 kilometers (1,930 miles), a maximum speed of 530.4 kph (331.5 mph) and could climb to 10,000 meters (32,810 feet). The fighter was armed with two 7.7 mm caliber machine guns on the fuselage and two 20 mm caliber Type 99 cannons on the wings. It was a highly maneuverable aircraft and could control the sky in dogfights with U.S. aircraft. However, there was no armor protection for the pilot or engine and the fuel tanks were not self-sealing. Bullets could easily penetrate the fuselage, killing the pilot or causing the fuel to burst into flame.

Aichi D3A "Val"

The Aichi D3A dive bomber led the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. Nicknamed “Val” by American forces, it had been extensively modified to rectify design faults that were found when the first prototype was produced in 1937. The D3A1 model had a range of 1,351 km (840 miles), could fly to a maximum height of 9,300 meters (30,500 feet) and had a maximum speed of 384 kph (240 mph). It could carry a 250 kg (551-pound) bomb below its fuselage and a further two bombs of 60 kg (132 pounds) on each of its wing racks. The plane was armed just with two 7.7 mm caliber Type 97 machine guns that were forward firing, and a rear firing 7.7 mm caliber Type 97 machine gun.

Nakijima B5N2 "Kate"

The Nakijima B5N2 torpedo bomber, like the “Val” dive bomber, was considered obsolete at the start of World War II but was an effective attack plane. Nicknamed “Kate” by American forces, it carried either three 113 kg (250-pound) bombs or one 800 kg (1,765-pound) torpedo. It was a very maneuverable aircraft, but like the “Zero” fighter, it was not armored to protect either its three-man crew or the fuel tanks. It had just two 7.7 mm caliber rear-mounted machine guns. Later in the Pacific War, planes of this type sank the U.S. carriers USS Hornet, USS Lexington and USS Yorktown.

Japanese Aircraft Carriers

The “Zero,” “Val” and “Kate” planes were carried on Japan’s six first-line aircraft carriers: the Zuikaku, Shokaku, Kiryu, Soryu, Kagai and Akagi. There were a total of 108 “Zeros,” 144 “Kates” and 135 “Vals.” In addition, there were three disassembled aircraft of each type on each carrier to be used as spares. The attack fleet had a further six seaplanes that were carried on the Chikuma and Tone heavy cruisers. The seaplanes were used for reconnaissance duties. Japanese losses in the attack were light, a total of 29 aircraft. Most were lost in the second wave of attacks, when they faced much heavier anti-aircraft fire than did planes in the first wave.