Figure 1.--

For the most part, the young Japoanese pilots that launched as part of Admiral Ozawa's strike forcem believed their officers. They were told that Japanese warrior spirit (the Bushido code) could defeat American material advantage. Not all, however, were so confident, especially the few veterans who had expeience fighting the Americans. "Mother, Father, I go now to strike the Ameriucans with all ny strength. If I do not return , please know that I died doing my duty for our sacred homeland. But I must confess, in my heart, I fear we are not prepared fir what awaits us. The Americans have grown strong while we have grown weak. Still, I will fight with all my spirit. Prerhaos that will be enough.

-- Petty Officer First Class Kiyoshi Sato, last letter home to his parents, June 1944.

For the first time in naval warfare, aircraft played an important role. A major aspect of the Pacific War was that the carrier replaced the battleships as the key capital ship. The carrier was nothing more than a floating airfield capable of moving aircraft in range of enemy fleet formations and land targets. Naval aviation has two components, the planes and the pilot who flew them. Both were on fulll display at Pearl Harbor. Even as Pearl Harbor was being ravaged, thousands of new pilots were in traning in America. The same was not the case in Japan. Only three countries (America, Britain, and Japan) built and deployed carriers. The Germans had plans to do so, but military reverses prevented them from achieving this goal. The carrier aircraft that fought in the Pacific are some of the most storied aircraft of World War II. The Japanese began the War with the most effective carrier aircraft, especially the elegant, but lightly armored A6M Mitsubishi Zero (1941). Not only did the Japanese lose carriers at the Coral Sea and Midway, but many experienced pilots as well. But it was in the South Pacific that the core of their naval aviation cadre was decimated. The Japanese had a superb pilot training program, but it was highly selective and long. It was designed to produce small numbers of suberb pilots. As the short, quick war that the Jaoanese had expected turned into an extended war of attrition, the Japanese did not at first modify their training program. They were thus unable to turn out competent carrier pilot to replace the extensive losses in 1942. The Japanese training program was also hamperd by oil shortages. America in contrast launched an extensive pilot training program which crewed the new cartriers flowing out of shipyards in incredible numbers. The American pilots were not as well trasined with the initial Japanese pilots, but they were competntly trained and soon gained battle experience. In addition a new generation of Americn aircraft reached the fleet along with the new pilots which were superior to the lightly armoured Zero. The new Navy F4U Corsair and F6F Hellcat, combined with the Army Air Corps USAAF P-51 and P-47 fighters devestated Japanese planes. The Japanese fought the entire war with the same basic planes they began the War with, one of many examples of the limited industrial capability with which the Japanese fought the War. This culminated in the Battle of the Philippines Sea (June 1942). Pooly tained Japanese pilots in basically obolete aircraft met competent American polots in advanced aircraft. The result was the Great Marians Turkey Shoot (June 1942). And if that was not bad nough, the American submariers finally had torpedoes that worked.

Created: 5:46 AM 6/27/2026
Last updated: 5:47 AM 6/27/2026