In this exhilarating instalment of ‘Dogfights’, we return to the Pacific theatre of the Second World War, addressing the awesome power of the Japanese air force, embodied by the famous A6M Zero. We outline the advent of the ‘Zero Killer’ – the US Grunman F6F Hellcat. This incredible craft proved a formidable match for Japan’s daring pilots.

Named after the imperial year 2600 (1940) in which it entered service, this lightweight, carrier-based aircraft struck terror into the hearts of the most seasoned Allied airmen. In the dramatic skies above the Pacific, the Zero appeared unstoppable, until the US F6F Hellcat was deployed to take it on.

In December 1941, when the Japanese aerial attack on Pearl Harbor propelled America into World War Two, the disparity in American and Japanese aviation power was starkly apparent. Zero fighters had a mission range of over 1,600 statute miles, and were superior in most aspects of performance to all Allied fighters in the Pacific. The formidable reputation of these aircraft preceded them; their excellent manoeuvrability and frightening firepower meant that they outclassed all of their contemporaries.

However, the Zero’s days of unmatched air superiority were severely numbered. As Allied forces launched The Grumman F6F Hellcat, Vought F4U Corsair and Lockheed P-38 in 1943, the Zero decisively lost its competitiveness. The aircraft’s designers had prioritised manoeuvrability and firepower ahead of protection; the absence of self-sealing tanks or armour plates meant that the plane was agile yet extremely vulnerable.

The advent of this deadly trio meant that the US Navy’s 1:1 ‘kill ratio’ rose to greater than 10:1. Indeed, the Hellcat soon proved to be the most successful aircraft in US naval history, destroying 5,163 aircraft with the US Navy and US Marine Corps, as well as 52 with the Fleet Air Arm during World War Two.

We return to the Zero’s cockpit with legendary aviators Robert Duncan, Hamilton McWhorter and Alex Vraciu. With their daring dogfights and masterly manoeuvres, we explain how these plucky pilots succeeded in writing a new chapter in the annals of aerial warfare.