How a Japanese fighter plane downed in the Aleutians unlocked secrets that turned the tide of World War II

U.S. military personnel inspect a Japanese Zero aircraft piloted by Tadayoshi Koga that crashed on Akutan Island after bombing Dutch Harbor on June 4, 1942. The Zero was later shipped to the US and put into flying condition for intelligence purposes. Koga was killed in the crash. on Alaska history by local historian David Reamer. Have a question about Anchorage or Alaska history or an idea for a future article? Go to the form at the bottom of this story.

Some of the details are a little fuzzy, understandable since the events took place amidst the fog of a war that ended more than 75 years ago. For example, no one knows for sure who placed the fateful holes in the Akutan Zero. Soldier Lee Compere claimed he hit the plane four times out of four shots from the ground. Decades later, he told the Army Times, “I was, with almost everyone else, in my foxhole near the top of a hill the Zero came over our barracks area at Fort Mears .

Even after the Zero had been extensively studied, some in the American military refused to believe the Zero had been an entirely Japanese project. Due to a mixture of arrogance and racism, some of these doubters thought the fighter was based in large part on some European plane. While the Zero was built upon preexisting engineering knowledge from around the world, the design was ultimately a Japanese one.

An Imperial Japanese Navy Zero fighter that crashed on Akutan Island, Alaska on June 4, 1942 is loaded onto a ship by U.S. military forces for shipment to Seattle, Washington in July 1942. The Zero was later used for intelligence purposes by the U.S. Government. The fighter ace William Leonard claimed, “The captured Zero was a treasure. To my knowledge, no other captured machine has ever unlocked so many secrets at a time when the need was so great.” Japanese military historian Masatake Okumiya wrote that the revelations from the Akutan Zero were as dire for the Japanese military as the loss at the Battle of Midway.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

WWII veteran honored during her 100th birthday celebration (PHOTOS)Joyce Edith Wagner Weaver served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Source: njdotcom - 🏆 282. / 63 Read more »

World War II-era boat emerges from shrinking Lake MeadThe boat is just the latest in a series of objects unearthed by declining water levels in Lake Mead, the largest human-made reservoir in the U.S., held back by the Hoover Dam.
Source: ladailynews - 🏆 332. / 59 Read more »

Zelensky advisor names three weapons Ukraine needs to turn the tide of warMykhailo Podolyak made an appeal as clashes intensified in the battle for Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Bwahahahahaha winning Ukraine's government has gone from the denial stage to bargaining stage in a handful of months. By September they'll be in the acceptance stage.
Source: Newsweek - 🏆 468. / 52 Read more »

Walt Disney and World War II: New exhibit at Museum of FlightDuring World War II, American industry famously out-manufactured everyone else on the planet – with local companies like Boeing cranking out planes
Source: Mynorthwest - 🏆 438. / 53 Read more »

World War II Bombs Hamper Germany’s Retreat From Russian GasA long-submerged problem is complicating Germany’s attempts to wean itself off the vast pipelines pumping gas west from Russia: Over a million tons of weapons and explosives rusting at the bottom of the sea. Many bad decisions of the past affects the people decision on today and every bad decision of the future generations. 应该怎么解决 Why wasn't Merkel told about this? I'm sure she would've committed substantial resources to fixing it if she knew (or was she too busy prioritising the needs of Syrian refugees over the security & prosperity of German and EU residents)?
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »