Captured A6M Zero fighter 'Akutan Zero' flying over San Diego, California, United States, Sep 1942

Caption     Captured A6M Zero fighter 'Akutan Zero' flying over San Diego, California, United States, Sep 1942 ww2dbase
Photographer    Unknown
Source    ww2dbaseUnited States Navy via Wikimedia Commons
Link to Source    Link
More on...   
A6M Zero   Main article  Photos  
Photo Size 742 x 530 pixels
Photos at Same Place San Diego, California, United States
Added By C. Peter Chen
Licensing  Public Domain. According to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government".

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed David Stubblebine says:
1 Feb 2009 02:20:06 PM

Painted in standard US Navy colors of the day, but it doesn't matter - it still looks Japanese to me.
2. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
12 Feb 2009 05:48:17 PM

made in japan! the very name made anything that was built in japan seam inferior. the zero was a well built machine, designed for what the japanese imperial navy need it for, and flown by the best trained airman of the day, but like any machine the zero had its day, until a captured zero was put through testing and all its secrets came out, and u.s. pilots could beat the zero. it all comes down to never underestimate your enemy yesterday, today and tomorrow!
3. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
12 Feb 2009 06:05:39 PM

japanese naval pilots were the best trained in the world at that time, and only the very very best were accepted. when japan needed more pilots the very best and the best were not there they were weeded out of flight training. as the war continued well trained replacements were not there to fill the loss of experienced fliers. japan could never catch up.
4. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
12 Feb 2009 06:34:08 PM

about the photo of the zero in u.s. navy markings. the pilot was lt. comdr. eddie sanders, who retired as a rear admiral. it was the same zero, that was found on akutan island 25 miles east of dutch harbor. the japanese pilot's name was tadayoshi koga his aircraft carrier was the ryujo.
5. Anonymous says:
13 Feb 2009 09:16:56 AM

the captured zero's came to an end. in feb. 1945. the zero was taxiing at the san diego naval station preparing for training flight, when a curtiss helldiver notorious for poor forward visibility overran the zero the helldivers propeller chopped the zero into pieces from tail to cockpit. the pilot survived, but the zero was beyond salvage. had the zero survived ww2 it would have been great to see this aircraft today, at the national air and space museum.
6. Scotty. says:
3 Apr 2011 08:57:01 AM

I have a piece of this plane where it was repaired. It was from my Grandma who was working there in 1940's. Piece says May,28,1942.
7. Commenter identity confirmed Bill says:
3 Nov 2015 03:47:32 PM

KOGA'S ZERO: WAR PRIZE

Zero s/n 4593 flown by Lt.Cdr. Eddie R. Sanders
The zero was rebuilt and tested at San Diego, Ca.
Naval Air Station 1942. Sanders retired from the US Navy a Rear Admiral. The zero came as a surprise to US and Allied forces at the start of the Pacific war...
What's that saying, never underestimated your enemy...

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