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Zero,
by Jack Fellows
Although credited with over 60 aerial
victories, Japan
S most famous fighter ace Ensign Saburo Sakai, IJN took greatest pride in
never losing a wingman. Completing flight training in 1937, he saw combat in
China, the Philippines, and the Southwest Pacific. On 7 August 1942, he was
wounded by SBD fire and barely made it back to base. He recovered to train
other Japanese pilots and to fight again at Iwo Jima and over Tokyo. Here
Sakai is depicted in one of the many Mitsubishi Type Zero carrier fighters,
it’s markings representative of those if the Tainan Kokutai during much of
1942. Sakai flew these aircraft to great success throughout the Pacific war.
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