{"id":29237073,"date":"2026-10-23T10:56:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/mitsubishi-a6m-zero-fighter-history-horikoshi\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T10:56:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:56:57","slug":"mitsubishi-a6m-zero-fighter-history-horikoshi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/mitsubishi-a6m-zero-fighter-history-horikoshi\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitsubishi A6M Zero: The Fighter That Shocked the Allies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n\n\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color 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It flew farther than a fighter should, turned tighter than anything they had, and carried cannon.<\/p><p>Warnings from China, including from the American adviser Claire Chennault, made little impression in Washington or London. Eighteen months later, over Pearl Harbor, the Philippines and Malaya, American and British pilots found out the hard way. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/a6m-zero\/\">Mitsubishi A6M Zero<\/a> was, for a while, the best carrier fighter in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:28px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 carrier fighter (Allied code name &ldquo;Zeke&rdquo;)<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>Designer:<\/strong> Jiro Horikoshi, Mitsubishi<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>Specification:<\/strong> Imperial Japanese Navy 12-Shi requirement, issued 5 October 1937<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>First flight:<\/strong> 1 April 1939<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>First combat:<\/strong> August 1940, over China<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>Model 21 range:<\/strong> Over 2,600 km (1,600 mi) with drop tank<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>Weaknesses:<\/strong> No pilot armour, no self-sealing fuel tanks<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0;font-size:15px;color:#333\"><strong>Built:<\/strong> About 10,939 of all variants<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">An impossible specification<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>In October 1937 the Imperial Japanese Navy asked Mitsubishi and Nakajima for a new carrier fighter that would match or beat the performance of land-based fighters, with enormous range and heavy armament. Nakajima dropped out. Mitsubishi&rsquo;s chief designer, Jiro Horikoshi, concluded that the only way to meet the requirement was to make the aircraft as light as humanly possible.<\/p><p>He used a new aluminium alloy from Sumitomo Metal Industries, lighter and stronger than its contemporaries, and saved weight wherever he could. The Zero first flew on 1 April 1939. It entered service in July 1940, the Japanese imperial year 2600, which is where the name Type 0, and so &ldquo;Zero&rdquo;, came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X0Mu4jJ0S0s\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">The rise and fall of the Japanese Zero (Real Engineering).<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Lord of the Pacific skies<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Early in the war the Zero achieved a kill ratio of about 12 to 1, according to figures quoted on Wikipedia. Its low wing loading let it out-turn the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/p-40-warhawk\/\">P-40<\/a>, the Buffalo and the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f4f-wildcat\/\">F4F Wildcat<\/a>, and its range let Japanese carriers strike from well beyond where Allied commanders expected them. In 1942 the captain of USS Yorktown, Elliott Buckmaster, reported that the Zero could easily outmanoeuvre and out-climb the Wildcat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/mitsubishi-a6m-zero-fighter-history-horikoshi-img1.jpg\" alt=\"A6M2 Zero fighter taking off from the carrier Akagi on 7 December 1941\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An A6M2 Zero (tail code AI-108) takes off from the carrier Akagi on the morning of 7 December 1941, bound for Pearl Harbor. (Japanese military photo, public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even after the war, test pilots who flew captured examples were impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I have ever flown a fighter that could match the rate of turn of the Zero.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Capt. Eric &ldquo;Winkle&rdquo; Brown<\/strong> &mdash; Royal Navy test pilot<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The price of being light<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Lightness had a cost. The Zero had no armour plate behind the pilot and no self-sealing fuel tanks, so a burst of .50-calibre fire that a Wildcat could survive would set a Zero alight. Its controls also grew heavy at high speed, and it could not follow a diving American fighter.<\/p><p>In June 1942 the Americans got the gift they needed: an almost intact A6M2 that crash-landed on Akutan Island in the Aleutians, killing its pilot, Tadayoshi Koga. Repaired and test-flown at San Diego, the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/akutan-zero-koga-captured-a6m-zero-1942-test-flights\/\">Akutan Zero<\/a> revealed its strengths and its weaknesses in detail. Tactics followed, most famously the Thach Weave, in which two Wildcats crossed paths so that a Zero chasing one would fly into the guns of the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rC5n72YsqcA\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">How did the Allies overcome the Zero fighter? (Imperial War Museums).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Japan&rsquo;s best aces saw the change from the cockpit. Saburo Sakai, wounded over Guadalcanal, described his astonishment at an American aircraft that kept flying after taking a burst that would have destroyed his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;A Zero which had taken that many bullets would have been a ball of fire by now.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Saburo Sakai<\/strong> &mdash; Imperial Japanese Navy ace<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/mitsubishi-a6m-zero-fighter-history-horikoshi-img2.jpg\" alt=\"A6M3 Zero flown by Hiroyoshi Nishizawa over the Solomon Islands in 1943\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An A6M3 Model 22, tail number UI-105, flown by the ace Hiroyoshi Nishizawa over the Solomon Islands in 1943. (Imperial Japanese Navy photo, public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From air superiority to kamikaze<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>By 1943 the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f6f-hellcat\/\">F6F Hellcat<\/a> and the F4U Corsair outclassed the Zero, and Japan never fielded a true replacement in numbers. Later models added armour, heavier guns and shorter wings for diving speed, but the basic design was stretched to its limit. At the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, the so-called Great Marianas Turkey Shoot, hundreds of Japanese aircraft were lost.<\/p><p>In the last year of the war, Zeros carrying 250 kg bombs became the first kamikaze aircraft. More than 10,000 were built in all, more than any other Japanese wartime fighter. A handful survive today, and a few still fly in the United States, their Sakae engines a reminder of the summer when the Zero owned the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hg24-z0TaRc\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Inside the cockpit of an A6M3 Zero (Military Aviation History).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Mitsubishi A6M Zero), Imperial War Museums, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Real Engineering<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Why was the Mitsubishi Zero so good?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Mitsubishi Zero combined very light weight, low wing loading, long range and cannon armament. Early in the Pacific war it could out-turn and out-climb Allied fighters such as the P-40 and F4F Wildcat and strike from unexpected distances. It achieved a kill ratio of around 12 to 1 in early combat.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is it called the Zero?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Its official name was Type 0 carrier fighter. Type 0 came from the last digit of the Japanese imperial year 2600, which corresponds to 1940, the year it entered service. Japanese pilots called it the Zero-sen or Reisen. The Allied code name was Zeke.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who designed the Mitsubishi Zero?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Zero was designed by Jiro Horikoshi, chief designer at Mitsubishi, in response to an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement issued in October 1937. The prototype first flew on 1 April 1939.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What were the Zero\u2019s weaknesses?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">To save weight, the Zero had no armour protection for the pilot and no self-sealing fuel tanks, so it caught fire easily when hit. Its controls became heavy at high speed and it could not follow American fighters in a dive.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How did the Allies defeat the Zero?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Studying the captured Akutan Zero revealed its weaknesses, and new tactics such as the Thach Weave let Wildcat pilots fight it in pairs. From 1943 faster, tougher fighters such as the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair outclassed it.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many Mitsubishi Zeros were built?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">About 10,939 Zeros of all variants were built, more than any other Japanese fighter of the Second World War. A few restored examples still fly today.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why was the Mitsubishi Zero so good?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Mitsubishi Zero combined very light weight, low wing loading, long range and cannon armament. Early in the Pacific war it could out-turn and out-climb Allied fighters such as the P-40 and F4F Wildcat and strike from unexpected distances. It achieved a kill ratio of around 12 to 1 in early combat.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is it called the Zero?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Its official name was Type 0 carrier fighter. Type 0 came from the last digit of the Japanese imperial year 2600, which corresponds to 1940, the year it entered service. Japanese pilots called it the Zero-sen or Reisen. The Allied code name was Zeke.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who designed the Mitsubishi Zero?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Zero was designed by Jiro Horikoshi, chief designer at Mitsubishi, in response to an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement issued in October 1937. The prototype first flew on 1 April 1939.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What were the Zero\u2019s weaknesses?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"To save weight, the Zero had no armour protection for the pilot and no self-sealing fuel tanks, so it caught fire easily when hit. Its controls became heavy at high speed and it could not follow American fighters in a dive.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How did the Allies defeat the Zero?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Studying the captured Akutan Zero revealed its weaknesses, and new tactics such as the Thach Weave let Wildcat pilots fight it in pairs. 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A few restored examples still fly today.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/akutan-zero-koga-captured-a6m-zero-1942-test-flights\/\">Akutan Zero: The Crash That Revealed the Zero&#8217;s Weaknesses<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/thach-weave-wildcat-zero-beam-defense\/\">The Thach Weave: How Two Wildcats Out-Thought the Zero<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/saburo-sakai-zero-ace-guadalcanal-wounded-flight\/\">Shot Through the Skull, He Flew On<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/great-marianas-turkey-shoot-philippine-sea-1944\/\">The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot: The Day Japan&rsquo;s Carrier Air Arm Died<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story In the summer of 1940, Chinese pilots over Chongqing met a new Japanese fighter that seemed to break the rules. It flew farther than a fighter should, turned tighter than anything they had, and carried cannon. Warnings from China, including from the American adviser Claire Chennault, made little impression in Washington or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":29237040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29237073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mitsubishi Zero: The Fighter That Shocked the Allies | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Mitsubishi Zero outturned and outranged Allied fighters in 1941, then paid for its lightness. 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