P-39/P-400 Airacobra vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen - New Guinea 1942

After the huge advances made in the early months of the Pacific war, it was in remote New Guinea where the advance of Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) A6M Zero-sen fighters was first halted due to a series of offensive and defensive aerial battles ranging from treetop height up to 30,000 ft. Initially, the IJNAF fought Australian Kittyhawks, but by May 1942 they had fought themselves into oblivion, and were relieved by USAAF P-39 and P-400 Airacobras. The battles unfolded over mountainous terrain with treacherous tropical weather. Neither IJNAF or USAAF pilots had been trained for such extreme conditions, incurring many additional losses aside from those that fell in combat. Using specially commissioned artwork and contemporary photographs and testimony, this fascinating study explains how, despite their initial deficit in experience and equipment, the Airacobras managed to square the ledger and defend New Guinea.>

Product details

• Authors: Michae Claringbould, Michael John Claringbould, Mr Michael John Claringbould, Gareth Hector, Jim Laurier
• Assisted by: Gareth Hector (Illustration), Gareth (Illustrator) Hector (Illustration), Hector Gareth (Illustration), Jim Laurier (Illustration), Jim (Illustrator) Laurier (Illustration), Laurier Jim (Illustration)
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.10.2018
• EAN: 9781472823663
• ISBN: 978-1-4728-2366-3
• No. of pages: 80
• Series: Duel; Duel
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; HISTORY / Military / World War II, military history, HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century, Military vehicles, Warfare & defence, Second World War, Warfare and defence, Air forces and warfare, Modern warfare, c 1940 to c 1949, Military aircraft