Cracking the Zero Mystery

by Jim Rearden

For six months after Pearl Harbor the nimble Japanese Zero-sen plane dominated the Pacific air war. Then, on June 4, 1942 a Zero crashed on tiny Akutan Island in the Aleutians. It lay there for five weeks until spotted by an American plane. Hauled back to California, the Zero revealed its secrets in a series of tests and analyses. Fast, but lacking protection for the pilot as well as a self-sealing gas tank which all U.S. planes had, the Zero lost its predominance for the rest of the war. Rearden tells for the first time in detail the exciting events leading to this crucial intelligence breakthrough, as important as the breaking of the Japanese naval code. An appendix analyzes the vital statistics of the Zero versus U.S. planes.

Genres: Aviation

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1990

Reviews

[Eddie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Never knew about the Akutan Zero and how the discovery helped US fighter pilots in the Pacific get the upper hand on the Zero. Quick read full of good information, facts and stories. Very interesting and recommend to WWII history and aviation fans.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slim information packed volume. Personal interviews by the author with participants involved in the Aleutian campaign in 1942-1943 make this book very interesting. Furthermore, it shows the importance that a single, seemingly insignificant event, the crash of a single plane, can have on the outcome of a battle or war. Lt. Gen. Masatake Okumiya considered the recovery of this plane to be as significant to the defeat of Japan in WWII as the loss of the Battle of Midway.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in the Aleutian Campaign or in the defeat of Japan in World War II.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ineresting readable account of the Akutan Zero