Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945 (The Pacific War Trilogy Book 3)

by Ian W. Toll

The homeland air defense squadrons consisted of a hodgepodge of different aircraft types, including many older-model Zeros, but also a few newer designs that performed much better at higher altitudes. The Mitsubishi A7M “Reppu,” successor to the Zero, had a rate of climb rivaling that of the Hellcat and the Mustang, and a service ceiling of 40,000 feet. Its Allied codename was “Sam.” The Kawanishi N1K2-J Shinden-Kai, developed from an earlier floatplane fighter, was a fast, powerful, maneuverable aircraft with brawny defenses and almost twice the standard firepower of the Zero. The Americans had seen a few Shinden-Kais over the Philippines and Formosa, and given it the identification codename “George,” but they were not yet fully aware of the new fighter’s capabilities. The J2M “Raiden” (“Thunderbolt”) was a powerful Mitsubishi interceptor designed to take on American heavy bombers. Its speed in level flight surpassed 400 miles per hour, and it was armed with four 20mm cannon, more than enough firepower to bring down a B-29. The Allies called it “Jack.” Sam, George, and Jack were high-powered machines that needed skilled pilots, of whom only a few remained in the Japanese air corps.