The US Operation To Capture Japan’s Most Feared Fighter

On June 4, 1942, Petty Officer 1st Class Tadayoshi Koga was flying a Mitsubishi A6M2, famously known as the Zero. The Zero was widely feared by the Allies, outclassing most of the aircraft it met during combat.

Two months later, over the skies of the British colony of Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, 36 Zeroes had fought 60 RAF fighters. For the loss of a single Zero, the Japanese had shot down 27 British aircraft. The British and Americans wanted to get their hands on an intact Zero to test and evaluate it, but so far, no opportunity has presented itself.

The US Base at Dutch Harbor on the island of Unalaska was targeted by Japanese Zeros on the 4th of June. Plunging through a cold fog, Koga and his two wingmen strafe the base. However, Koga’s Zero was hit by ground fire, severing the engine’s feed. With oil draining from his engine, it’s almost impossible for Koga to make it back to his aircraft carrier.

Heading for Akutan Island, designated for the Japanese emergency, Koga lined up for a landing on a grass strip. He knew that on the island was a Japanese submarine, willing to pick up any air crew who had been shot down. However, as he landed, the grass strip, boggy with heavy rain, caused his landing gear to dig in, flipping the plane onto its back. Koga snapped his neck and died in the process. Meanwhile, the other Zeroes circled overhead, unsure of Koga’s fate. They didn’t follow orders and shoot down the downed Zero, a major mistake.

For over a month, the Zero lay abandoned on the landing strip until a US Navy Patrol plane, which was lost, spotted it. The next day, the PBY Catalina returned with a small recovery team. Kogo’s body was recovered, searched for any intelligence material, and buried in a shallow grave. The team also reported that the Zero could be salvaged.

Days later, additional teams arrived to salvage the Zero. The Zero was extracted from the mud, placed into a barge, and shipped to Dutch Harbor. It was then put aboard the USS St. Mihiel, arriving in Seattle. It was then shipped by barge to San Diego. Mechanics straightened out the vertical stabilizer, rudder, wing tips, flaps, and canopy. The landing struts were rebuilt, and the propeller reconditioned. The Japanese rising sun markings were also replaced with US markings.

It took to the air again on September 20, 1942. Numerous tests exposed certain weaknesses that Allied pilots could exploit to defeat the type in combat. It was noted that the Zero’s aerons froze at speeds over 200 knots, making rolling maneuvers challenging. The aircraft was found to roll to the left more easily than to the right. The engine cut out due to negative acceleration caused by its float-type carburetor. Allied pilots would brutally exploit these weaknesses.

In 1943, the Zero was placed on public display at Washington National Airport. In 1944, it was tested again, this time helping pilots engage in dogfights against Zeros. A second Zero captured on Guam by the Americans was also used. The technical secrets of the Akutan Zero undoubtedly saved the lives of many Allied pilots. In February 1945, the Akutan Zero was destroyed when, during takeoff, an out-of-control Curtis Helldiver rammed it. A few pieces remain in US museums today.

During the last years of the war, the Zero was completely outclassed by the latest Allied types. Many of the once great Zeroes ended their days simply as kamikaze aircraft.