[parsig9]

Just leafing through Caiden's The Last Dogfight (fiction) and see that he mentions a hot-shot Jap pilot with kill markings painted around the cowl of his Zero (15-20 or so). Just wondered how much of this is fiction? I have never seen a diecast Zeek or Oscar etc... with U.S. kill markings. What do you think guys? Hogwash?


Do we not see it b/c they think we would be hurt or something and not buy it? What would the Chinese care about that anyway. Seems their attitude would be, "Screw the Japs"!

I buy German planes with tail markings.

[hworth18]

Typically, the only time I have seen kill markings on a Zero, they were on the rear fuselage near the ID plate.. I think Witty has a model with these markings in place, but I could be wrong..

[mustangdriver]

Yeah that is the only style I have seen so far.

[hworth18]

Here is a pic I found on TFM.. It kinda shows what I mean

(pic courtesy of The Flying Mule)

[panzercommander]

Originally Posted by hworth18

Typically, the only time I have seen kill markings on a Zero, they were on the rear fuselage near the ID plate.. I think Witty has a model with these markings in place, but I could be wrong..

The Matchbox Takeo Tanimizu Zero has them also.

[skysurfer808]

Originally Posted by panzercommander

The Matchbox Takeo Tanimizu Zero has them also.

Jahowl, it most certainly does Panzercommander.

That other Zero pictured looks a bit like Tanimizu's, but the Matchbox is probably the best finished Zero out there, and looks quite nice since it is weathered as well. Takeo Tanimizu painted the US kill insignias on his plane for morale purposes, his aircraft had those markings while flying the final home defense battles in Japan itself. Tanimizu was a highly experienced pilot, graduate of one of the last thorough prewar style flight classes, he fought in Rabaul, Formosa and Japan, despite being wounded in a dogfight with Mustangs over Formosa. He also reportedly threw his life vest down to a shot down Marine Corsair Aviator, a bit of chivelry not usually attributed to the Japanese. For this reason, his Zero is among my favorite liveries, along with the original Corgi Nishizawa, and Dragon's excellent Sakai.

Skysurfer808

[wmosner]

Found this in an article about Japanese WW II aces:

The Japanese did not encourage the tallying of individual scores, being more inclined toward honoring a team effort by units. As with the French and Italians, Japanese victories were officially counted for the air group, not for individuals. Generally, attempts to verify personal claims by Japanese airmen can only be conducted from postwar examinations of their letters and diaries, or those of their comrades.

[fileasfog]

so is the last dogfight a good book?

[Gunslinger]

Originally Posted by fileasfog

so is the last dogfight a good book?

Martin Caidin wrote like 100 books fiction and non-fiction about aviation. Most of them are very good.

For the fiction ones, The Last Dogfight and Whip! are really good.

The non-fiction ones I like:

Black Thursday
Flying Forts
Fork Tail Devil
Samurai (written with/about Saburo Sakai)

Some people over the years have found some historical discrepancies in a few of his books, but they are all good reading.

[parsig9]

Originally Posted by fileasfog

so is the last dogfight a good book?

So far so good. I'm no critic though. The dialogue is pretty simple but then again they're talks between soldiers in was time. Lots of cliches and such.
It is not a heavy read by any means but well done and plenty of detailed imagery about the missions and surrounding environment etc... you do feel the flight and action. I just read Deighton's Winter so this is sort of a break. Bomber is next.