NOTES TO TABLE 28

Table 28 is a combination of two tabulations. It covers only the period from 1 September 1944 to 15 August 1945, during which period were destroyed 5,234 airborne planes, or 57%, of the total Jap planes credited to Naval aircraft during the war. The first line of figures in each column is the number of Jap planes, of the model and type listed at the left, destroyed in combat during this 12-month period by Navy and Marine carrier and land-based planes of the model or type listed at the top. The second line of figures is the number of Navy and Marine planes lost during the same period in encounters between the same types or models of aircraft, based on a special study of our own aircraft losses.

In the case of F6F and F4U losses the bulk of those reported as destroyed by unidentified types, amounting to one-fourth of the total, have been prorated as noted in the footnote to the table. This, plus the errors in identification which may normally be expected in the action reports, results in a decrease of accuracy which leaves something to be desired, but permits comparisons which are believed sufficiently near the truth to be of considerable value and interest, and are in any event the best available.

The result of comparing each pair of figures is to produce a combat ratio for air combat between each two models or types of planes involved - subject to the limitation on accuracy noted above.

The F6F appears to have shot down 15.5 single-engine Jap fighters for each F6F destroyed in combat with them. Against the Zeke the F6F ratio was over 13-to-1; against Oscar over 15-to-1; against Tojo (probably including a large proportion of misidentifications) over 31-to-1. Against the most advanced types the F6F did less well- 8.5-to-1 against the Frank, Jack and George combined.

Unusual is the loss of 6 F6Fs in combat with Betty; however, with respect to enemy twin-engine planes as a whole the ratio was 66-to-1, and against all other bomber types combined was 225-to-1.

The F4U nearly matched the F6F performance during this period, with a 15-to-1 ratio against single-engine fighters, and 12-to-1 against Zeke. The F4U, however, included a relatively large number of obsolete Nates among its kills, and while its record against Oscar and Tony was super-ior to the F6F's, the F4U scored only 13-to-1 against Tojo, and only 6-to-1 against Frank, Jack and George combined.

The phenomenal FM leads all fighters during this period, with a 26-to-1 ratio over Jap single-engine fighters, only 2 losses sustained in destroying 87 Zekes, and only two losses in downing 194 bombers and miscellaneous types.

Bomber losses, as might be expected, were higher against enemy fighters, though the PB4Y reported destroying over 5 fighters for every PB4Y combat loss. No Navy bombers were lost, however, in the combats which resulted in destruction of 179 enemy bombers, float planes, and miscellaneous types during this period.

The catholic taste of the PB4Ys during the 12 months may be noted. They accounted, in all, for planes of 24 different identified combat types, plus transports and unidentified types, and they destroyed over 15 Jap planes for each of their own losses.

From the Japanese angle, the ineffectiveness of their air forces against the Navy during this period is clearly shown. They lost 3,131 fighters in destroying 198 of ours, and expended 118 of their fighters in destroying only 33 of our bombers. Even their best fighter, Jack, sustained 49 losses in destroying 13 Navy planes.

The Japanese single-engine bombers knocked down only one of our planes for every 186 of their losses (our VSB and VTB enjoyed a 3.5-to-1 advantage over the Japs). Their twin-engine bombers and fighters did little better, losing 68 planes for every kill they made. Their flying boats and float planes made no kills at all to offset their 203 losses. Nor did their 72 transports lost - 40% of which were destroyed by our roving search planes. In all, the Japs lost over 20 planes for each of ours destroyed in air combat during this period.