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Brewster Buffalo The little Brewster Buffalo was the first US Navy monoplane to see combat. The Buffalo was evident during 1941 in the "Neutrality Patrols" because of its long range capabilities. Twenty-one Buffalos flown by pilots of the US Marine Corps put up a heroic struggle in the First Battle of Midway despite being out classed by the superior Zeros. In 1940 numerous Buffalos were sent to Finland, where they did extremely well throughout the war. Britain, Holland, and Australia also used the Brewster Buffalo.

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Douglas Dauntless SBD Great importance was attached by the US Navy to the dive bomber. The Dauntless was the most famous. It saw service for the duration of the war and was successful from its inception. SBD’s launched from the carriers Enterprise and Yorktown were instrumental in the sinking of the carriers Akagi, Kaga, and the Hiryu on June 4, 1942 at the battle of Midway. These losses resulted in the turning point of the war against the Japanese.

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Grumman Wildcat F4F The Wildcat was the first of the family of Navy Cats and the founder of a series of excellent carrier fighters. Inferior in many ways to the A6M Zero, the Wildcat was a factor in the conflict in 1943. It first saw combat at Wake Island where six aircraft defended the island against far superior Japanese forces. It emerged with a splendid reputation. It was known for its ability to operate from small escort carriers that would not support larger aircraft. Variants of the Wildcat were in service with every US Carrier based fighter squadron by the start of 1943.

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Mitsubishi A6M Reisen Zero 21 The Zero fighter took part in every major action in which the Japanese Navy was committed. Its fame was due mainly to victories won against all types of land and carrier based allied aircraft. The Zero 21 was used in the attack on Pearl Harbor and continued with a series of success marked with victory at Wake Island. Unfortunately for the pilots much of its maneuverability and speed were due to the lack of armor protection for the pilot and wing tanks. Variants remained in production until the end of the war. More Reisen were built than any other type of Japanese aircraft. The Zero remains a legendary symbol of Japanese air power.

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Aichi D3a Val In the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the Val was the first Japanese aircraft to drop bombs on US targets. It enjoyed considerable success during the first year of the war and sank more allied shipping than any other single type Axis aircraft. The Val was considered one of the best dive bombers of the war. It placed approximately 87 percent of its bombs on target during the attacks on the British cruisers HMS Cornwall, HMS Dorsetshire, and the carrier HMS Hermes during the Indian Ocean campaign. In the battles of Midway and Coral Sea, heavy losses of the experienced crews, aircraft and carriers forced the Japanese to assign an most Vals to land based operations.

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Nakajima B5N Kate When the Pacific War began the Kate was the most modern carrier borne torpedo bomber in any air force. It was instrumental in crippling the US Navy’s battleship force at Pearl Harbor proving once and for all the effectiveness of air power. During the next year Kates delivered fatal blows to three US carriers, the Lexington, Yorktown, and Hornet. It participated in all Japanese carrier operations until replaced in 1944 by the Tenzan (Jill). During the 1944 Philippines campaign staggering losses from improved US fighter aircraft forced its relegation to maritime reconnaissance and patrol.