Mitsubishi A5M - Operational History

Operational History

The aircraft entered service in early 1937, soon seeing action in pitched aerial battles at the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, including air-to-air battles with the Chinese Air Force's Boeing P-26C Model 281 "Peashooters" in what was the world's first-ever aerial dogfighting and kills between monoplane fighters built of mostly metal.

There, they proved themselves the better of every aircraft they encountered, though the Mitsubishi team continued to improve the A5M, working through versions until the final A5M4, which added a ventral drop-tank for extended range. Even though only armed with a pair of 7.7 mm machine-guns, the new Mitsubishi fighter proved effective and damage tolerant, with excellent maneuverability and a very robust construction. The most dangerous foe was the Polikarpov I-16, fast and well armed, often manned by Soviet aircrews. A5M's escorted the then-modern but vulnerable Mitsubishi G3M bombers in their raids, almost ending opposition by Nationalist air force. Fierce battles were fought, especially on 18 February 1938 and 29 April, among the largest air battles fought to that time. The battle of 29 April saw 67 Polikarpov fighters against 18 G3Ms escorted by 27 A5Ms. Both parties claimed victory. The Chinese/Soviet side claimed 21 Japanese aircraft (11 fighters and 10 bombers) with 50 air crew killed; the Japanese admitted only two G3Ms and two A5Ms shot down, and in turn claimed no less than forty kills, so the real outcome is unclear.

A trainer version, the A5M4-K was also built (103 examples). This had a two-seater cockpit and continued in use for fighter training long after the regular A5M left front-line service.

Almost all A5Ms had open cockpits; a closed cockpit was tried, but found little favor among Navy aviators. All had fixed, non-retractable undercarriage with (except for the trainers) wheel spats.

The Flying Tigers encountered the Type 96, although not officially, and one was shot down at Mingaladon airfield, Burma on 29 January 1942.

Some A5Ms were still in service at the beginning of World War II in the Pacific. United States intelligence sources believed the A5M was still the primary Navy fighter, but they had already been replaced by the A6M 'Zero' on first-line aircraft carriers and with the Tainan Air Group. Other Japanese carriers and air groups continued to use the A5M until production of the 'Zero' caught up with demand. The last combat actions with the A5M as a fighter took place at the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 May 1942, when two A5Ms and four A6Ms of the Japanese carrier Shōhō fought against the US planes that sank their carrier.

Most remaining airframes were used for kamikaze attacks in the closing months of the war.