The Akutan Zero-- Part 4: Attack on the Aleutians and Shooting Down of Koga's Zero

Nine Zeros were shot down during the attack on Pearl Harbor and from those wrecks, the U.S. learned that the Zeros lacked armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, but little about their combat abilities.

Prior to the recovery of the Akutan Zero, information had been obtained  from three other Zeros.  But none of them were flyable.

In June 1942, as part of Japan's Midway operation, the Aleutian Islands were attacked.  A Japanese task force bombed Dutch Harbor twice, once on June 3 and again the following day.

Tadayoshi Koga (September 10, 1922-June 4, 1942) was a 19-year-old Japanese Navy flight petty officer  first class, was launched from the aircraft carrier Ryujo as part of the June 4 raid.  He was part of a three plane section.

They attacked Dutch Harbor and are believed to have been the three Japanese planes who shot down an American PBY-5A Flying and then strafed the survivors in the water, killing all six of them.

In the process, Koga's plane was damaged by small arms fire.

--GreGen