Ki-43 Oscar Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces) [Paperback]

Hiroshi Ichimura (Author), Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 2009 | Series: Aircraft of the Aces (Book 85)

Dubbed the 'Oscar' by the Allies, the Ki-43 Hayabusa was the most prolific Japanese fighter of World War II. Produced in great numbers, it initially proved superior to most US and British fighter types, due to its excellent maneuverability. The light weight and large wing area gave it a small turning radius and a high rate-of-climb which was ideal for pilots in close combat fighting. However, the Ki-43's swiftness and agility came at a price, with the low-wing design meaning that firepower and safety had to be sacrificed. With only two machine guns, a Ki-43 pilot would have to perform a dangerous balancing act between achieving a high rate of kills and their own survival. Surprisingly, more Japanese pilots achieved Ace status flying the Hayabusa than any other plane and despite being steadily outclassed by new fighters, the Ki-43 remained in frontline JAAF service until the war's end. This book expertly charts the experiences of the pilots and discusses the early stages of the war in South-East Asia, China, Burma and New Guinea. Accompanied by detailed appendices and specially commissioned artwork, this is the first volume in English to focus exclusively on the exploits of the Ki-43.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hiroshi Ichimura has done a great service by recording the exploits of the most important Japanese army fighter of the Pacific War. The Type 1 Fighter (the Ki-43/Oscar of the book's title) was probably second in importance only to the Japanese navy's Type Zero carrier fighter, for which it was often mistaken, among Japanese warplanes in that conflict. While the navy's Zero had proved itself in combat over China in 1940 and 1941 before war exploded in the Pacific, the Type 1 Fighter was just coming into operational service when the war began... Hiroshi Ichimura is to be congratulated on an excellent effort. This book covers a gap in available literature on the Pacific air war. The book provides insights into a notable fighter, its units, pilots and the campaigns where it operated. This book is a keeper; recommended both for the libraries of Pacific war neophytes and aficionados." -Richard Dunn, www.warbirdforum.com

"Full of photos of the aircraft and their pilots, we can see how these men did as the lr carried on. As with all of Osprey's 'Aces' books, there are several pages of color profiles of their planes as well as a table of the aces and their eventual fate. It is an excellent look at a subject that has a lot of interest to many people and one that I know you will enjoy." -Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (April 2009)

"The Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine) was produced in greater numbers than any other land-based Japanese fighter of WW2, and more Japanese pilots achieved ace status in this aircraft than any other. This title is the first in the English language to focus on their exploits." -Wonderpedia

About the Author

Hiroshi Ichimura is the son of a JAAF wartime pilot. He has worked as the editor of various modeling magazines in Japan since 1981, and is presently editor-in-chief of Scale Aviation. His publishing house, Dai Nippon Kaiga, has also been releasing Japanese-language Osprey series titles in Japan since 2000 - indeed, he has translated five of them. The author/co-author of four JAAF-related titles, this will be his first book for Osprey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (March 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846034086
• ISBN-13: 978-1846034084
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #684,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Chronicle of Ki-43 Pilots in Action!, May 21, 2009

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ki-43 Oscar Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)

Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' series has produced many fine titles, a few clunkers and a few truly outstanding titles. I would place Hiroshi Ichimura's KI-43 OSCAR ACES OF WORLD WAR 2 volume in the last category. A wonderfully informative look at the combat exploits of the pilots who flew the Nakajima Hayabusha, it provides readers with comprehensive, authoritative information previously unavailable in the West.

Produced in greater numbers than any other JAAF fighter, the Ki-43 was the Army Air Force's most important fighter of the war, seeing combat in the CBI and PTO. A highly-maneuverable, tightly-turning aircraft, the 'Oscar' could be a deadly opponent in a dogfight. (Tom McGuire died dueling with a Ki-43). Yet firepower, pilot protection and structural strength had been sacrified to obtain that maneuverability. Once Allied pilots learned how to fight the Ki-43, it was doomed, Oscars flaming up or breaking apart after being hit by short bursts of .50 caliber or 20mm rounds.

By war's end, over 50 Ki-43 pilots claimed to be aces while flying with units such as the 11th, 64th, 50th and 24th Sentais. The top three Ki-43 aces - Anabuki, Kuroe and Sasaki - claimed 107 kills alone. Yet, as documented in Ichimura's book, Japanese overclaiming was widespread. Between 14 March and 11 April 1943, for example, Allied CBI units lost 21 aircraft in fights with Ki-43s. The Japanese claimed 416!

Ichimura's book is a revelation with its well-done descriptions of Ki-43 combats along with background information that gives the reader rare insight into the JAAF pilots' experience in both theaters. Jim Laurier's evocative color profiles capture the Oscar in all its colorful glory. (Japanese tail markings were wonderfully imaginative). Over 90 photographs, many rare, help flesh out the Ki-43 story.

All in all, KI-43 OSCAR ACES OF WORLD WAR 2 is an impressive addition to the Osprey Aces series. I'd give it six stars if possible. Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on a subject that deserves more attention, April 14, 2009

By 

Daniel Jackson "Forgotten Squadron" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ki-43 Oscar Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)

I just finished reading the book. I thought it was very good and very informative. I was impressed with Mr. Ichimura's frankness and was interested to see how he cross-referenced Japanese claims with Allied records and vice versa. His discussion of both the successes and failures of the units involved is a model of impartiality which I think many historians find hard to achieve. Though he clearly emphasized the aces, I thought he did a good job providing a history of the Oscar's operational service during the war. The section on Oscar units in Burma seemed the most thorough - with more detail and more first-hand information from Oscar pilots and crews. One criticism: he uses the Pinyin and Wade-Giles Chinese place names interchangeably, which can be a little confusing. For example, he refers to Guilin by the Wade-Giles romanization (Kweilin) but Chongqing by the Pinyin romanization. Overall, however, it was one of the best Osprey books I've read (it reads very professionally, while others feel half-fast) and I'm glad Hiroshi Ichimura is adding to the literature on an under-exposed subject.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, July 13, 2010

By 

David M. Knights "David Knights" (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ki-43 Oscar Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)

In general I have found that the Osprey Publications books can be hit or miss depending upon your interests and the particular subject matter of the volume involved. Some of them are great. (See the previous review on the Osprey book on the 4th FG.) Others are not so good.

However, I can say that, without a doubt this volume is one of the best of any of the Osprey publications. I couldn't put it down. The author does a great job in telling the stories of the different aces who flew the Ki-43 at some point in their careers, with particular emphasis on aces who got all or the vast majority of their kills in the Ki-43.

The book starts with an overview of the aircraft itself. When the Ki-43 was first going thru design and testing it was not immediately a hit with the pilots of the JAAF. They had been use to flying the ultra-maneuverable Ki-27 and found the Ki-43 too heavy. The designers came up with the distinctive "butterfly" flaps and worked hard to lighten the aircraft as much as possible. This emphasis on lightening led to some early models shedding their wings. The Ki-43 was introduced to service just before the outbreak of WWII in the Pacific.

The bulk of the book describes the use of the Ki-43 in different theatres, starting in the Burma, Singapore, Malaya area. This is where the Ki-43 got its introduction to combat. The most famous of the Ki-43 aces, Kato and Nakamura started building their scores in Malaya. The book then moves from theatre to theatre describing the units that used the Oscar in each, and discussing the aces in those units. In addition to Burma, Singapore and Malaya, the Ki-43 was also used in China, the Southwest Pacific, Philippines and the Home Islands. Numerous descriptions of combats involving the Oscar make up large portions of the text.

As with all of the Osprey books, the center section contains color side views of many of the aircraft of the aces discussed in the text. The illustrations, though of the left side of the aircraft only, provide the modeler with inspiration for numerous builds. The book is 96 pages with numerous black and white photos and 7 pages of color illustrations.

I can recommend this book without reservation.