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Re: Japanese pilot opinions on the J2M
It is absolutely necessary to be careful with portions of Caiden's "Samurai" because of his ignorance of Japanese technical vocabulary and his editorial additions. For example, Caiden initiated the confusion over the type of USN carrier planes Sakai attacked on 7 August 1942 and which wounded him. Caiden didn't understand that the term "kanbaku" (carrier bomber) meant dive bomber, while "kanko" (carrier attack plane) was torpedo bomber. Sakai wrote that he attacked kanbaku, actually SBD Dauntless dive bombers, which Caiden wrongly assumed were TBF Avenger torpedo planes. There was never any confusion in Japan. For example the motion picture on Sakai depicted his opponents as SBDs.
Best wishes,
John
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