Japanese Fighter Techniques

[Jim Oxley]

From the very few personal accounts available of pilots it seems the preferred method was to gain a height advantage and dive on the B-29. Almost in the style of the USN overhead pass.

But most of the time, due to the B-29's high speed at altitude, many attacks were very much if you caught up attack immediately from whatever angle. With the minimal performance edge by (any) Japanese aircraft there doesn't seem to have been the ability plan the mass intercepts that were practiced by the Luftwaffe over Europe.

In general terms for much of the war both the JAAF and the JNAF fought in flights of three. It was only from1944 that both services officially adopted the finger four/pair style.