Recognition

[JeffK]

But the Japanese Army Air Force & Japanese Navy Air Force had e\been in battle over China for a number of years.

Whenthe Zero-Sen arrived in early 1940 it decimated (or worse) the Chinese Fighters which had been holding their own until then.

Re-reading "Bloody shambles" by Shores. Cull & Izawa, they used the phrase "Zero type fighter" to cover the Zero-Sen & Oscar. The biggest difference was said to be one had cannon in the wing (Zero) and the other didnt.

To shift theatres, even the Luftwaffe had a "Spitfire phobia" and their claims in the Battle of Britain were heavily weighted to having beaten the Spit rather than the lowly Hurricane.