Warbird Information Exchange

This came from Leon Cleaver (Woodsy Airfield):

"Grand Circus Park, Detroit, date unknown, photographer unknown"
I'm guessing the date would be November or December 1944 from the 6th War Loan banner in the background. This Zero looks pretty beat up (note the big hole in the aft fuselage); does anyone recognize it?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Sixth War Loan Drive – 45 days, from November 2 through December 16, 1944
Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan), Monday, November 20, 1944, Page 7. ...
THE SIXTH War Loan Flag, bearing Michigan's state slogan "Stick With Me to the Finish," will be raised at 12:30 p. m. Monday in front of the City Hall. Attending this ceremony will be Mayor Edward J. Jeffries, Jr., members of the Common Council, Nate S. Shapero, Wayne County chairman of the retailers divisions, and MacPherson Browning. Wayne County chairman of the banking division. RETAIL advertisers are throwing their weight behind the drive by assisting Gallants with salespeople selling bonds in the stores. Flags of the United Nations will drape the City Hall lawn and clusters of flags will line Woodward from Jefferson to Lothrop, Washington Blvd., Monroe. Campus Martins, Gratiot and Michigan. A special feature will be exhibition of captured enemy aircraft. Shown will be a Japanese Zero and a German Mcsserschmitt.

Furthermore,
This article details the capture of Zero 3372,. After testing it was known to be on a War Bond tour in early 1945.
I believe this is the most likely candidate for the one in the photo, shown November 1944. It would have been the only one available at that time.
link to article:
http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/the-mitsubishi-zero-gave-made-in-japan-new-respect/
http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/ ... w-respect/

Also Pacific wrecks info about Zero 3372
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a6m2/3372.html

I don't believe this is 3372, the exhaust systems are completely different (collector vs. individual stacks) between 3372 and the A6M pictured above. I think it's two different models of the A6M.
I have dated high-rez pics of 3372/EB-2/EB-200 at home. I'll update later.

While this pic isn't dated, it looks to be in pretty good shape on tour.
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a ... z4bUHe9hdA

This pic is dated Dec. 15, 1944, post Sixth War Loan Tour.
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a ... z4bUHe9hdA

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45-47=-2

Seen this in one of the above articles....

In 1945, Zero 3372 was photographed in California on a War Bond tour, then mysteriously vanished. No record of its disposition exists. It is unknown whether it was destroyed or scrapped after the war, or whether is still sits in some dusty crates in some long-forgotten warehouse, waiting to be discovered once again.

I stopped reading the first article when I got to the part about the AVG encountering Zeros in early 1941. Wrong on two counts. The AVG flew their first mission after Pearl Harbor and they never fought against the Zero.

The Zero in the Detroit photo is an A6M5 as indicated by the individual exhaust stacks. The picture above is of an A6M2 that
crashed landed in China prior to the start of the war. Is was eventually handed over to the USAAF and was rebuilt and test flown against a P-40 and a P-43. The louvered panels behind the cowl were added by Army mechanics to replace original non louvered ones that were lost during shipment to Kunming.

The single bullet exit hole in the cowling gave me clue to look deeper on the shadow thus the individual stack exhaust of the A6M5 was located.
HTH,
David Aiken

WE have a Match! Thanks to j-aircraft! and Jim Lansdale

This was one of the ReiSen Model 52 captured on SAIPAN in 1944 and sent to the US for examination. It was originally assigned to No.261 Kokutai as [61-106] and it is seen above at the GREAT LAKES NAS.

Amazing photo at this link
http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=17120.0


Credit: Alan Simmons Photo via LRA.

Dave - It looks very close; and yet...

...I spy a lot of little differences as well. In the color shot it's lost more paint, and the canopy, but it's gained an oval access panel and an antenna?? And there's no big hole cut in the fuselage aft of the hinomaru. Hmm...

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Below are a couple of photos of 61-106 and they do match the color photo provided above. Not sure if 61-106 and the Detroit A6M are the same or not?

You'll notice the damage to the horizontal stab which doesn't appear in the color photograph above. (Repaired or replaced back in the States?)
You'll notice the same hole in the top of the fuselage.
You'll notice the same paint missing on the upper left wing tip, near the Hinomaru.
You'll notice the sheet metal damage to the upper right wing, leading edge, mid span.
You'll notice the aft fuselage painted stripes.




This may be 61-106 based on the horizontal stab damage.

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45-47=-2