Japanese carrier based Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighter planes are preparing to take off from the aircraft carrier "Shokaku", during the battle of the islands of Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands, north-east of Australia; the morning of October 26, 1942.


On the flight deck of Shokaku

Pilots of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in a Mitsubishi Ki-21 (Type 97) bomber,flying a sortie over the Pacific. The Mitsubishi Ki-21 (codenamed "Sally" by the Allies) was a successful medium bomber in service with the Japanese Air Force since 1939, seeing combat action up until 1945,despite the fact that the aircraft was already outclassed by the crop of American and English airplanes in the theater. Nevertheless,the Ki-21 proved a success since its inception and would become even more lethal when in use as kamikaze aircraft.While an adequate aircraft in its own right,the Ki-21 suffered form the same major drawbacks inherent in most of the Japanese designs of World War 2,as inadequate defensive armament and armor protection for the crew.
taken from fb/WW2 Soldiers

Japanese flying crew

Japanese fighter plane A6M2 "Zero" on the deck of the aircraft carrier "Akagi" before flying to attack Pearl Harbor. 
