Ki-43 ‘Oscar' Aces of World War 2
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Aircraft of the Aces 85
Author: Hiroshi Ichimura
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-84603-408-4
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 96
The newest in the Osprey Aces series examines one of the most attractive Japanese fighters, the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa. More Ki-43 aircraft were produced than any other land-based Japanese fighter, and the large numbers meant that more Japanese pilots obtained ace status in this plane. In fact, the list at the end of the book has more than 60 pilots scoring anywhere from seven victories up to Satoshi Anabuki's 39.
The author is particularly well suited to describing a history of the Ki-43, as he is the son of an Imperial Japanese Army Air Force pilot. Building on that heritage, Ichimura established the publishing house Dai Nippon Kaiga and has specialized in producing quality publications on Japanese Army aircraft.
The book jumps into the combat operations right away, with the Ki-43 taking on the British over the Malayan Peninsula and Indochina. Against the early British aircraft such as the Buffalo and Blenheim, the Ki-43 performed admirably, and when the Japanese encountered the AVG pilots in their P-40Bs, the aircraft showed its superiority in maneuverability. The Ki-43 was by no means invincible, though, and some losses occurred on the Japanese side as well.
Following the initial beginnings of combat in Southeast Asia, the book follows the Hayabusa through to Burma to China, New Guinea, and finally the Philippines. The author does an excellent job of combining careful research with personal anecdotes, with the result of a page-turner of a book. Interspersed throughout the book are many photographs showing the diverse colors and markings of the Ki-43, and since these photos are in black and white, the center color profile section is also of great use. Drawn by Jim Laurier, these are of high quality and do a great job of detailing the varied camouflages worn by the Ki-43.
This is an excellent book in the Osprey Aces series, and I hope the author continues his work and produces more titles on Japanese Army Air Force aircraft for Osprey in the future. My thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy.