Fatboy Coxy
Monthly Donor
Hi Ramp-Rat, I feel I need to put the breaks on you, the way this is going, it will all be over by Christmas. The majority of the British and Commonwealth pilots are newly trained, led by men who have experienced combat, mostly in the BoB. They will need nurturing, looking after. Secondly, I can't see any upgrade to Spitfire in the near future, the best might be some P-40's. As to the Mustang, I don't think that comes along operationally until 1943, this timeline is until June 1942 at best, quite possibly earlier.As Cryhavoc101, points out Japanese design philosophy given the constraints that they were operating under, optimised lightness of construction. This made best use for the limited supplies of strategic materials available, and the comparatively low power engines that were available. And had the advantage of giving Japanese aircraft much greater range than their European/American contemporaries. Unfortunately not having a pier one opponent, they didn’t gain the combat experience that their European contemporaries did and hence why the Americans who only had second hand information were slower in incorporating air armour and self sealing fuel tanks. The opening round of the conflict will provide a mixed message, with Japanese aircraft being as good or better than the American aircraft they face. But against the British, the combination of only slightly inferior aircraft flown mostly by experienced pilots, and a comparatively well developed air defence system, they are going to in for a tremendous shock. And they have the problem that the British aircraft are only going to get better, as the Hurricanes are replaced by Spitfires, and the various American aircraft with the North American Mustang. As long as the British can withstand the initial assault, the Japanese will face the same problem that they did IOTL Burma, as their aircraft become increasingly obsolete in the face of the ever improving Allied aircraft, until they have lost the battle for the airspace.
RR.
But, as it's been said before, the British do have some substantial factors in their favour. Radar, if installed and working ok, is a major force multiplying. Secondly, home based in Malaya, they enjoy far better recovery, repair and good old maintenance facilities, as well as parachuting pilot recovery. Which leads us to a very attritional campaign, where the ability to reinforce becomes very important. In my opinion, both the IJA and IJN air forces were bled almost white in the battles over New Guinea and the Solomon's, but can the same be done, 6-8 months earlier?