soc.history.war.world-war-ii
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From: Cubdriver
Date: Monday, February 25, 2008 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: Japan: why the lack of trained pilots?
On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:16:47 -0500, "Branek"
>why were there a lack of replacements? Was there something innately wrong
>w/the IJN pilot training program?
Yes. It was predicated on turning out a small number of exceptionally
skilled pilots. When that failed due to combat losses, the pipeline
produced instead a small number of inadequately trained pilots.
>
>Ditto for the Japanese army -- considering that they didn't need to train
>their pilots to land on carriers you would
>think they would never have a shortage of pilots.
Their pilots were killed in combat.
Actually, carrier losses were never as serious as they seemed. The
planes were goners, but the pilots could be picked up by escorting
destroyers.
Blue skies! -- Dan Ford
Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
new from HarperCollins www.FlyingTigersBook.com
