MA6M Misago

the MA6M Misago was a twin engined heavy fighter version of the MA6M Zero. Deployed early in war.

Successor is MA7A Raiden

By 1936, most nations were considering twin-engined fighter aircraft for their inventories. Generally referred to as a “strategic” fighter, this type of aircraft had to have high performance, heavy armament, and long range. The Germans had their Fw-187 and Bf-110, the Poles their P-38 “Wilk”, the French their Potez 630 series, the Italians their IMAM Ro.57, the British their Westland Whirlwind, the Dutch had their Fokker G.1A and D.XXIII, and the Americans had their Grumman G-34 (F5F Skyrocket) and Lockheed P-38 Lightning twins. Japan could not agree on a specific set of specifications that did not contradict themselves, so simply asked that major aircraft manufacturers set about to make experimental “strategic fighter” prototypes for research purposes, and then the military would choose the best one for development. Kawasaki and Mitsubishi responded with their Ki.38 and 39, respectively, while Nakajima declined entirely. What would become the Imperial Japanese Army Ki.39 “Misago” (Osprey) took shape. The Navy’s folding-wing version was referred to as the MA6M. The Army was only lukewarm on the idea, but the Navy pursued it with vigor.

The Navy was concerned about how size and weight would affect maneuverability for a carrier fighter, so leaned toward a light-weight single-seat strategic fighter version whilst other countries generally adopted a heavier two-seat version with rear defense. The single-engined A6M “Reisen” (Zero) fighter was taking shape, and Mitsubishi considered using a large number of A6M components to make a similar twin-engined version. This experimental craft was given a unique designation MA6M to indicate that it was envisioned as a carrier fighter to compete with or supplement the Zero for Navy contracts. No one was sure that the A6M would have the range that the Navy sought, so both fighters were developed. The A6M had only the outermost wing-tips fold for carrier storage. The longer-wingspanned MA6M had a larger hinged piece at the same measured span so they would take up roughly equal space to a Zero on board a carrier. This twin was the first Japanese aircraft to incorporate pilot armor, life rafts, and radios into the design despite the added weight. The Misago was designed to dish it out, take it, and get its pilot back, too.

The Misago’s envisioned heavy armament was concentrated in the forward fuselage without consideration for wing guns. Japan was impressed with the Fokker G.1A with eight light machine-guns in its nose, and that aircraft was slated to be delivered to the Netherlands East Indies AF. The Japanese worried that they might not have anything to match it when (not if) war with the Netherlands commenced. The first Misago prototypes had a blunt nose to likewise house eight 7.7mm guns in two vertical rows of four each. Other versions had a combination of two 20mm cannon and six 7.7’s, or alternatively, a pointy nose with four “heavy” 12.7mm machine guns.

Though never numerous, a contingent of Misagos were put on probationary operational status for the war against China. Only the larger aircraft carriers could handle the Misagos, so the Kaga and Akagi duly took aboard several MA6Ms apiece. In concert with single-engined Zeroes, the speedy Misagos surprised and ravaged Chinese airfields while the Zeroes dealt with anything that got aloft. The tag-team worked, and despite some misgivings, the successes outweighed the disadvantages. Pilots liked the planes for their tremendous firepower that could shred an enemy aircraft with one good pass. The Misagos had a speed advantage of some 40-50 mph over the Zero, and if an engine failed, the other one could get them back to their carrier (though not land on it).

The more operational experience gained, the more the Misago pilots appreciated the plane, and the more the “ground crews” didn’t. Two engines meant twice the engine maintenance and preparation for ONE aircraft sortie, plus more crew were needed to push the heavier plane around on the deck and hangars. Increased fuel capability for the Zero via drop tanks (translating to increased range) meant that the Misago was not such an advantageous aircraft after all. The IJN hierarchy figured TWO regular Zeroes was a better deal than ONE Misago. Factory production ceased. The misgivings about shipboard Misagos would have had them all “beached”, but the newly-commissioned “super-carrier” Yonaga needed pilots and planes, and war planners who knew about the upcoming Pearl Harbor attack thought the Misagos would be ideal for the pre-emptive attacks on Oahu airfields.

Meanwhile, Japan was enlisting Thailand’s help for its “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” and supplied them with aircraft and an “Expeditionary Force” (kind of like America’s “Flying Tigers”) for its conflict with French Indochina early in 1941. Misagos flown by Thai and Japanese pilots helped rout the forlorn French air forces. After the Thais emerged victorious, the Misagos were re-assigned to help the 22nd Air Flotilla control the Gulf of Siam in the event of war with the Western Powers.

The 27th Air Flotilla was being formed, made up of “liberated” nation’s air forces under the watchful eyes of the Japanese. Over the course of the next few months, most of the Navy Misagos and fixed-wing Army Ki.39’s, minus their seat armor, were turned over to the Thai contingent. Informants reported that highest-ranking Allied officer in Southeast Asia, Dutch Admiral Helfrich, was fleeing from a surrendered Sumatra and heading for the presumed safety of the Nicobar Islands on his way to Ceylon. Thai pilot Ittiporn Thongstrap led six Misagos to intercept and shoot down Helfrich’s Lockheed Hudson far out at sea. Luckily a Dutch submarine rescued the wounded admiral after being adrift for three days. Based in Chiang Mai, Thai Misagos were the target of an AVG surprise strike, and many were wiped out on the ground. Retaliation raids against Allied airfields found that when surprise was not a factor the pre-warned defensive fighters took quite a toll of the Misagos, but Thongstrap managed to down one P-40 to become Thailand’s highest-scoring fighter pilot (four kills—two French, one Dutch and one Chinese/American).

Misagos from the giant aircraft carrier Yonaga were the first combat aircraft (other than the “Yamagumo” recce planes) over Pearl Harbor and worked over the exposed flight lines of American aircraft on the airfields of Oahu in advance of the bombers and their Zero escorts. The similarity of the Misago to Zeroes was not lost on the Allies, who gave them the name “Zeb” to go with the Zero’s “Zeke”. None were lost to enemy action over Pearl Harbor, but all of Yonaga’s Misagos were on board when the carrier itself went down off Hawaii from repeated American attacks.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, the remaining Misagos were exclusively relegated to land bases on the Asian mainland (mainly not to strain the shorthanded maintenance crews on island bases) and faded from use as other powerful, heavily-armed, single-engined naval aircraft (like the Kawanishi A6K Jinpu-Kai) entered Japanese service. Japanese interest ran hot-and-cold on the “strategic fighter” concept, but near the end of the war revived interest in twin-engined fighters to combat American heavy bombers. Though twice as heavy as the Misago, the powerful “Giken” Ki. 93, Ki. 96, and Ki.108 came under evaluation but never became operational. The Thais continued to use the Misagos on a limited basis until after the war when they were replaced by surplus Allied aircraft.