Spitfire vs Zero - Duel over Darwin

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The Mitsubishi Zero and Supermarine Spitfire were two of the best dogfighting aircraft to ever take to the skies - both offering unparalleled maneuverability and each becoming the boogeyman of their respective theatre. In 1943 they faced off. Over the port of Darwin in Northern Australia, hundreds of Zeros and Spitfires were involved in an 8 month air campaign that you probably had no idea even happened.

So, who came out on top? Which combination of aircraft, training, weapons and tactics was superior? The best pilots on both sides flying the most capable fighter aircraft their countries could offer, with only one objective: get the other guy before he gets you.
Welcome to Dogfight 1943: Duel Over Darwin

This video is largely based on Peter Ingman's book "Spitfire VC vs A6M2 Zero-sen". An excellent summary collating multiple sources.

PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/RedWrenchFilms

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:07 Welcome to Darwin!
03:00 Australia's Spitfires
05:25 Japan's Zeros
06:45 Head to Head
09:45 Sponsor Message
11:00 The Pilots
13:51 First Blood
17:08 15th March
20:50 2nd May
23:28 Milingimbi Mayhem
24:42 Winding Down
27:50 Statistical Analysis
30:52 Outro

All content is presented in historical context for educational purposes.
All footage is owned by its copyright holder and is used in this channel under "fair use".

Music by Epidemic Sound