Lifelike Decals 48-063 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighters Part 3

Lifelike Decals have recently released a third and fourth set of Limited Edition 1/48 scale decals for the Mitsubishi Zero with a further two sets planned! The packed sheets of 48-063 and 48-064 provide markings for 14 and 15 interesting subjects respectively, featuring different Zero variants in a variety of well chosen schemes. As with the previous sets there is a detailed discussion of the still thorny issue of Zero camouflage colours and this eight page treatise with references extends to describing other standard IJN colours, the sizes of Hinomaru markings, the two tone paint on early Zeros in China, IJN pilot ranks and comparisons, the differences between Mitsubishi and Nakajima built aircraft, the rear fuselage data plate, the confirmation of victory claims and aircraft radios.

The markings include those for 16 aircraft flown by aces, notable pilots or leaders. The decals are very well printed for Lifelike by Microscale of USA, with excellent register and good colour saturation. Each set also contains a separate sheet of Hinomaru decals as 48-SP-01. 

Set 48-063 presents the following 14 subjects as shown above:

• A6M2 '豹-187' (Hyô-187/Leopard-187) flown by PO2c Sajkae Uchida of 263 Ku, Matsuyama, Japan, November 1943 in dark green over grey. The tail code was supposedly only used during training and replaced by '63-xxx) but the notes cite a colour photo of a Zero on Tinian  on 20 Feb 1944 displaying this code. 
• A6M5 '8-13' flown by CPO Mitsuyasu Ozaki of 265 Ku, Saipan, June 1944 in dark green over grey. Pilot identified by kanji '尾' - 'O'. 
• A6M5 '653-117' flown by Commander of 653 Ku Zuikaku Detachment, Philippines, October 1944, in dark green over grey.
• A6M5 '神-136' (Shin-136) of 721 Ku, in dark green over grey. This appears to be a scheme applied to a restored Zero production number 5450 found at Ballale airfield in the Solomons in 1968 and later displayed in a museum. 721 Ku was established in October 1944 as a Rikko unit to carry the Ohka piloted rocket bomb with Sento No.306 Hikotai (Fighter Air Unit 306 or S306) assigned as escorting fighter force with 48 Zeros, adapting the parent unit tail code character of ‘Shin’ for ‘Shinrai Butai’ (Divine Thunder Force). No Zeros from this unit ever operated from Ballale in the Solomons.
• A6M2 'EIII-117' flown by Lt Moriyasu Hidaka, Commander of Zuihou fighter group, Battle of Santa Cruz, October 1942, in overall grey green.
• A6M2 'ツ-1193' (Tsu-1193) of Tsukuba Ku, 1944 in dark green over grey.
• A6M2 'ツ-1182' (Tsu-1182) of Tsukuba Ku, 1944, in dark green over orange.
• A6M2 'X-182' flown by Lt Zenjiro Miyano of 3 Ku, Kendari, February 1942 in overall grey green.
• A6M2 'X-128' flown by 3 Ku leader Lt Tamotsu Yokoyama, Takao, Taiwan, December 1941 in overall grey green. A colourful command Zero with blue, red, yellow fuselage bands and blue tail stripes.
• A6M5 '61-106' of 261 Ku, Saipan, 1944 in dark green over grey. The profile and decals accurately show the markings colours as revealed in a colour photo taken in the USA.
• A6M2 '3-141' flown by Lt Minoru Suzuki of 12 Ku, Hankow, China, May 1941, in two-tone grey (now attributed in Japan to a special protective paint due to the higher position of the exhaust pipe on Zeros up to production number 36, but continued afterwards, for example on '3-141' and '3-136' with lower exhausts). 
• A6M2 '3-112' of 12 Ku, Hankow, China, June 1941 in two-tone grey. The caption argues for a black tail stripe whereas we depicted it as red in Osprey 137 (ref. 29). The tail stripe appears darker in parts than the tail code and Hinomaru because of blemishes clearly seen on the original print so we stand by red!  
• A6M2 '2185' flown by WO Kan-ichi Kashimura of 582 Ku, Russel Islands, March 1943 in overall grey green. A Nakajima-built aircraft with two red fuselage chevrons, white outlined fuselage Hinomaru, yellow wing leading edge IFF strips and white band on cowling.
• A6M2-N 'V2-101' flown by Ltjg Shunshi Araki of 452 Ku, Shumshu, Aleutians, September-Otctober 1943. A 'Rufe' in dark green over grey with yellow and white diagonal fuselage and wing bands.

Set 48-064 shown above presents the following 15 subjects:

• A6M3 Model 32 'ヨ-153' (Yo-153) Houkoku-941, a test aircraft of Yokosuka Ku in overall orange colour. The identity of the donor is at best guess. An interesting subject with tail cone removed.
• A6M2  '741-37' of 51 Ku HQ Flight, Atsugi, Japan, 1944. A Mitsubishi-built Zero in dark green over grey with two broad yellow fuselage bands and diagonal white wing bands. The caption includes a discussion of other tail codes and markings of this little known unit as shown in the two reference photos.
• A6M2 'W1-165' of 201 Ku, Central Pacific, 1943. Another Mitsubishi-built Zero in dark green over grey with white fuselage and wing bands.
• A6M5 '3-64' flown by Lt Cdr Kiyokuma Okajima of 203 Ku, 303 Hikotai at Kasanohara, Japan, Summer 1945., in dark green over grey with non-standard demarcation and three yellow diagonal fuselage bands. The tail code is deduced from a unit group photo but unconfirmed.
• A6M3 Model 22 '7-101' of Rabaul Ku, Rabaul East, late 1943 to early 1944 in dark green over grey with two diagonal yellow fuselage bands. The caption speculates that this aircraft is probably from 204 Ku.
• A6M5 Hei '252-166' flown by Ltjg Saburo Abe of 252 Ku, 304 Hikotai at Koriyama, Japan, August 1945 in dark green over grey. Abe was attributed with the last victory of the war, a Seafire shot down on 15 August, but he was not flying this particular aircraft as it was unserviceable on that day. The caption cites research from Mr Saito that this combat actually occurred on 14 August. This will be news to the Royal Navy who recorded the loss to Zeros of a Seafire flown by Sub-Lt F Hockley RNVR during a strike against Kisarazu airfield on 15 August so may reflect the one day apart date issue so prevalent in Allied vs Japanese encounters. The incident and its aftermath is described in detail in my Zero Aces 1943-45 for Osprey.  
• A6M2 'AI-102' flown by Lt Saburo Shindo of Akagi Fighter Group, Pearl Harbor, December 1941 in overall grey green. A classic Pearl Harbor Zero with red fuselage band and two yellow tail stripes.
• A6M2 '獅 125' flown by CPO Yoshiteru Uraie of 341 Ku, Japan, 1944 in dark green over grey with a non-standard demarcation possibly representing a re-painted older aircraft. The 獅 (Shi/Lion) tail code was only used during the unit's training period and changed to '341' once operational. 
• A6M5 Otsu '653-80' flown by PO2c Sadao Sanno of 653 Ku, 166 Hikotai, September 1944 in dark green over grey with carrier deck landing practice identifier ヘ三 (Katakana character 'He' indicating PO rank and Kanji character 'San' for the first character of the pilot's name) applied within the fuselage Hinomaru, 
• A6M5 Ko 'ヨD-126' flown by Ensign Sadaaki Akamatsu of 302 Ku, Atsugi, Japan, February 1945 in dark green over grey with fuselage victory markings. 
• A6M2 'DI-108' flown by PO1c Tadayoshi Koga of Ryujo Fighter Group, Aleutians 4 June 1942 in overall grey green with yellow fuselage band, the famous Akutan Zero captured and test flown. I was once taken to task by an anonymous pundit for showing this aircraft in profile without a yellow tail stripe as often depicted. The caption comments on this but the reason for the 'ghost' tail stripe in photos, not mentioned, was discolouration from immersion of the tailfin in the bog. The intelligence report and sketch clearly shows that there was no tail stripe http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2008/05/akutan-zero.html
• A6M2 '2-1-128' of Junyo Fighter Group, Buin, Bougainville, April 1943, a Nakajima built Zero in overall grey green with green mottle. The white border of the fuselage Hinomaru has been oversprayed with the mottle. 
• A6M2 'V-141' flown by PO2c Yoshisuke Arita of Tainan Ku, Denpasar, Bali, February 1942 in overall grey green with red bordered white diagonal fuselage band and Houkoku-439 donation marking. The white or yellow tail stripe sometimes depicted is denied in the caption (Artist Ronnie Olsthoorn depicted it as yellow for his profile in my Osprey 137 based on examination of the original photo provided by Dr Izawa).
• A6M2 'コウ-179'  (Kô-179) of Konoike Ku, Konoike, Japan, 1944 in dark green over grey with yellow fuselage band and fin tip. 
• A6M2-N 'NI-119' of 802 Ku, Jaluit Island, Marshalll Islands, August 1943 in dark green over grey with white bordered red tail code and tail stripe. Additional white markings on starboard upper wing and tailplane, meaning unknown. 

These are excellent decal sets for 1/48 Zero models with more to come! There is no shortage of kits and those recommended are Eduard, Hasegawa or Tamiya, soon to be joined by Fine Molds. In addition there is an annotated schematic showing the location of stencils keyed to decals provided in the sets. 

Image credit: All © 2024 Lifelike Decals