In the Pacific War's early years, Japanese air power was dominant. The
only way for the Allies to defeat their enemy was to know it. This made
the task of maintaining productive intelligence gathering efforts on
Japan imperative. Establishing Technical Air Intelligence Units in the
Pacific Theater and the Technical Air Intelligence Center in Washington
D.C., the Allies were able to begin to reveal the secrets of Japanese
air power through extensive flight testing and evaluation of captured
enemy aircraft and equipment. This provided an illuminating perspective
on Japanese aircraft and aerial weapon design philosophy and
manufacturing practice.
Using previously unpublished contemporary sources and photographs, Mark
Chambers explores Allied efforts to evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of Japanese air power during the war years, and how this
intelligence helped them achieve victory in the Pacific.