Hobby Master Archive

On December 7, 1941 this aircraft, A6M2 Zero c/n 5349 was flown by flight leader PO 1st Class Tsugio Matsuyama that was assigned to the carrier Hiryu took part in the raid on Pearl Harbor. On that day 8 Zeros from the Hiryu strafed Kaneohe and Bellows Field destroying several trucks and airplanes. Next they joined the air battle and Matsuyama shot down of the U.S. defender aircraft. Out of 384 U.S. aircraft on the ground 188 were destroyed and 159 damaged with Japan losing 15 aircraft.