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History Of The Japanese Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The Japanese Aichi D3A codenamed "val" was a dive bomber in World War II. Almost 1,500 of the Japanese Aichi D3A were built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, by Aichi Kokuki during World War II.
The Japanese Aichi D3A was built for use on Japanese carriers and participated in just about every aspect of the war in the Pacific theater. The Japanese Aichi D3A was responsible for sinking more allied ships than any other aircraft. The Japanese Aichi D3A was used in the Pearl Harbor attack and Midway, as well.
Later, when the Yokosuka D4Y's were introduced as carrier dive bombers, the Aichi D3A operated more from land bases instead of carriers. Towards the end of the war, the Japanese Aichi D3A's were used in kamikaze attacks.
The Japanese Aichi D3A was powered by a 14 cylinder radial Mitsubishi Kinsei engine. The Japanese Aichi D3A had a range of over 900 miles and a service ceiling of over 30,000 feet.
The Japanese Aichi D3A was armed with two 7.7 mm machine guns in front and one 7.7 mm machine gun aimed toward the rear. The Japanese Aichi D3A could carry over 550 lbs bombs.