What defeated the japs?

[B-17]

I believe the Pony was much less involved than in Germany. I'd say the F4Us or P38s.

really?
 the p-51s were hugely involved over germany, almost entirely in the escorting scene. without them escorting the "big friends" there wouldnt really have BEEN a strategicc bombing campaign after 1943-ish. the P-51s were used very little over the Pacific, especially in the late war, as the Japanese were losing planes (and pilots) all over the place, so eventually, the B-29s didnt need a real escort.

[Yeager]

the BREW is what defeated the japs 

[B-17]

the BREW is what defeated the japs 

yeah OK...

[F22RaptorDude]

What defeated the japs in general was democracy   

[Rolex]

Here's an answer: Link>>

[Delirium]

The only thing that defeated the Japanese was American industry, which had a huge boost from the civilians and military men with a singular mindset to win.

[F22RaptorDude]

Here's an answer: Link>>

[Devil 505]

As for which fighter, the F6F is the best answer. Highest kill ratio of any aircraft in WW2 at 19:1. Also produced more ace pilots than any U.S. fighter with 306, more than 40 became aces in one mission.

[Masherbrum]

As for which fighter, the F6F is the best answer. Highest kill ratio of any aircraft in WW2 at 19:1. Also produced more ace pilots than any U.S. fighter with 306, more than 40 became aces in one mission.

For the US it had the Highest K/D.    The Finns, will eventually chime in with the B-239 for "Overall".  

[Tupac]

I'm pretty sure he meant Japanese, not Jewish American Princess.

[Maverick]

For fighters the winner is the F6F as it was in theater the longest on CV's. Follow that with the F4U. On the Army side it was the P38. Later in the war the 51 was an escort for the real ones that damaged the homeland, the B29.

The killers of the Japanese navy were the SBD dauntless, SB2C's. Once the carrier advantage was ended the subs and some surface action took more tonnage. Additional tonnage was taken out by Army bombers.

[saggs]

The correct answer is:










The Manhattan Project 

[BowHTR]

The correct answer is:










The Manhattan Project 

The question was for which U.S. Fighter. And the Manhattan Project did nothing with fighters or Japan. The Manhattan Project was put in place to develop the first atomic bomb.

[SIK1]

The only thing that defeated the Japanese was American industry, which had a huge boost from the civilians and military men with a singular mindset to win.

Ding ding we have a winner.

In fact Yamamoto warned that attacking the U.S. would only awaken a sleeping giant. 

[Ardy123]

F6F had more of an impact than the Corsair IMO.    The 38 did more as well as far as I'm concerned, as one of them shot down the plane which carried their best tactician.    But the 38 was just like the Hellcat: "Jack-of-all-trades and the master of none."

Don't forget the marines used f4u long before the hellcat came around. Pappy and his boys owned in Russell Islands-New Georgia and Bougainville-New Britain-New Ireland areas. The famous VMF-214 "black sheep".

I would argue that in Europe, no "plane" broke the Germans back... rather, the shier might and enormous numerical superiority of the Russians with the industrial support of the US broke the Germans back. The US's involvement was important but in no way was it at the same scale as the Russians. By the time the US air war over Germany was in force (~1943), the Germans already were in retreat on the Eastern front. Remember battle of Stalingrad was over and lost by Feb '43.

The losses the Russians took to push them back were staggering....
10,651,000 Russians lost
407,000 US lost
(thats not counting civilians).