The Zero was the primary Naval fighter in WWII. It was used in the attack on Pearl Harbor and in Kamikaze attacks near the end of the war. Allied pilots were astounded by its maneuverability, and it was very successful in combat until the Allies devised tactics to utilize their advantage in firepower and diving speed. The A6M was given the Allied code name "Zeke," but was generally called Zero. Allied pilots referred to all Japanese fighters as Zeros, but the term is correctly applied only to the Mitsubishi A6M. The marking on this Zero are of the 261st Naval Air Corps, which operated in Saipan.

Info:  A6M5 Zero-Sen/Zeke IJNAS, 653-28, Saipan Island