A6M2 Model 21s operating aboard IJN carrier Junyo (隼鷹), Truk island, January, 1943. | Zero Fighter Pilots

In the vast skies over the Pacific, a new kind of battle was fought — one that would decide air supremacy in World War II. The Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero had once ruled the skies, unmatched in agility and range. But by 1943, a new challenger rose from American aircraft carriers — the Grumman F6F Hellcat, a machine built to counter the Zero’s dominance and reclaim the air. What followed was a fierce duel of skill, innovation, and determination. The Hellcat wasn’t as nimble, but it was tougher,