The A5M entered service in 1936 and remained a front-line fighter until replacement by the A6M accelerated after 1940. Official summaries can make that transition look clean, yet A5Ms continued to appear on carriers during later operations and smaller actions. The type also escorted G3M Nell and G4M Betty bombers, work for which its slightly greater ruggedness was useful. Replacement unfolded across the fleet in stages, with older aircraft retained wherever shortages and mission requirements gave them a job.
Chapter · 2:15-5:31
How the A5M outlived its headline role
The A5M remained useful on carriers and as a bomber escort after the Zero began replacing it in first-line units.