Combat accounts tend to attach victories and defeats to prestigious aircraft. The comparison here is a German pilot claiming a Spitfire shot him down in Norway when the only British aircraft within 100 miles was a Swordfish from HMS Warspite. Similar reporting in the Pacific could turn any Navy fighter into a Zero, leaving A5Ms out of later narratives. Checking claims against location and unit availability can recover the older aircraft that were actually present.
Notable Point · 5:31-7:16
Why combat claims gravitate toward the famous aircraft
Pilot reports can credit a famous type such as the Zero even when older aircraft were the more plausible opponent.