Japan needed to expand aircraft and aircrew production without exhausting the experienced aviators who made its carrier force formidable in 1941-42. Keeping every veteran in front-line units maximized immediate striking power but risked losing an irreplaceable pool of skill. A recovery program would rotate or recoup experienced personnel so they could help generate capable replacements over a longer war. The proposal therefore treats trained aircrew as a force-production resource, not simply as crews for the next carrier operation.
Chapter · 2:58-3:42
Preserve veteran Japanese aircrew for a longer war
A veteran-recovery system would trade some immediate striking power for a larger and better-trained Japanese naval air arm over time.