The Nakajima C6N was a specialist carrier reconnaissance aircraft designed to find the enemy through speed and range. Its single rear-firing machine gun reflected the expectation that it should avoid fighting for information. Carrier service offered advanced equipment and skilled aviation engineers comparable to those at a major home airfield. The aircraft's dependence on that support made it unreliable when the Tan plans required reconnaissance away from its intended operating environment. Failures in the reconnaissance aircraft threatened the operation before the attacking force could begin.
Notable Point · 43:23-48:21
Reconnaissance depends on the Nakajima C6N
The fast C6N reconnaissance aircraft depended on maintenance support that was harder to provide away from its intended carrier environment.