I wouldn't believe all you see in these so-called "documentaries" on the Discovery & History channels. I've heard from someone in the know that they are not always accurate. I think the truth of the matter is that the western world underestimated the technical & fighting capablilties of the Japanese. They were influenced by their own propaganda depicting a stereotypical Japanese that was very far from the truth. The enemy is very often depicted in this way in time of war.

People seem to conveniently forget that Japan was on the Allied side during WWI & was an ally right up to the 1930s. Its armed forces were trained by the British & the Imperial Japanese Navy was run along the same lines as the Royal Navy. The Japanese aircraft industry had produced aircraft that had broken speed & long-distance records without help from anyone. Japan had been involved in a bitter war with China since 1937 which meant that its troops & airmen were battle-hardened & experienced by 1941. This is a similar situation to the Luftwaffe refining its Blitzkrieg tactics in Spain before unleashing them on the rest of Europe.

Yes, they had purchased aircraft from other countries & were no doubt influenced by some of the design features. These were often export versions of products that were not successful in their country of origin. I don't believe they had direct help from any western country, especially Germany, prior to WWII. To say that their aircraft or any other weapons were direct copies of US, German or any other country's designs is a complete nonsense. IMHO

After Japan had attacked the US, Nazi Germany declared war on America & thus became an ally of Japan. Technology was undoubtedly shared between both countries & goods supplied under treaty agreements, similar to those between the Allied nations involved in the conflict. However, Adolph Hitler was notorious for ignoring treaties. I have read that some promised supplies from the German side were deliberately delayed & some never reached their destination.

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It's undoubtedly true that Japan was short of raw materials even before WWII started. This is one of the reasons it needed to expand its empire by force if necessary. The fact is that Germany was also desperately short of raw materials. It would have been in no position to supply Japan or any other country with large quantities of aircraft or military hardware.

 There were two conflicts that shaped air warfare in WW2.  For the west it was the Spanish Civil War.  For the Japanese it was the Nomonhan Incident in Asia.  In both cases what would become the Axis powers faced Russian made aircraft and each came away with different conclusions due to these conflicts.  While the west came to believe that speed and altitude would dictate air combat in the next war, the Japanese felt that maneuverability would be the dominating factor and designed their aircraft to meet that requirment.  To achieve this all armor protection throughout their designs was sacrificed to make the aircraft as light as possible.  Thus the Ki-43 and A6M came to be.  Both were radial engine designs and owe more to the Hughes Racer of the 1930's then to the FW-190.

 What is true is that as Nazi Germany was facing its end they did share technology with Japan.  The Mitsubishi J8M rocket fighter is almost an exact copy of the Me-163 and surly the Nakajima Kikka jet was influenced by the Me-262.  

Now another interesting point in this discussion.

During WWII only three Samurai swords were awarded to German officers. One was awarded to Herman Goering. One was awarded to Erwin Rommel and the Third was awarded to Captain Bernhard Rogge, captain of the raider Atlantis.

If anyone cares then I shall say why.

In that case, gather round children and let me tell you a tale..............

Once upon a time in 1940 the Royal Navy made a dossier that looked at how ready and capable its pacific fleet was for war. When it was compiled it was decided that if the Japanise should start a war, the Royal Navy would be in no position to fight them. This file was then sent to Singapore on the Merchant Vessel Automedon. However, In the Indian Ocean, Automedon was attacked and boarded by the Atlantis, commaded by Captain Rogge. While searcing the chart room one of the officers of Atantis found the weighted bag that contained this document. The bag was not thrown overboard because all those responsible for it were killed in the salvo from Atlantis that took out the bridge and radio room, as was her method of attack.
Anyhoo, once this document had been captured, and read, Rogge instantly had it sent on to Japan on a previously captured steamship. The infomation he provided the Japanise made them realise that the Royal Navy was not going to interfere with them for a long time and it enabled them to carry out the attack on Pearl Harbour and Singapore. For this Rogge was awarded a Samurai Sword by the Japanise.

P.s. Atlantis was the most successful of all the German raiders. Between 1940 and 1941 she circumnavagated the earth and captured or sank 22 merchant vessels in the south atlantic, south pacific and Indian oceans. She was sunk in 1941 by the RN Cruiser Dorsetshire.

(Edited for a missing 0)

I have told why. Read the post up from yours.

If she was flying a German Ensign at the time of the fight then the crew can be treated as combatants under the Geneva convention. I think.