Editing Aichi D3A

{{Short description|Imperial Japanese carrier-borne dive bomber}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= D3A
 |image= File:D3A1 Akagi.jpg
 |image_caption= Aichi D3A1 from carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}}.
 |aircraft_type=Carrier-based [[dive bomber]]
 |manufacturer=[[Aichi Kokuki KK]]
 |first_flight= January [[1938 in aviation|1938]]
 |introduction= [[1940 in aviation|1940]]{{sfn|Chant|1999|p=16}}
 |retired= 1945
 |status=
 |primary_user= [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]<!--please list only one-->
 |more_users=<!--up to three more. please separate with <br />.-->
 |produced=<!--years in production, e.g. 1970-1999, if still in active use but no longer built-->
 |number_built= 1,495 <br />(479 D3A1)<br />(1016 D3A2)
 |unit cost=
 |variants=
 |developed_into= [[Yokosuka D3Y]] ''Myōjo''
}}
[[File:Japanese planes preparing-Pearl Harbor.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A1 dive bombers prepare to take off from a Japanese aircraft carrier during the morning of 7 December 1941 to attack [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]].]]
[[File:Akagi Aichi D3A Indian Ocean raid.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A1 taking off from the carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}} during the [[Indian Ocean Raid]].]]
[[File:Coral Sea Japanese Type 99.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A1s from the carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shōkaku||2}} during the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]].]]
[[File:D3A1 flight.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A1 of 33rd Air Group over eastern [[Java]] in early summer 1942.]]
[[File:ShokakuVals.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A1s from {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Shōkaku||2}} return to their carrier after attacking the U.S. carrier {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}} during the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] in August 1942.]]
[[File:D3A2 maintenance.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A2 during maintenance. Note the [[propeller spinner]] that is missing from the D3A1s in the previous photos.]]
[[File:D3A2 early model telescopic sight.jpg|thumb|Aichi D3A2 with a telescopic sight, before takeoff.]]
The '''Aichi D3A''' (Navy designation "'''Type 99 Carrier Bomber'''"; [[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "'''Val'''"){{efn|Note: This code name was applied mid-to-late 1943; more often the D3A was referred to as the "Type 99 navy dive bomber" by Allied forces.}} is a [[World War II]] [[carrier-borne]] [[dive bomber]]. It was the primary dive bomber of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) and was involved in almost all IJN actions, including the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].

The Aichi D3A was the first Japanese aircraft to bomb American targets in the war, commencing with [[Pearl Harbor]] and U.S. bases in the [[Philippines]], such as [[Clark Air Force Base]]. They sank more [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] warships than any other [[Axis powers|Axis]] aircraft.{{sfn|Angelucci|Matricardi|1978|p=142}}{{sfn|Worth|2001|p=170}}{{sfn|Casey|1977|p=87}}

==Design and development==
In mid-1936, the Japanese Navy issued the 11-Shi specification for a [[monoplane]] carrier-based dive bomber to replace the existing [[Aichi D1A|D1A]] [[biplane]] then in service.{{sfn|Chant|1999|p=16}} [[Aichi Kokuki|Aichi]], [[Nakajima Aircraft Company|Nakajima]], and [[Mitsubishi]] all submitted designs, with the former two subsequently being asked for two prototypes each.

The Aichi design started with low-mounted elliptical wings inspired by the [[Heinkel He 70]] ''Blitz''. It flew slowly enough that the drag from the [[landing gear]] was not a serious issue, so the fixed gear was used for simplicity.{{sfn|Francillon|1979|p=272}} The aircraft was to be powered by the {{convert|529|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}} [[Nakajima Hikari]] 1 nine-cylinder [[radial engine]].

The first [[prototype]] was completed in December 1937, and flight trials began a month later, after which it was designated as D3A1. Initial tests were disappointing. The aircraft was underpowered and suffered from directional instability in wide turns, and in tighter turns it tended to [[Aerobatic maneuver|snap roll]]. The [[Dive bomber|dive brake]]s vibrated heavily when extended at their design speed of {{convert|200|kn|km/h|lk=in}}, and the Navy was already asking for a faster diving speed of {{convert|240|kn|km/h}}{{sfn|Francillon|1979|pp=272–273}}{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

The second aircraft was extensively modified before delivery to try to address the problems. Power was increased by replacing the Hikari with the {{convert|626|kW|hp|abbr=on}} [[Mitsubishi Kinsei]] 3 in a redesigned [[cowling]], and the [[Vertical stabilizer|vertical tail]] was enlarged to help with the directional instability. The wings were slightly larger in span and the outer sections of the [[leading edge]]s had [[Washout (aviation)|wash-out]] to combat the snap rolls, and strengthened dive brakes were fitted. These changes cured all of the problems except the directional instability, and it was enough for the D3A1 to win over the [[Nakajima D3N]]1.{{sfn|Francillon|1969|p=24}}{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

In December 1939, the Navy ordered the aircraft as the '''Navy Type 99 Carrier Bomber Model 11''' (''kanjō bakugekiki'', usually abbreviated to 艦爆 ''{{Transliteration|ja|kanbaku}}''.{{sfn|Parshall|Tully|2007|p=80}}). The production models featured slightly smaller wings and increased power in the form of the {{convert|746|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Kinsei 43 or {{convert|798|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Kinsei 44. The directional instability problem was finally cured with the fitting of a long dorsal [[Vertical stabilizer|fin]]-strake which started midway down the rear fuselage, and the aircraft actually became highly maneuverable.{{sfn|Air International|1987|p=289}}{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

In June 1942, an improved version of D3A1, powered by a {{convert|969|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Kinsei 54, was tested and designated as D3A2 or the '''Model 12'''. The extra power reduced range, so the design was further modified with additional [[fuel tank]]s to bring the total tankage to {{convert|900|L|USgal|abbr=on}}, giving it the range needed to fight effectively over the [[Solomon Islands]]. Known to the Navy as the '''Model 22''', it began to replace the Model 11 in front-line units in the autumn of 1942, and most Model 11s were then sent to training units. While some late production models of D3A1 were fitted with a [[propeller spinner]], it became a standard with D3A2.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

==Equipment==
The [[Aircraft pilot|pilot]] position was equipped with a Type 95 [[telescopic sight|telescopic gunsight]] in the earlier models and a Type 99 in the later models, which were used for aiming the bomb during the dive. The [[Air observer|observer]]/[[navigator]] position was equipped with a Type 97 Mk1 [[drift sight]], which was a long vertical tube located in the front-left of the observer's seat. In addition, the observer position was equipped with a [[drift meter]] that was mounted on the floor in the front-right of the observer's seat. The observer also operated a Type 96 Mk2 [[radio]] set that was mounted in front of the observer's seat and behind the pilot's seat. On top of the radio set was a Type 3 [[Reflector sight|reflector]] [[compass]] for precise navigation.{{sfn|Mikesh|2004}}

Armament was two fixed forward-firing {{convert|7.7|mm|in|abbr=on|3}} [[Type 97 aircraft machine gun|Type 97 machine gun]]s, and one flexible 7.7&nbsp;mm (.303&nbsp;in) [[Type 92 machine gun]] at the rear end of [[cockpit]], which was operated by the observer. Normal bomb load was a single 250&nbsp;kg bomb (e.g., [[List of Japanese World War II navy bombs#Bombs|Type 99 No 25]] [[armor piercing shell|semi-AP]] or Type 98 No 25 land bomb) carried under the fuselage, swung out under the propeller on release by a trapeze. Two additional 60&nbsp;kg bombs (e.g., Type 99 No 6 semi-AP or Type 2 No 6 land bomb) could be carried on wing racks located under each wing outboard of the dive brakes.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}{{sfn|Air International|1987|p=288}}

Initially, D3A dive bombers were painted in silver. During the summer of 1941, the paint finish changed to light olive grey. The color changed again in early 1942 to dark green.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

==Operational history==
An individual D3A dive bomber was commanded by the senior ranking crew member aboard, which could be the observer rather than the pilot.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}} This was in contrast to [[US Navy]], where the pilot was almost always the commander of a dive bomber. For example, [[Petty Officer First Class]] [[Kiyoto Furuta]] was serving as a pilot to [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] Takehiko Chihaya during the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]],{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}} and later on to Lieutenant [[Keiichi Arima]] during the two carrier battles of the [[Solomon Islands campaign]],{{sfn|Lundstrom|2005b|}} both of whom were observers.

The D3A1 first saw combat operation in November 1939, one month prior to its official acceptance as the Navy Type 99 dive bomber. Nakajima sent several examples to the 14th Air group operating at [[Haikou]] on [[Hainan]] island in [[South China]]. These D3A1s were commanded by [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] [[Sadamu Takahashi]] and supported the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in the [[Battle of South Guangxi|capture of Nanning]], which was intended to cut the supplies coming from [[French Indochina]]. After the capture of [[Nanning]], they continued to be operated in the area in 1940. In May 1940, [[12th Air Group]] became the second front-line unit to be equipped with the new D3A1 dive bombers. They first participated in the [[Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang|capture of Yichang]] and conducted anti-shipping operations on [[Yangtze]] river, west of [[Yichang]], in order to cut the Chinese supplies coming from [[Chongqing]]. In September, D3A1 from the 12th Air Group started to fly [[Bombing of Chongqing|missions against Chongqing]], which was the Chinese capital at the time. After the [[Japanese invasion of French Indochina|invasion of Indochina]] in autumn 1940, 14th Air Group operated at [[Hanoi]] and flew missions against [[Kunming]] and [[Burma Road]].{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

The D3A1 commenced carrier qualification trials aboard the [[aircraft carrier]]s {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Akagi||2}} and {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Kaga||2}} during 1940, while a small number of aircraft made their combat debut from land bases over [[Second Sino-Japanese War|China]].{{sfn|Air International|1987|p=289}} Starting with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the D3A1 took part in all major Japanese carrier operations in the first 10 months of the war. They achieved their first major success against the [[Royal Navy]] during their [[Indian Ocean raid]] in April 1942. D3A1 dive bombers scored over 80% hits{{sfn|Francillon|1979|p=274}} with their bombs during attacks on two [[heavy cruisers]] and an aircraft carrier during the operation.

Before the Indian Ocean raid, the established doctrine regarding attacks against ships was to arm all D3A1 dive bombers with semi-AP bombs. On 5 April 1942, an IJN carrier force attacked [[Colombo]] on [[Ceylon]] with half of its complement, while the other half was kept in reserve for strikes against ships. Since a second strike against Colombo was deemed necessary, the dive bombers of the reserve force were rearmed from semi-AP bombs to land bombs. When British heavy cruisers were spotted soon afterwards, the reserve force was sent with a portion of D3A1 dive bombers armed with land bombs. In the subsequent attack, land bombs unintentionally proved very effective in suppressing the [[anti-aircraft fire]] from the ships. As a result, the doctrine was modified in order to intentionally equip the first few D3A1 dive bombers with land bombs. This new method was already implemented for the attack that sank {{HMS|Hermes|95|6}} just four days later, and continued to be used from then on.{{sfn|Tagaya|2011}}

During 1942, dive bombing attacks by carrier-based D3A1 and D3A2 bombers significantly contributed to sinking of three US fleet carriers: [[USS Lexington (CV-2)|''Lexington'']] at the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]], [[USS Yorktown (CV-5)|''Yorktown'']] at the [[Battle of Midway]] and [[USS Hornet (CV-8)|''Hornet'']] at the [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]]. In addition, they damaged the carrier [[USS Enterprise (CV-6)|''Enterprise'']] both at the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] and at the [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]].{{sfn|Lundstrom|2005a|}}{{sfn|Lundstrom|2005b|}} Besides carrier-based units, D3A dive bombers also operated from land bases during the Solomon Islands campaign, where they participated in the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]], [[Operation I-Go]], [[Operation SE]] and Operation RO, and during the [[New Guinea campaign]], where they participated in the [[Battle of Milne Bay]] and [[Battle of Buna–Gona]]. The main land-based unit to operate D3A dive bombers during these campaigns and battles was the [[2nd Air Group|2nd/582nd Air Group]].{{sfn|Lundstrom|2005b|}}{{sfn|江間|1991}}{{sfn|Hata|Izawa|Shores|2011}}

During the course of the war, D3A dive bombers often combined their attacks upon enemy warships with the IJN [[Nakajima B5N]] ''Kate'' torpedo bomber; consequently enemy vessels were often sunk by a combination strike of bombs and torpedoes. However, there were occasions when just the D3A's would make the attacks, or at least score the sinking hits. Discounting the Pearl Harbor strike, which also used the B5N for level bombing and torpedo attacks, D3A dive bombers were credited with sinking the following Allied warships (partial list):{{sfn|Brown|1990|pp=60–125}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stuart |first=Robert |date=2006 |title=Leonard Birchall and the Japanese Raid on Colombo |url=http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vo7/no4/stuart-eng.asp |website=Canadian Military Journal}}</ref>
* {{USS|Peary|DD-226|6}}, American destroyer, [[Bombing of Darwin|19 February 1942]] – Australia ([[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]){{sfn|Roscoe|1953|p=96}}
* {{USS|Pope|DD-225|6}}, American destroyer, 1 March 1942 – [[Java Sea]]
* {{USS|Edsall|DD-219|6}}, American destroyer, 1 March 1942- [[Indian Ocean]]
* {{USS|Pecos|AO-6|6}}, American oiler, 1 March 1942- Indian Ocean
* {{HMS|Cornwall|56|6}}, British heavy cruiser, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean
* {{HMS|Dorsetshire|40|6}}, British heavy cruiser, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean
* {{HMS|Hector|F45|6}}, British armed  merchant cruiser, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean
* {{HMS|Tenedos|H04|6}}, British destroyer, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean
* {{HMS|Hermes|95|6}}, British aircraft carrier, 9 April 1942 – Indian Ocean
* [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary|RFA]] ''Athelstone,'' British freighter, 9 April 1942 - Indian Ocean
* [[HMS Hollyhock (K64)|HMS ''Hollyhock'']]'','' British corvette, 9 April 1942 - Indian Ocean
* [[SS British Sergeant|SS ''British Sergeant'']], British Tanker, 9 April 1942 - Indian Ocean
* [[Royal Norwegian Navy|SS]] ''Norviken,'' Norwegian Cargo Ship, 9 April 1942 - Indian Ocean
* {{HMAS|Vampire|D68|6}}, Australian destroyer, 9 April 1942 – Indian Ocean
* {{USS|Sims|DD-409|6}}, American destroyer, 7 May 1942 – Pacific Ocean
* {{USS|De Haven|DD-469|6}}, American destroyer, 1 February 1943 – Pacific Ocean ([[Ironbottom Sound]])
* {{USS|Aaron Ward|DD-483|6}}, American destroyer, 7 April 1943 – Pacific Ocean (Ironbottom Sound)
* {{USS|Kanawha|AO-1|6}}, American oiler, 8 April 1943 – Pacific Ocean (Tulagi, Solomon Islands)
* {{USS|Brownson|DD-518|6}}, American destroyer, 26 December 1943 – Pacific Ocean{{sfn|Parkin|1995|p=198}}
* {{USS|Abner Read|DD-526|6}}, American destroyer, sunk by kamikaze 1 November 1944 – Pacific Ocean{{sfn|Parkin|1995|p=251}}
* {{USS|William D. Porter|DD-579|6}}, American destroyer, sunk by kamikaze 10 June 1945 – Japan ([[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]])

As the war progressed, there were instances when the dive bombers were pressed into duty as [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]]s in the [[Interceptor aircraft|interceptor]] role, their maneuverability being enough to allow them to survive in this role.{{sfn|Francillon|1969|p=25}} When the [[Yokosuka D4Y]] ''Suisei'' became available, the D3A2s ended up with land-based units or operating from the smaller carriers, which were too small to handle the fast-landing ''Suisei''. When American forces recaptured the [[Philippine Islands|Philippines]] in 1944, land-based D3A2s took part in the fighting but were hopelessly outdated and losses were heavy. By then, many D3A1s and D3A2s were operated by training units in Japan, and several were modified with dual controls as Navy '''Type 99 Bomber Trainer Model 12'''s (D3A2-K). During the last year of the war, the D3A2s were pressed back into combat for ''[[kamikaze]]'' missions.{{sfn|Air International|1987|p=209}}

==Operators==
;{{Flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}
* [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]]

==Surviving aircraft==
A D3A2 is currently under restoration at the [[Planes of Fame]] Museum in [[Chino, California]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Restoration Projects |url=http://planesoffame.org/collection/restoration-projects |website=Planes of Fame Air Museum |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylan |first1=Justin |title=D3A2 Model 22 Val Manufacture Number 3178 |url=http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/d3a2/3178.html |website=Pacific Wrecks |access-date=6 January 2022 |date=17 September 2020}}</ref>
There are two unrestored D3As on display at the [[National Museum of the Pacific War]] in Fredericksburg, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=D3A2 Model 22 Val Manufacture Number 3357 Tail 582–248|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/d3a2/3357.html|website=Pacific Wrecks|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Inc.|access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Taylan|first1=Justin|title=D3A2 Model 22 Val Manufacture Number 3105|url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/d3a2/3105.html|website=Pacific Wrecks|publisher=Pacific Wrecks Inc.|access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> In 2022, the [[Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum]] began acquiring the remains of a D3A from Papua New Guinea for eventual exhibit.

==Specifications (D3A2 Model 22)==
[[File:Aichi D3A1 Val.svg|thumb|Aichi D3A 3-view drawing]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War''{{sfn|Francillon|1979|pp=271-276}}
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=2
|capacity=
|length m=10.195
|span m=14.365
|upper span m=
|mid span m=
|lower span m=
|width m=
|height m=3.847
|wing area sqm=34.9
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=2570
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=3800
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Mitsubishi Kinsei 54]]
|eng1 type=14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine
|eng1 hp=1300
|eng1 note=for take-off
::{{cvt|1200|hp}} at {{cvt|3000|m}}
::{{cvt|1100|hp}} at {{cvt|6200|m}}
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=metal constant-speed propeller
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=430
|max speed note= at {{cvt|6200|m}}
|cruise speed kmh=296
|cruise speed note= at {{cvt|3000|m}}
|stall speed kmh=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|range km=1352
|range note=
|combat range km=
|ferry range km=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=10500
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|time to altitude={{cvt|3000|m}} in 5 minutes 48 seconds
|wing loading kg/m2=108.9
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass={{cvt|6.4|lb/hp|kg/kW|order=flip}}
|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= 2 × forward-firing {{cvt|7.7|mm|3}} [[Type 97 aircraft machine gun]]s in the forward fuselage upper decking + 1 × {{cvt|7.7|mm|3}} [[Type 92 machine gun]] on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit
|bombs= 1 × {{cvt|250|kg}} under the fuselage and 2 × {{cvt|60|kg}} bombs under the wings
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=
* [[ANBO VIII]]
* [[Blackburn Skua]]
* [[Breda Ba.65]]
* [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver]]
* [[Douglas SBD Dauntless]]
* [[Fairey Barracuda]]
* [[Junkers Ju 87]]
* [[Loire-Nieuport LN.401]]
* [[Saab 17]]
* [[Vultee A-31 Vengeance]]
* [[Yokosuka D3Y]]
* [[Yokosuka D4Y]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of bomber aircraft]]
* [[List of military aircraft of Japan]]
}}

==Notes==
{{notelist|30em}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
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 | last = 江間 | first = 保
 | year = 1991
 | title = 急降下爆撃隊―日本海軍のヘルダイバー
 | language = Japanese
 | publisher = 今日の話題社
 | isbn = 4875651384
}}
* {{cite book|last1=Angelucci|first1=Enzo|first2=Paolo|last2=Matricardi|title=World Aircraft: World War II, Volume II|series=Sampson Low Guides| location=Maidenhead, UK|publisher=Sampson Low|year=1978|isbn=0-562-00096-8}}
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* {{cite book|last=Eden|first=Paul|title=The Encyclopedia of Aircraft of WWII|location=London|publisher=Amber Books Ltd.|year=2007|isbn=978-1-904687-83-2}}
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* {{cite book|last=Kinzey|first=Bert|title=Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japan awakens a Sleeping Giant|location=Blacksburg, Virginia|publisher=Military Aviation Archives|year=2010|isbn=978-0-9844665-0-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Lundstrom |first=John B. |year=2005a |edition=New |title=The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-471-X}}
* {{cite book |last=Lundstrom |first=John B. |year=2005b |edition=New |title=First Team and the Guadalcanal Campaign: Naval Fighter Combat from August to November 1942 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-59114-472-8}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Millot|first1=Bernard|title=Aichi D3A "Val"... la terreur qui tombait du ciel (1)|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=December 1976 |issue=85 |pages=25–31 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=Aichi D3A Val... The Terror That Falls from the Sky, Part 1}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Millot|first1=Bernard|title=Aichi D3A "Val"... la terreur qui tombait du ciel (2)|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=January 1977 |issue=86 |pages=28–33 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=Aichi D3A Val... The Terror That Falls from the Sky, Part 2}}
* {{cite journal|title=Pacific Predator... the Aichi Type 99|journal=[[Air International]]|volume=33|issue=6|date=December 1987|pages=285–290|issn=0306-5634|ref={{sfnref|Air International|1987}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Mikesh|first=Robert C.|title=Japanese Aircraft Equipment: 1940-1945|publisher=Schiffer Publishing|year=2004|isbn=0764320971}}
* {{cite book|last=Parkin|first=Robert S|title=Blood on the Sea: American Destroyers Lost in World War II|location=New York|publisher=Sarpedon Publishing|year=1995|isbn=1-885119-17-8}}
* {{cite book|last1=Parshall|first1=Jonathan|first2=Anthony|last2=Tully|title=Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway|location=Washington D.C.|publisher=Potomac Books|year=2007|isbn=9781574889246}}
* {{cite book|last1=Richards|first1=M. C.|first2=Donald S.|last2=Smith|title=Aichi D3A ('Val') & Yokosuka D4Y ('Judy') Carrier Bombers of the IJNAF|series=Aircraft in Profile, Volume 13|year=1974|pages=145–169|location=Windsor, Berkshire, UK|publisher=Profile Publications|isbn=0-85383-022-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Roscoe|first=Theodore|title=United States Destroyer Operations in World War II|location= Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=United States Naval Institute|year=1953|isbn=0-87021-726-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Peter C.|title=Aichi D3A1/2 Val|location=Ramsbury, UK|publisher=The Crowood Press|year=1999|isbn=1-86126-278-7}}
* {{cite book
 | last = Tagaya
 | first = Osamu
 | year = 2011
 | title = Aichi 99 Kanbaku 'Val' Units of World War 2
 | publisher = Osprey Publishing
 | location = Botley, UK
 | series = Combat Aircraft #63
 | isbn = 978-1841769127
 }}
* {{cite book|last=Worth|first=Richard|title=Fleets of World War II|location=New York|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0-306-81116-6}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/d3a.htm Aichi D3A, Joao Paulo Julião Matsuura]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070614121911/http://www.airtoaircombat.com/detail.asp?id=267 AirToAirCombat.Com: Aichi D3A Val]

{{Aichi Aircraft}}
{{Japanese Navy short aircraft designations}}
{{Allied reporting names}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aichi D3a}}
[[Category:Aichi aircraft|D3A]]
[[Category:1930s Japanese attack aircraft|D3A, Aichi]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Carrier-based aircraft]]
[[Category:Attack on Pearl Harbor]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1938]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]
[[Category:Single-engined piston aircraft]]