▁and ▁Imperial ▁Japanese ▁Army ▁Air ▁Service ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁vict ories ▁for ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁and ▁I J N AS ▁each ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁This ▁innov ation ▁allowed ▁the ▁night ▁f igh ters ▁to ▁approach ▁and ▁attack ▁bom bers ▁from ▁below , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁outside ▁the ▁bom ber ▁crew ' s ▁field ▁of ▁view . ▁F ew ▁bom bers ▁of ▁that ▁era ▁carried ▁def ensive ▁guns ▁in ▁the ▁vent ral ▁position . ▁An ▁attack ▁by ▁a ▁Sch rä ge ▁Musik - equ ipped ▁f ighter ▁was ▁typically ▁a ▁complete ▁surprise ▁to ▁the ▁bom ber ▁crew , ▁who ▁would ▁only ▁realize ▁that ▁a ▁f ighter ▁was ▁close ▁by ▁when ▁they ▁came ▁under ▁fire . ▁Part icular ly ▁in ▁the ▁initial ▁stage ▁of ▁oper ational ▁use ▁until ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁the ▁sudden ▁fire ▁from ▁below ▁was ▁often ▁attributed ▁to ▁ground ▁fire ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁f ighter . ▁ ▁R ather ▁than ▁night time ▁ra ids , ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁Air ▁Forces ▁were ▁dedicated ▁to ▁day time ▁bomb ing ▁over ▁Germany ▁and ▁A xis ▁al lies , ▁that ▁statist ically ▁were ▁much ▁more ▁effective . ▁The ▁British ▁night - b omb ing ▁ra ids ▁showed ▁a ▁success ▁rate ▁of ▁only ▁one ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 ▁targets ▁successfully ▁hit . ▁At ▁the ▁ur ging ▁of ▁the ▁British , ▁who ▁were ▁looking ▁to ▁purchase ▁US - made ▁aircraft , ▁US ▁day ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁initially ▁adapted ▁to