I think they already knew about the lack of self sealing fuel tanks and the Zero actually had a good rate of climb.
The one great weakness was that it could only turn in one direction. It was not an ambiturner. Actually it could turn both ways but was really slow in one direction. After learning that, American pilots had only to turn in that direction to escape a Zero.
Yeas....you are correct about the turning effect of the Zero....I guess the Zero has a radial engine.