As the Pacific War approached a crescendo, the clashes between swarming US Navy carrier aircraft, and the gigantic Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Yamato-class battleships became symbolic of the fortunes of the two nations. They also served as a metaphor for the profound changes in naval technology and doctrine that the war had brought about. The two opposing forces were the most powerful of their kind - the Japanese Yamato and Musashi were the biggest most heavily armored and armed battleships ever built, while US carrier aviation had evolved into a well-oiled, war-winning machine. With detailed analysis of the technical features of the opposing war machines and a gripping account of the fighting itself, this vividly illustrated work presents views from the cockpits of US Navy Divebombers, and down the sights of IJN anti-aircraft guns, during two of the most dramatic naval engagements ever fought.

As the Pacific War approached a crescendo, the clashes between swarming US Navy carrier aircraft, and the gigantic Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Yamato-class battleships became symbolic of the fortunes of the two nations. They also served as a metaphor for the profound changes in naval technology and doctrine that the war had brought about. The two opposing forces were the most powerful of their kind - the Japanese Yamato and Musashi were the biggest most heavily armored and armed battleships ever built, while US carrier aviation had evolved into a well-oiled, war-winning machine. With detailed analysis of the technical features of the opposing war machines and a gripping account of the fighting itself, this vividly illustrated work presents views from the cockpits of US Navy Divebombers, and down the sights of IJN anti-aircraft guns, during two of the most dramatic naval engagements ever fought.

Equipped with the largest guns and heaviest armour and with the greatest displacement of any ship ever built, the Yamato proved to be a formidable opponent to the US Pacific Fleet in the Second World War. The book contains a full description of the design and construction of the battleship including wartime modifications, and a career history followed by a substantial pictorial section with rare onboard views of Yamato and her sister ship Musashi, a comprehensive portfolio of more than 1,020 perspective line artworks, 350 colour 3D views, and 30 photographs. The wreck of Musashi has been recently discovered to great excitement in Japan, renewing interest in these iconic warships. Janusz Skulski's anatomies of three renowned ships of the 20th century Japanese navy are among the most comprehensive of the Anatomy series with hundreds of meticulously researched drawings of the ships. Since their first publication he has continued to research the ships and has now produce a more definitive anatomy than was possible then. He has teamed up with 3D artist Stefan Draminksi who produces superb realistic renditions of the ships that bring a whole new level of detail to the portraits of the ships. This new editions is a genuine 'Super Anatomy' containing the most detailed renditions of these ships ever seen.

Intended to be glorious symbols of Japanese power, the Yamato class suffered from the disadvantage of being designed at a crossroads in naval strategy in which advances in aviation technology began to shift the focus of sea power from the battleship to the aircraft carrier. The story of the Yamato class illustrates the closing of one chapter in the history of naval warfare while at the same time the opening of another.

The Imperial Japanese Navy of World War II surpassed the Allied and Axis fleets in innovation and technology. This title covers the 12 Japanese battleships that saw service between 1941 and 1945, including the mighty Yamato. Each class is considered in light of its design and construction, its armament and wartime modifications. The author, Mark Stille, uses primary sources and dramatic photographs to tell the story of these mighty battleships at war, including their major engagements during the raid at Pearl Harbor and the battle of Midway. The first English language book to include photographs from the prestigious Fukui Collection, this investigation will fascinate any naval enthusiast.

The Imperial Japanese Navy was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commissioned the world's first built-from-the-keel-up carrier, the Hosho. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, it experimented with its carriers, perfecting their design and construction. As a result, by the time Japan entered World War II and attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor in 1941, it possessed a fantastically effective naval aviation force. This book covers the design, development and operation of IJN aircraft carriers built prior to and during World War II. Pearl Harbor, Midway and the first carrier vs carrier battle, the battle of the Coral Sea, are all discussed.

"This volume features selected photos of the Japanese battleships, Yamato and Musashi, from the archives of the Kure Maritime Museum. It includes photos taken by the Kure Naval Arsenal of the ships' construction and sea trials, as well as photos of the ships from private individuals"--

An highly illustrated examination of the key ships, tactics and operations of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the War in the Pacific in World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was the third most powerful navy in the world at the start of World War II, and came to dominate the Pacific in the early months of the war. This was a remarkable turnaround for a navy that only began to modernize in 1868, although defeats inflicted on the Russians and Chinese in successive wars at the turn of the century gave a sense of the threat the IJN was to pose. Bringing together for the first time material previously published in Osprey series books, and with the addition of new writing making use of the most recent research, this book details the Japanese ships which fought in the Pacific and examines the principles on which they were designed, how they were armed, when and where they were deployed and how effective they were in battle. The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War provides a history of the IJN's deployment and engagements, analysis of the evolution of strategy and tactics, and finally addresses the question of whether it truly was a modern navy, fully prepared for the rigors of combat in the Pacific. Illustrated throughout with photographs and detailed colour artworks, this is a valuable reference source for Pacific War enthusiasts and historians alike.

87 photos, 202 figures and drawings, 60 tables, and 15 maps and tracks. Recognising the impossibility of improving upon the (in)famous 5:5:3 ratio of the Washington Naval Treaty when the expected naval race would begin as the treaty expired, the Imperial Japanese Navy resorted to a strategy of qualitative superiority to overcome the American quantitative edge. The IJN succeeded, after many studies and false starts, in creating the world's most heavily armed (nine 18.1" main guns in three triple turrets - the largest calibre ever mounted) and protected (410-mm thick VH belt armor, 660-mm thick front shields of the gun houses - the thickest armour plates ever mounted) battleships. With a displacement in excess of 70,000 tons their size was unprecedented but despite this restrictions resulted in defects, which otherwise might have been avoided; other defects were the result of techniques below the highest standard. Because the qualities of a battleship were generally measured by gun power, protection and mobility the authors have focused upon these items after giving a rough outline of the design and building processes. The result is probably the most detailed description based upon Japanese sources published outside Japan. Stimulated by Gustav Jensen's expanded dissertation Japans Seemacht and encouraged by Messrs. Erich Gröner and Prof. Jürgen Rohwer, Hans Lengerer began writing on the IJN in 1969. Over the years more than 50 articles have appeared in magazines like Marine Rundschau, Marine Forum, Warship and Interconair Aviation e Marina. After retirement from service in an executive organ, Lengerer continues to write books and articles using a considerable amount of time for his hobby. He is also the author of the privately published Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships, referred to in this book, and is presently working to revise and condense his 250,000-word manuscript Development of Warship Construction in Japan and to complete A History of the Imperial Japanese Navy. As "hobby researcher" at best, his writings depend heavily upon information supplied by other IJN fans; they come first therefore. Lars Ahlberg is on active duty with the Swedish Air Defence Regiment and is a military historian by avocation. He has written monographs about the IJN battleships of the Nagato class and the IJN aircraft carrier Taihô. His articles have appeared in Sveriges Flotta, Warship International and Okrety Wojenne and for several years he has been the editor of Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships. Ahlberg has also co-authored two books about Swedish regiments: Kungl Hallands regementes historia 1962-2000 and Kasernerna på Galgberget.

The ineffectiveness of conventional air attacks on US Navy surface ships, particularly heavily defended targets like carrier task groups, forced the Japanese to re-evaluate their tactics in late 1944. The solution they arrived at was simple – crash their aircraft into American ships. This notion of self-sacrifice fit well within the Japanese warrior psyche and proved terrifying to the American sailors subjected to it. These tactics brought immediate results, and proved effective until the end of the war. This book examines this terrifying new way of waging war, revealing how the US Navy was forced to adapt its tactics and deploy new weapons to counter the threat posed by kamikaze attacks, as well as assessing whether the damage caused to American naval strength by the loss of so many pilots and aircraft actually had a material impact.