At the beginning of the Second World War, the Japanese Navy (or, in the Japanese language, Nihon Kaigun, or even Teikoku Kaigun, the Imperial Navy) was arguably the most powerful navy in the world. Its naval aviation corps, consisting of 10 aircraft carriers and 1500 topnotch aviators, was the most highly trained and proficient force of its kind. Its 11 (soon to be 12) battleships were among the most powerful in the world. And its surface forces, armed with the superb 24" Type 93 (Long Lance) torpedo, were incomparable night fighters. How and why this impressive force was eventually crushed by the U.S. Navy is a subject that has fascinated me practically forever. Maybe I'm just intrigued by the underdog. In any case, this page is devoted to the proud navy that lost the Pacific War.
New to this site? Feel free to start with pictures of Japanese warships, their detailed information, their guns, torpedoes, sensors, their names, and the officers who led them in combat. On this site, you can also find out more about Imperial Navy's Airforce?. Or, if you want to get more in-depth, try Tony Tully's Untold Tales of the Imperial Japanese Navy, or my Special Features section, which has some really neat stuff as well. You can also check out the bibliography, the wargames page, the links page, and what's new on the site. Finally, you can learn a little about us.
New Book on Battle of Surigao Strait
See also Jon Parshall and Tony Tully's Shattered Sword on Battle of Midway!
Tabular Records of Movement (TROM)