Illustrations

PHOTOGRAPHS

    1-1.  Pioneer Japanese aviators

    1-2.  Aircraft being hoisted aboard the Wakamiya

    1-3.  Nakajima Chikuhei

    1-4.  Baron Sempill and Baroness Sempill

    2-1.  Yamamoto Isoroku

    3-1.  Carrier Kaga transiting the Cossol Passage, Palau

    3-2.  Carrier Sōryū landing aircraft

    4-1.  Carrier Akagi entering Ōsaka Bay

    4-2.  Ōnishi Takijirō

    4-3.  A6M3 carrier fighters

    5-1.  G3M bombers headed toward Chungking

    5-2.  G3M bomber crews returning from bombing run

    5-3.  Damaged A5M fighter returning to base

    6-1.  Genda Minoru

    6-2.  Inoue Shigeyoshi

    7-1.  Carrier Akagi off Kendari, the Celebes

    7-2.  G4M bombers over Rabaul Harbor

    7-3.  Carrier Amagi capsized in Kure Harbor

    7-4.  G4M bombers at Atsugi airfield

    7-5.  Restored A6M5a fighter

FIGURES

    1-1.  Seaplane carrier Wakamiya

    2-1.  Administrative organization of Japanese naval aviation, 1930s

    2-2.  Coordinated exercise in offensive air tactics, Amami Ōshima, 1928

    3-1.  Wing-folding arrangements for Japanese carrier aircraft

    3-2.  Interior of the Hiryū’s upper hangar deck, aft

    3-3.  Japanese carrier landing operations

    6-1.  Tactical formations for Japanese navy fighters

    6-2.  Type 99 Model 80 heavy armor-piercing bomb

    6-3.  Japanese navy aerial attack methods

    6-4.  Type 91 aerial torpedoes

    6-5.  Japanese “box formation” for carriers, 1941

    6-6.  Air organization of the Combined Fleet and air units in the home islands, 8 December 1941

  A4-1.  Aircraft carrier Hōshō

  A4-2.  Aircraft carrier Akagi

  A4-3.  Aircraft carrier Kaga

  A4-4.  Aircraft carrier Ryūjō

  A4-5.  Aircraft carrier Sōryū

  A4-6.  Aircraft carrier Hiryū

  A4-7.  Aircraft carrier Zuihō

  A4-8.  Aircraft carrier Shōkaku

  A4-9.  Aircraft carrier Taiyō

A4-10.  Seaplane carrier Notoro

A4-11.  Seaplane carrier Kamoi

A4-12.  Seaplane carrier Chitose

A4-13.  Seaplane carrier Mizuho

  A6-1.  Mitsubishi 1MF3 Type 10 carrier fighter

  A6-2.  Nakajima A1N1 Type 3 carrier fighter

  A6-3.  Nakajima A2N1 Type 90 carrier fighter

  A6-4.  Nakajima A4N1 Type 95 carrier fighter

  A6-5.  Mitsubishi B1M1 Type 13 carrier attack aircraft

  A6-6.  Mitsubishi B2M1 Type 89 carrier attack aircraft

  A6-7.  Yokosuka B3Y1 Type 92 carrier attack aircraft

  A6-8.  Yokosuka B4Y1 Type 96 carrier attack aircraft

  A6-9.  Mitsubishi 2MR1 Type 10 carrier reconnaissance aircraft

A6-10.  Aichi D1A2 Type 96 carrier bomber

A6-11.  Mitsubishi A5M4 Type 96 carrier fighter

A6-12.  Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 Type 0 carrier fighter

A6-13.  Nakajima B5N2 Type 97 carrier attack aircraft

A6-14.  Aichi D3A1 Type 99 carrier bomber

A6-15.  Kawanishi E7K2 Type 94 reconnaissance seaplane

A6-16.  Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 reconnaissance seaplane

A6-17.  Mitsubishi F1M2 Type 0 observation seaplane

A6-18.  Aichi E13A1 Type 0 reconnaissance seaplane

A6-19.  Yokosuka E14Y1 Type 0 small reconnaissance seaplane

A6-20.  Nakajima A6M2-N Type 2 seaplane fighter

A6-21.  Kawanishi H6K4 Type 97 flying boat

A6-22.  Kawanishi H8K1 Type 2 flying boat

A6-23.  Mitsubishi G3M2 Model 22 Type 96 attack bomber

A6-24.  Mitsubishi G4M1 Model 11 Type 1 attack bomber

  A9-1.  Hineri-komi maneuver

MAPS

    2-1.  Japanese naval air bases, home islands, 1916–1937

    5-1.  Initial Japanese naval air operations at the start of the China War, August 1937

    5-2.  Principal Japanese naval air bombardments in China, 1937–1941

    6-1.  Major Japanese naval air bases, December 1941

    7-1.  Major Japanese naval aviation operations during the Pacific War, 1941–1944

    7-2.  Solomon Islands air combat theater, 1942–1943