Casemate Publishing

Japanese Military Aircraft, Aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy Land - Based Aviation 1929-1945 (I) No 4

by Eduardo Cea

Reviewed By Chris Smith, IPMS #39182

MSRP: $29.00 ISBN: 978-84-9693-510-5 Website: www.casematepublishing.com I have to admit my expectations for this book based on the title was of a detailed look at the aircraft types used by the land based IJN forces in WWII. Although there are nice aircraft color side views on every page don't be fooled. This book is really a historical record of the land based units that used those aircraft and the markings they bore while in service. Once I figured that out, I really got a lot out of this book. This volume is 172 pages, nicely printed on heavy stock with a glossy paperback cover. In the first 22 pages the author gives the reader an overview of how the Japanese perspective on the world developed. The proximity of Korea, China and Russia to Japan and her ambitions toward them are put into context. The 1853 visit of Commodore Perry's ships opened the eyes of the Japanese officials to the need for modern military forces to defend their territories. By the early 1900s, Japan was equipped with a modern Navy that could extend their influence beyond the homeland. Several incidents including the Battle of Tsushima and the actions against Korea and eventually China only served to embolden Japans ambitions in the region. It was also in the early 1900s Japan developed what would become a powerful aerial contingent both carrier and land based. Several of the illustrations show the aircraft of this period. The end of WWI and the Japanese acquisition of the Marshall, Carolinas and Marianas Islands would incite U.S. anger thereby setting the stage for trade restrictions and eventually the Pearl Harbor attack. The introduction gives way to a unit by unit description of the land based Naval Units or Kokutais. The Japanese Navy distinguished sea based units from land based even if those units had seaplanes. These Kokutais were generally assigned the name of the place in which they originated. Hence names like the Yokohama and Sasebo Kokutais. Once WWII began, the Kokutais were designated by numbers. Also included within each section are a data box indicating the type of aircraft used and another box showing the unit markings that identified the Kokutais. Corresponding aircraft side views show how the aircraft were marked. For those of us who don't read Japanese, this is a big help. As the author discusses early on, the quality and quantity of the source documents varied for geographical, political and military reasons. This means the text in these sections varies from several pages to a few paragraphs. It would be interesting to compare these accounts with those of other books from opposing sides. I was especially interested in the descriptions of the Kokutai's involved at Midway, Guadalcanal and the sinking of the Repulse. This book was originally published in Spanish. The translation can make for a less than flowing read at times, but the content is worth the trouble. So is this book worth the asking price? I would have to say yes. If studying Japanese WWII air war history is your interest, this is a book you would want on your shelf. As a modeling reference, it has value in identifying units and more importantly the marking used by them. However, you will have to go to other sources for three view drawings, maps etc. The color side views do offer a lot of modeling inspiration. The quality is very good and each is accompanied by a unit description and some color references. There are several aircraft types I'd never seen before and some like a Sopwith Pup, in markings outside the norm. I learned a long time ago the best way to study history is from as many sources as you can find. This book is an important contribution to the study of a theater of war not always easy to understand especially from the Japanese perspective. This book is part 1 of a series. If the follow up efforts are as good as this, I can't wait. You can get this book direct from the publisher at www.casematepublishing.com . Thank you Casemate publishers for providing the review copy and to IPMS for allowing me this opportunity to share it with you.