Imperial Japanese Navy

The story of the Japanese Naval Aviator who became the only Axis Pilot to bomb US Mainland during World War II

The story of the Japanese Naval Aviator who became the only Axis Pilot to bomb US Mainland during World War II

Nobuo Fujita was a Japanese naval aviator who flew a seaplane from a submarine and dropped incendiary bombs on the… Read More

3 weeks ago

Saburo Sakai Zero-sen ace recalls his most memorable and harrowing combat where he was wounded by US Navy SBD Dauntless dive bombers (not by Avengers)

As Saburo Sakai and his wingman closed the range, the SBD rear gunners opened fire. For the high scoring ace,… Read More

1 month ago

This Japanese H8K flying boat tried to collide with a US Navy PB4Y but crashed after missing it by just 25ft

Lt Graham Squires reduced power to avoid overshooting the flying boat, but as he was about to cross over the… Read More

9 months ago

Did you know Japanese Kawanishi H8K flying boats conducted a second raid on Pearl Harbor in March 1942? Here’s how it went.

In March 1942 the Japanese staged a somewhat audacious plan of sending a flight of 2 Kawanishi H8K long range… Read More

10 months ago

New threat: US Navy F6F Hellcat pilots recall the first encounter with Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force’s potent N1K1-J Shiden fighter

On a fighter sweep over the airfields north of Manila on Nov. 6, 1944, US Navy F6F Hellcat pilots encountered… Read More

11 months ago

Remembering the of the Battle of Coral Sea, History’s First Carrier vs Carrier Battle

On May 8, 1942, the first Carrier VS Carrier battle climaxed between the US Navy and Imperial Japan. For the… Read More

1 year ago

The sinking of HMS Hermes, the First Ship Designed as an Aircraft Carrier

‘At this stage Hermes had a very heavy list to port and it was obvious that she was about to… Read More

1 year ago

Imperial Japanese Navy H6K Mavis pilot tells the story of when his Flying Boat was Attacked and nearly Shot Down by B-17 Bombers

‘The only chance we had was the relatively small turning radius of our slow plane compared to that of the… Read More

1 year ago

America Strikes Back: why the Doolittle Raid caused the Imperial Japanese Navy a tremendous loss of face

On Apr. 18, 1942, the US sent an air raid against Imperial Japan using a flight of 16 B-25 Mitchell… Read More

1 year ago

The Imperial Japanese Navy’s Ryujo: The Forgotten, Unique, one-off Hybrid of a Cruiser Hull with an Aircraft Carrier Superstructure Grafted on to it

The Imperial Japanese Navy carrier Ryujo was a unique, one off hybrid of a cruiser hull with an aircraft carrier… Read More

1 year ago

How two SBD Dauntless aircraft from USS Enterprise sank submarine I-70, the first major Japanese combatant ship sunk during World War II

The war was on, and Enterprise had drawn her first blood in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.… Read More

2 years ago

Strafing and Skip Bombing: how American A-20 and B-25 bombers beat Japanese destroyers during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea

Throughout the first year of the war in the Pacific during World War II the USAAF was relatively ineffective against… Read More

2 years ago

The Attack on Pearl Harbor: The Second Wave

The first of the 167 aircraft of the second wave arrived over their targets approximately 25 minutes after the last… Read More

2 years ago

“Climb Mount Niitaka:” a detailed description of the First Wave Attack on Pearl Harbor

Beginning at 0530 hours on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 the first wave was spotted on the flight decks… Read More

2 years ago

The Story of the Ki-43 Hayabusa pilot that claimed the shooting down of four USAAF P-38 Lightnings in an air battle that never was

The alleged exploits of Warrant Officer Shiromoto Nauharu Hayabusa pilot over the Solomon Islands on Jan. 31, 1943 became legendary… Read More

2 years ago

The story of Koga’s Zero, the captured A6M that helped the F6F Hellcat become the most effective carrier fighter of World War II

Perhaps the most significant Zero captured during World War II, and the one that contributed most to Allied victory in… Read More

2 years ago

Sinking Force Z: the day the Imperial Japanese Navy killed the Battleship

The loss of Force Z was a colossal disaster for the British, and one that effectively marked the end of… Read More

3 years ago