Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of World War II

Shizuo Fukui - Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of World War II
Greenhill | 1992 | ISBN: 1853671258 | English | 191 pages | PDF | 170.35 MB
At the end of WW2 when the Allies began to review the state of the one-mighty Imperial Japanese Navy, they estimated that some 2,500 vessels were either afloat, sunk in shallow water, damaged, or partially constructed. To make use of these valuable remnants they first had to be documented, since few official Japanese records remained. Most Japanese naval personnel, however, refused to assist the Allies. Fortunately, Imperial Navy Constructor Shizuo Fukui agreed to cooperate. His efforts produced this extraordinarily detailed study of the ships surrendered by Japan. Now a rare historical document, this invaluable reference includes not only major combatant ships but support vessels as well. First issued by U.S. Naval Intelligence in April 1947, this book has been out of print for many years. For this new edition, this original text and expert line drawings have been carefully reproduced, and over 100 photos have been added to an addendum. An introduction by naval author John Lundstrom helps today's readers fully appreciate the significance of this work.