Featuring hundreds of color plates, Fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army: 1939-1945 explains the marking of each of the different units. Unit histories are complemented with lists for theatres of operations, aces, aircraft used, and more. In addition, the hierarchy of the Army air force and equivalencies of the units are broken down. A magnificent value for the color plates alone, the text adds up to a must-have for any Japanese aviation historian or modeler.

This is an insight into the most feared army of World War II. The Japanese Imperial Army grew from 1.5 million men in 1939 to 5.5 million men by the end of the war. Their highly successful campaigns in the Far East and the Pacific at the beginning of World War II were every bit as spectacular as those of the Germans in Europe, and they earned an enviable reputation as expert jungle fighters which it took some years for the Allies to match. Their code of honour also made them extremely cruel enemies to prisoners and civilians alike, while their Kamikaze suicidal tendencies meant they would automatically fight to the last without any thought of surrender. Fully illustrated with rare archive photographs, this is a comprehensive study of the army. The author describes how they mobilized and trained their soldiers, and looks at their organizational structures, from high command down to divisional level and below. Also included are uniforms, equipment, all kinds of weapons ranging from tanks and artillery, technical equipment, tactics, symbology and vehicle markings.

In-depth review of Imperial Japanese Army Air Force fighter units and pilots Detailed study of equipment (e.g., the Zero fighter), operations from Pearl Harbor to kamikaze attacks, and pilots who achieved ace status Heavily illustrated with photos of pilots, aircraft, and unit insignia

Hitherto only available in Japanese text, this unique work is now published in English language format and provides an in-depth review of the fighter units of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and their pilots. Commencing with a detailed study of the development, equipment and operations flown by this force since its inception immediately after the end of World War I, until the catastrophic conclusion of World War II, the initial section deals with the wars in China and Manchuria, as well as the Pacific War of 1941-45. The second section provides details of each of the units from formation onwards, listing the types of aircraft used, the bases from which they flew, and the unit and formation commanders. Details of the more notable actions in which each unit was involved are also provided. Biographical notes relating to all of the more notable fighter pilots form the third section, whilst the book is liberally provided with supporting listings and a glossary of Japanese terms. The whole is heavily illustrated with photographs of the majority of the pilots and of typical aircraft of many of the units, together with line drawings indicating the unit markings carried.

An extensive guide to Japan’s Army Air Force Units and their ace pilots during conflicts in the 1930s and ‘40s, now in English. Commencing with a detailed study of the development, equipment, and operations flown by this force since its inception immediately after the end of World War I, until the catastrophic conclusion of World War II, the initial section deals with the wars in China and Manchuria, as well as the Pacific War of 1941-1945. The second section explores the history of each unit, listing the types of aircraft used, the bases from which they flew, and the unit and formation commanders. Notable mission details are also included. Finally, the third section offers biographical notes for notable fighter pilots and features supporting listings and a glossary of Japanese terms. Photographs of pilots and aircraft are also included, along with line drawings indicating the unit markings carried. This revised edition is a companion volume to Japanese Naval Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces, 1932–1945.

This is an indepth analysis of the tactics and equipment used by Japan's infantry between 1941 and 1945 which provided them with so much success but led to ultimate defeat. Origins, development, recruitment, and training are covered, as well as tactics of the later years.