FLT001 Japanese Combined Fleet 1941-1942 The IJN at its Zenith, Pearl Harbor to Midway.pdf

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THE JAPANESE
COMBINED FLEET
1941–42
The IJN at its zenith, Pearl Harbor to Midway
Mark Stille
Illustrated by
Jim Laurier
OSPREY PUBLISHING
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Kemp House, Chawley Park, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9PH, UK
29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland
1385 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10018, USA
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www.ospreypublishing.com
OSPREY is a trademark of Osprey Publishing Ltd
First published in Great Britain in 2023
This electronic edition published in 2023 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
© Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2023
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage
or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: PB 9781472856432; eBook 9781472856401; ePDF 9781472856418; XML 9781472856425
Maps by
bounford.com
Diagrams by Adam Tooby
Battlescenes by Jim Laurier
Index by Fionbar Lyons
Typeset by Myriam Bell Design
Front Cover: Art by Jim Laurier © Osprey Publishing
Osprey Publishing supports the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.
To find out more about our authors and books visit
www.ospreypublishing.com.
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CONTENTS
THE FLEET’S PURPOSE
Background to War
Pre-War Plans
Early War Strategy
4
FLEET FIGHTING POWER
The Ships
Technical Factors
10
HOW THE FLEET OPERATED
Organization
Command and Control
Doctrine
Intelligence and Deception
Logistics and Facilities
36
COMBAT AND ANALYSIS
The Fleet in Combat
Analysis
58
FURTHER READING
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
INDEX
79
80
81
THE FLEET’S PURPOSE
BACKGROUND TO WAR
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was not identifiable as a separate force
from the army until 1872. At that point, it was a collection of sailing ships
lacking the ability to protect Japan from predatory Western powers. Japanese
leaders recognized the need to build a modern navy to defend the home
islands. Starting from its humble origins, the IJN developed quickly with
foreign assistance, using the British Royal Navy (RN) as a model. By the
1880s, Japan began to develop a naval arms industry and to build steam
ships domestically. From its original purely defensive stance, it was capable
in 1894–95 of fighting a naval war with China. A complete victory over
the Chinese Beiyang Fleet demonstrated how far the IJN had come. In the
aftermath of victory, the IJN planned a major expansion that included some
of the best warships in the world (though these were still provided from
foreign sources). Now linked by treaty with the RN, the IJN was a balanced
fleet with well-trained and dedicated crews, backed up by a naval industry
increasingly capable of producing its own ships, weapons, and munitions.
By 1904, the IJN had grown to become the fourth largest navy in the world.
When Japan went to war with Russia the same year to determine which nation
would be dominant in Northeast Asia, the Combined Fleet (formed in 1903 as
the navy’s battle force) was ready. To gain victory, the Combined Fleet had to
move an expeditionary force to the Asian mainland and then support it, while
defeating Russian naval forces. All of these missions were accomplished. Final
victory against the Russian fleet was achieved in epic fashion at the battle of
Tsushima Strait on May 27–28, 1905.
From its war with Russia, the IJN took away several enduring lessons. Foremost
of these was the concept of a decisive engagement. Even a smaller navy, under
the right conditions, could defeat a larger one in a single battle and determine
the outcome of a war. The notion that superior quality was essential to beat a
4

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