JAPAN AT WAR, 1931-1945
The confusion continues to this day. In any effort to clear it up, Osamu T. last month posted a complete list of WWII Japanese warplanes on the J-Aircraft message board, with their various designations. Sam kindly allowed me to publish it here. It is a work in progress.
"Carl Molesworth's book has a few flaws but it is well
written, interesting, and its artwork and illustrations are a
visual delight. Despite this reviewer's barbs, Carl's book will
be highly interesting and useful to many readers. For those
interested but who have not ventured deeply; or at all, into the
aerial conflict in China it may be considered an essential
addition to their library. For many others the illustrations and
accounts of combat in 1944-1945 will be interesting and
worthwhile." Read Richard Dunn's review
Blue skies! -- Dan Ford
Japan's long war:
- Nomonhan (Japan v. Russia, 1939)
- Russian aircraft losses at Nomonhan
- Elusive target: Bombing Japan from China (Richard Dunn)
- Did U.S. leaders know that war was coming?
- A guest of the Japanese in the Dutch Indies (Arie Biemond)
- "New Guinea was my introduction to war" (anonymous)
- Ketsu-go (waiting for the Americans, summer 1945)
- Olympic vs. Ketsu-go (the invasion that didn't happen)
- Japan's Longest Day: how Japan surrendered
- The Last Raid: how the war ended, August 14-15
- The U.S. Navy arrives in Tokyo Bay, August 1945
- Did Japanese soldiers fight for the Vietminh?
The Hiroshima files:
- Why Truman dropped the bomb (Richard Frank)
- Little Boy vs Operation Olympic (an internet debate)
- How many died at Hiroshima?--counting the uncountable
- What was the yield of the Hiroshima bomb?
- Was there a third bomb? What was its target?
- Been down that lonely road: NASM confronts Enola Gay
- Hiroshima and the end of the war--a reading list
The Japanese Army Air Force files:
- Notes on the Japanese Army Air Force
- The decision to move south (Japan v. the West, 1941)
- Mr. Suzuki recalls the Flying Tigers (December 1941)
- Lucky Sevens? life and death of the 77th Sentai (Richard Dunn)
- Rising sun over Burma: JAAF vs. AVG
- JAAF deployments against Rangoon, December-March (maps)
- Japanese army aircraft met by the AVG
- Joe Baugher's Hayabusa files
- Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar") armament (Richard Dunn)
- About those Nakajima Ki-43 machineguns
- Regimental song of the 64th Sentai (video)
- Japanese army aces and their victory claims
- JAAF fighter pilots lost in China-Burma area, 1941-42
- Ki-45 Toryu (Dragon Slayer, aka Nick)
Why's a Zero?
- Why's a Zero? and a primer on the Japanese calendar
- Japanese warplane names and designations (Osamu T.)
- Allied code-names in perspective (Richard Dunn)
- Sussing out the 'Chengdu Zero'
- Zeros over China, 1941-1942 (Ben Schapiro)
- Unraveling the Zero's performance data (Richard Dunn)
- 'Never dog fight the Zero' (the San Diego evaluations)
- A conversation with Saburo Sakai and a scrap of his scarf
- 'Winged Samurai': rethinking the Sakai myths
- An interview with another Zero pilot
Kamikaze, cannibals, & other mysteries:
- Bushido: the Japanese Field Service Code, 1941
- 'Be as one already dead' (Ruth Benedict)
- The soldier who cut up living prisoners (London Times)
- The butchered bodies of New Guinea (graphic photos)
- The Rape of Nanking: Japan in denial
- Meet Colonel Tsuji, genius and cannibal
- Outram Road Prison, Singapore
- Done to death: the prisoners of Rabaul
- The man who didn't shoot down Pappy Boyington
- Why the kamikaze volunteered (Yasuho Izawa)
- A Japanese army pilot trains to die
- 'Crashing bodily into a target is not easy' (the how-to manual)
- 'I will be waiting for you at Yasukuni Shrine'
- 'Annihilate them all' (the order to murder PWs)
Books & stuff:
- The A6M Zero Store (books & collectibles)
- Japan at War--book reviews on this site
- The webmaster's picks: 10 books worth reading
- Books about Japanese aircraft and aces
Or I'll send an autographed copy for list price plus postage:
PayPal rolls your credit card; I fill the order. You can also write a check. If all else fails, send email and we'll work something out. Read more here
Veterans can find help receiving their Certificate of Eligibility to obtain a VA Loan