Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II information
Japan's naval force in the Second World War
Imperial Japanese Navy warships in World War II[1][2]
Number of units
Battleships
12
Fleet carriers
13
Light carriers
7
Escort carriers
10
Heavy cruisers
18
Light cruisers
25
Destroyers
169
Destroyer escorts (Kaibōkan)
180
Sea-going torpedo boats
12
Sea-going gunboats
9
Submarines
195
During World War II, at the beginning of the Pacific War in December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was the third most powerful navy in the world,[3] and the naval air service was one of the most potent air forces in the world. During the first six months of the war, the IJN enjoyed spectacular success inflicting heavy defeats on Allied forces, being undefeated in every battle.[4] The attack on Pearl Harbor crippled the battleships of the US Pacific Fleet,[5] while Allied navies were devastated during Japan's conquest of Southeast Asia.[6] Japanese Navy aircraft operating from land bases were also responsible for the sinkings of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse which was the first time that capital ships were sunk by aerial attack while underway.[7] In April 1942, the Indian Ocean raid drove the Royal Navy from South East Asia.[8] After these successes, the Japanese now concentrated on the elimination and neutralization of strategic points from where the Allies could launch counteroffensives against Japan's conquests.[6] However, at Coral Sea the Japanese were forced to abandon their attempts to isolate Australia[6] while the defeat at Midway saw them forced on the defensive. The campaign in the Solomon Islands, in which the Japanese lost the war of attrition, was the most decisive; they had failed to commit enough forces in sufficient time.[9]
During 1943 the Allies were able to reorganize their forces and American industrial strength began to turn the tide of the war.[10] The United States ultimately managed to gain the upper hand through a vastly greater industrial output and a modernization of its air and naval forces.[10] In 1943, the Japanese also turned their attention to the defensive perimeters of their previous conquests. Forces on Japanese held islands in Micronesia were to absorb and wear down an expected American counteroffensive.[10] However, American industrial power became apparent and the military forces that faced the Japanese in 1943 were so overwhelming in firepower and equipment,[10] that from the end of 1943 to 1944 Japan's defensive perimeter failed to hold.[10] Defeat at the Philippine Sea was a disaster for Japanese naval air power with American pilots terming it, the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot,[11] while the battle of Leyte Gulf led to the destruction of a large part of the surface fleet.[12] Consequently, the Japanese lost control of the Western Pacific and access to the oil fields of Southeast Asia. During the last phase of the war, the Japanese resorted to a series of desperate measures, including a variety of suicidal attacks which were popularly called kamikaze.[13] By May 1945, most of the Imperial Japanese Navy had been sunk and the remnants had taken refuge in Japan's harbors.[12] By July 1945, all but one of the IJN's capital ships had been sunk in raids by the United States Navy. By the end of the war, the IJN had lost 334 warships and 300,386 officers and men.[12]
^Evans & Peattie 1997, p. 496.
^Jentschura, "Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945", pp. 25–60, 79–87, 104–113, ISBN 978-0-87021-893-4
^Stille 2014, p. 8.
^Stille 2014, p. 9.
^Evans & Peattie 1997, p. 488.
^ abcEvans & Peattie 1997, p. 489.
^Peattie 2007, p. 169.
^Peattie 2007, p. 172.
^Evans & Peattie 1997, p. 490.
^ abcdeEvans & Peattie 1997, p. 491.
^Peattie 2007, pp. 188–189.
^ abcEvans & Peattie 1997, p. 492.
^Evans & Peattie 1997, p. 502.
and 23 Related for: Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II information
During WorldWarII, at the beginning of the Pacific Warin December 1941, the ImperialJapaneseNavy (IJN) was the third most powerful navyin the world, and...
This List of Japanese Naval ships and war vessels inWorldWarII is a list of seafaring vessels of the ImperialJapaneseNavy of WorldWarII. It includes...
by the ImperialJapanese Army and ImperialJapaneseNavy during WorldWarII. Trainer aircraft of the ImperialJapaneseNavy during WorldWarII were frequently...
becoming by the beginning of WorldWarII one of the world's most varied and powerful submarine fleets. The ImperialJapaneseNavy (IJN) acquired its first...
The ImperialJapaneseNavy Air Service (大日本帝國海軍航空隊, Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Kōkū-tai) (IJNAS) was the air arm of the ImperialJapaneseNavy (IJN). The...
East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere ImperialJapanese Army during the Pacific WarImperialJapaneseNavyinWorldWarIIJapanese colonial empire List of territories...
the Surrender of JapaninWorldWarII. The officer rank names were used for both the ImperialJapanese Army and ImperialJapaneseNavy, the only distinction...
The ImperialJapanese Army (IJA) initially purchased foreign tanks for evaluation during WorldWar I, and began developing its own indigenous designs during...
Sino-Japanesewar and the Russo-JapaneseWar. The IJAF also served in WW1 and WW2. It was operational until the Surrender of Japan after WorldWarIIin 1945...
The ImperialJapanese Army (IJA) was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan. Forming one of the military branches of the ImperialJapanese Armed...
States Navy grew rapidly during its involvement inWorldWarII from 1941–45, and played a central role in the Pacific War against ImperialJapan. It also...
complete list of all aerial bombs used by the ImperialJapaneseNavy during the Second WorldWar. The Japanesenavy produced a large number of different types...
served with the ImperialJapaneseNavy during WorldWarII. The ship was named after the noted Shinto Katori Shrine in Chiba prefecture, Japan. Katori-class...
A list of Japanese radars used during WorldWarII. Radar used by the ImperialJapanese Army. Ta-Chi 1 Ground-Based Target Tracking Radar Model 1 - SCR-268...
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theater, was the theater of WorldWarII that was fought in eastern Asia, the Pacific...
During WorldWarII, it was estimated that between 35,000 and 50,000 members of the ImperialJapanese Armed Forces surrendered to Allied servicemembers...
aircraft developed for the ImperialJapaneseNavyinWorldWarII. The Allied reporting name was Lorna. Although similar in appearance to the German Junkers...
a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of WorldWarII that took place 4–7 June 1942, six months after the Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor...