Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto attended Harvard University where he gained a good understanding of American culture and developed an avid interest in the game of poker. Yamamoto played his cards when he outlined a plan to attack Pearl Harbor in January 1941. In April the Japanese organized a First Air Fleet with Vice Admiral Nagumo as its Commander in Chief. Commander Minoru Genda was appointed air staff officer, and because Nagumo was unfamiliar with air tactics, Genda was given responsibility for planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. Cdr. Genda immediately began perfecting the Pearl Harbor plan, and few details were overlooked. The Imperial Navys First Air Fleet consisted of six carriers. The Akagi, flagship of the strike force, was a converted cruiser which carried 63 aircraft. The Kaga also carried 63 aircraft, and was a converted battleship. The Soryu was the first carrier built from the ground up and was similar to the Hiryu. Each carrier had a compliment of 54 aircraft. With two addit.........
The Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo-bomber was the first low-wing, all metal monoplane to see service with the US Navy. Delivered in 1937 about 100 TBDs were in service when the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into WW II. Powered by a 811-HP Pratt and Whitney radial engine, the TBD had a maximum speed of about 200 MPH and a range of about 700 miles. Unfortunately, given the design of the torpedoes used, attacks had to be made at a maximum speed of only about 110 MPH, and at an altitude of no more than 100 feet. This made the Devastator a sitting duck for both enemy fighters or anti-aircraft gunners. The highlight of the TBDs brief battle career in WW II came during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. This battle, the first ever waged solely between the aircraft of opposing carrier attack groups, involved air groups from the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington. Three Japanese carriers, the Shokaku, the Zuikaku, and the Shoho were involved. On May 7 the Lexington lau.........
Nagato was launched on 9th November 1919. Shown here during world war two operations, the Nagato survived the war and was expended as a target at the Bikini A-Bomb tests on 29th July 1946.
Item Code : DHM1119
Japanese Battleship Nagato by Randall Wilson. - Editions Available
The 74,000 ton Yamato and the Musashi were the two largest battleships ever built, and typified the Imperial Japanese Navys attitude that their ships should be superior to anything the United States had. As a comparison the German Battleship Deutschland displaced a mere 15,500 tons. Each of these ships carried nine 18.1 inch guns, the most powerful armament available on any ship at that point in time. The Yamato participated in the attack on Midway, serving as Admiral Yamamotos flag ship, and many of the other significant sea battles in the Pacific. By the time the Allies were preparing to invade Okinawa, the Japanese had been forced to utilize Kikusui tactics which would involve mass suicide attacks and individual suicide missions. The army had made numerous sacrifices, and senior Japanese naval officers realized that the Yamato would need to be sacrificed in the defense of Okinawa, as a matter of pride. The Yamatos 350-mile trip to Okinawa without any meaningful air cover would be .........
Fuso, launched 28th March 1914, underwent major reconstruction between 1930-33. Shown here during world war II, Fuso took part in the Leyte Gulf operations and was sunk by two torpedoes from US destroyers on 25th October 1944.
Item Code : DHM1118
Japanese Battleship Fuso by Randall Wilson. - Editions Available
Original oil on canvas painting by Randall Wilson. Full Item Details
Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm)
Artist : Randall Wilson
£1000 Off!
Now : £2800.00
Day of Infamy by Anthony Saunders.
On the morning of Sunday 7th December 1941 the Japanese launched their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Surprise was complete - within a few terrifying minutes, bombs and torpedoes had damaged or destroyed much of the US Pacific Fleet peacefully at anchor, and almost all of the fighters on the ground. But as Aichi D-3A dive bombers target the Fleet's flagship, the battleship California, a lone P-40 has managed to get airborne in the chaos to engage the enemy. Seventy years ago the world stood open-mouthed in shock as it learnt of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. This dramatic new edition is released in tribute to all those that took part in the actions on December 7 1941.
Item Code : DHM6111
Day of Infamy by Anthony Saunders. - Editions Available ***New Release !*** (November 2011)
Marine Ace Captain Joe Foss leads a flight of eight F4F Wildcats of VMF121, based at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in a diversionary attack on the Imperial Japanese battlecruiser Hiei north of Savo Island, Friday November 13, 1942. In the distance TBF Avenger torpedo bombers of VMSB-131, having already attacked from the starboard side, head for base. That evening, after relentless air attack, the Hiei, disappeared beneath the sea- the first Japanese battleship sunk by American Forces in World War II
Item Code : DHM2436
Attack on the Hiei by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
December 7, 1941. Japanese Aichi dive-bombers make a final attempt to destroy the USS Nevada as she lay beached at Hospital Point. Behind her the destroyer USS Shaw is on fire, moments later she will explode. In the docks beyond, the battleship Pennsylvania, the cruiser Helena and the flagship Argonne can all be seen in the swirling palls of dense smoke.
Item Code : DHM2467
Remember Pearl Harbor! by Robert Taylor - Editions Available
On July 24, 1945, Air Group 87 on board the USS Ticonderoga was informed that the Hyuga, anchored off a small island near Kure, Japan, would be its target. The ship, a WW I vintage battleship which had been modernized in 1936, and later converted to part battleship and part sea plane tender, would be a formidable objective with its impressive firepower and the fact that its location would place the attackers in the line of fire of numerous shore batteries. The ship was 704 feet in length, displaced 39,000 tons, and carried a compliment of Aichi E16A1 Zuiun reconaissance aircraft which were code named Paul by the Allies. Lt Cdr. Kanaga would lead the squadrons Curtiss SB2C Helldivers on the attack. Each of the twelve Helldivers would carry a 1,000 pound bomb in the internal bomb bay, a 260 pound fragmentation bomb under one wing and a droppable wing tank under the other wing. The drop tank weighed substantially more than the 260 pounder so it was anticipated that the Helldivers might b.........
Battle of Tsushima, Line of Battle by Anthony Saunders.
The flag ship Mikasa (Admiral Togo) leading the line at around 3pm on May 27th, 1905. Ships following are Shikishima and Fuji with other ships of the fleet further in the distance.
Item Code : DHM1312
Battle of Tsushima, Line of Battle by Anthony Saunders. - Editions Available
The Battle of Midway in June of 1942 marked the turning point in the War in the Pacific, and the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the aircraft which provided the punch in this decisive victory for America. The SBD, which earned the nickname Slow, But Deadly, entered service with the USN and USMC in 1940. Powered by a 1,000 HP, 9-cylinder, Cyclone radial engine the SBD was capable of a maximum speed of 250 MPH. The Dauntless could stay airborne for a long time with its 1,300 mile range and slow cruising speed, and it was capable of delivering a 1,200 pound bomb load. Because of its slow speed the SBD needed armament to discourage attack by enemy fighters. Two forward firing machine guns and either one or two rear firing guns mounted in the gunners cockpit behind the pilot, gave the SBD enough firepower to make it a challenging target for enemy fighters. The Japanese plan for invading Midway, a strategically-located small island about 1,100 miles northwest of Hawaii, involved the use of a deco.........
