Imperial Japanese Navy [NIHON KAIGUN]

[Aepsilons]

IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY - TRIBUTE
NIHON KAIGUN

I am dedicating this thread to the information as well as pictures of the naval vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy. I will also be placing historical naval battles associated with the Imperial Navy and Allied Forces here.

Please, keep this thread only on subject matter. I want to keep the content of this thread purely didactic and historical information related to the IJN.

天皇陛下万歳!!
[Tenno heika banzai]










At the beginning of the Second World War, the Japanese Navy (or, in the Japanese language, Nihon Kaigun, or even Teikoku Kaigun, the Imperial Navy) was arguably the most powerful navy in the world. Its naval aviation corps, consisting of 10 aircraft carriers and 1500 topnotch aviators, was the most highly trained and proficient force of its kind. Its 11 (soon to be 12) battleships were among the most powerful in the world. And its surface forces, armed with the superb 24" Type 93 (Long Lance) torpedo, were incomparable night fighters.

This page is devoted to the proud navy that lost the Pacific War.

 

[StarCraft_ZT]

天皇陛下万歳!!

oh my gosh

 

[Aepsilons]

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

The Japanese Navy was a pioneer in naval aviation, having commisioned the world's first built-from-the-keel-up carrier, the Hosho. Throughout the 1920's and 1930's, they constantly experimented with their carriers, perfecting their design and construction methods, and honing the demanding art of blue-water power projection. They also put in place a tremendously selective and rigorous pilot training program. As a result, by the time Japan attacked the United States, they possessed a fantastically effective naval aviation force, comprised of a core of six large carriers and several more light carriers, whose airwings were manned by long-serving, highly-skilled pilots. For the first six months of the war, this force would roam the Pacific with near impunity, destroying their opponents almost at will. And even well after the debacle at Midway, Japanese carriers and their airwings retained a formaidable punch.


IJS Unryu

IJS Unryu off the coast of Yokosuka , Japan

IJS Unryu off Kagoshima, Japan. 1944.

Taiyo-class Escort Carrier

Carrier Unyo en route between Truk in the Caroline Islands and Yokosuka, Japan, early May 1943

 

[Aepsilons]

Shinano Class


Laid down as the third Yamato-class battleship, it was decided to complete her as a carrier after the ugly events at Midway. Given her size (72,000 tons full load - damn near the size of a 1950's -vintage U.S. Forrestal-class supercarrier) she would have carried a pretty minimal number of planes, some 45-55. Because of her prodigious bunkerage and ordnance stowage space, it was intended that she operate as both a carrier and a replenishment vessel.

Taiho Class

The most beautiful CV the Japanese built during the war, and a distinct departure design-wise, being the first Japanese carrier to incorporate a closed hurricane bow (a la contemporary British carriers).

 

[Aepsilons]

Hiyo-class Escort Carrier

 

[KAL-EL]

Not seeing any of the pics. All look corrupted.

 

[Aepsilons]

Not seeing any of the pics. All look corrupted.

Did you try reloading? If not, i will have to upload pictures through photobucket and link it here.

I'll be posting critical information on :

1) Aircraft carriers
2) Battle ships
3) Destroyers
4) Destroyer Escorts

5) Key naval personnel
6) Key naval battles

 

[KAL-EL]

Did you try reloading? If not, i will have to upload pictures through photobucket and link it here.

Yeah, I did. Came back several times. Could be just me. Doubt it though.

 

[Aepsilons]

Isoroku Yamamoto,
Admiral of the Combined Imperial Japanese Fleet

Yamamoto Isoroku, perhaps Japan's greatest strategist and the officer who would contrive the surprise air attack on U.S. naval forces at Pearl Harbor, is born on this day in 1884.

A graduate of the Japanese naval academy in 1904, Yamamoto worked as a naval attaché for the Japanese embassy in Washington DC from 1926 to 1927. During the next 15 years, he saw several promotions, from vice minister of the Japanese navy to commander in chief of Japan's Combined Fleet in August 1941. Despite worsening Japanese-American relations (especially in light of Japan's alliance with Germany and Italy), Yamamoto initially opposed war with the U.S., mostly out of fear that a prolonged conflict would go badly for Japan. But once the government of Prime Minister Tojo Hideki decided on war, Yamamoto argued that only a surprise attack aimed at crippling U.S. naval forces in the Pacific had any hope of victory. He also predicted that if war with America lasted more than one year, Japan would lose.

Yamamoto meticulously planned and carried out the Japanese air strike on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii, December 7, 1941. Waves of dive bombers, torpedo planes, and fighters descended on U.S. battleships, capsizing, destroying, or immobilizing several U.S. battleships within the first 30 minutes of the raid. The attack was a decided success, especially in catching the United States off guard, and resulted in the destruction of 180 U.S. aircraft and more than 3,400 American casualties.

U.S. forces finally caught up with Yamamoto, though, when they ambushed his plane and shot him down over Bougainville Island in 1943. Yamamoto died having been right about two things: the effectiveness of aircraft carriers in long-range naval attacks and that Japan would lose a drawn-out struggle with the United States.

 

[terranMarine]

Yeah, I did. Came back several times. Could be just me. Doubt it though.

It's not you, i too can't see the images

 

[kalu_miah]

Did you try reloading? If not, i will have to upload pictures through photobucket and link it here.

I'll be posting critical information on :

1) Aircraft carriers
2) Battle ships
3) Destroyers
4) Destroyer Escorts

5) Key naval personnel
6) Key naval battles

I can't see any images either, except for Admiral's photo.

 

[godofwar]

Isoroku Yamamoto,
Admiral of the Combined Imperial Japanese Fleet

Do you play starcraft ?
There is a cannon in Starcraft named after him.
A nice tribute to a great soldier.

 

[Basel]

Can't see the images.

 

[KAL-EL]

I always wanted to ride on board this Japanese ship

 

[+4vsgorillas-Apebane]

Do you play starcraft ?
There is a cannon in Starcraft named after him.
A nice tribute to a great soldier.

No, in Starcraft it's the 'Yamato cannon' special ability for Terran battle cruisers.

I liked the Nadesico from the anime back in the mid 90s.

Good times