A uniquely detailed study of a Japanese aircraft carrier that took
part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, before being sunk at Midway.
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Hiryu* was an aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN) during the 1930s. Her aircraft supported the Japanese invasion of
French Indochina in mid-1940 and during the first month of the Pacific
War, she took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Wake
Island. She supported the conquest of the Dutch East Indies in January
1942 and her aircraft bombed Darwin, Australia, and continued to assist
in the Dutch East Indies campaign. In April, Hiryu's aircraft helped
sink two British heavy cruisers and several merchant ships during the
Indian Ocean raid.
After a brief refit, Hiryu and three other fleet carriers of the First
Air Fleet participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After
bombarding American forces on the atoll, the carriers were attacked by
aircraft from Midway and the carriers USS Enterprise, Hornet, and
Yorktown. Dive bombers from Yorktown and Enterprise crippled
Hiryu and set her afire. She was scuttled the following day after it
became clear that she could not be salvaged. The loss of Hiryu and
three other IJN carriers at Midway was a crucial strategic defeat for
Japan and contributed significantly to the Allies' ultimate victory in
the Pacific.
Drawing on new research and technology, this edition is the most
comprehensive examination of Hiryu ever published. It includes a
complete set of detailed line drawings with fully descriptive keys and
full-color 3D artwork, supported by technical details, photographs, and
text on the building of the ship and a record of the ship's service
history.
