Japan is the best known and most unknown of the countries on earth. Deeply Asian and Westernized beyond all limits and predictions, traditionalist and warrior. It is proudly insular, like England, and the Japanese are Japanese and nothing else, proud of its independence preserved for millennia and its wonderful typicality. Japan is the only country that, in a period of about 50 years, has gone from a very backward situation, comparable to our "Middle Ages" to modernity, due to the forced opening of 1853-54, when the American Commodore Matthew Perry (1794-1858) opened with cannon fire the closed doors of Japanese civilization to the Western world, giving an unthinkable acceleration and never occurred in any other country in the world. In the Mejii period Japan left the Middle Ages behind, but kept in the Buscido o way of the warrior the ancient traditions of the Samurai, which impressed in the Japanese population that sense of belonging of invincibility and duty towards the emperor, considered son of the sky, therefore descendant of the gods. The history of the Imperial Navy ended with its total annihilation during the last days of the Second World War.
Unlike the army, which always remained very traditional in its structure and means, the Imperial Navy showed great openness and foresight towards the "external" realities of the island of the Rising Sun, which brought it in relatively little time, to be, in the 1918, the third naval force in the world after Great Britain and the United States. Back in those years, Japan was planning and building battle units of great conception and power that, unlike units built by other marines in the same period, had a good balance between speed, protection and armament. The fleet, after the Washington Naval Treaty, grew in means and preparation, becoming a frighteningly efficient war apparatus, with qualitatively excellent units, completed by trained and extraordinarily motivated crews, by an efficient embarked aviation, and by landing gear and means. The ships were always used with decision and accuracy, achieving many successes in the first phase of the Pacific campaign. The Japanese Navy always sought direct contact with the enemy in a comparison of calibers and armor, in an approach to the battle that reflected the ideals of honor and devotion typical of the Samurai. In the 1918 no aspect of Japanese naval technology was significantly below world standards, and it was at the forefront in several fields.
After the first experiences of naval aviation made with the pulley seats Wakamiya in the 1914-18 war, Japan decided to build two aircraft carriers, or better officially classified as "aircraft storage", theHosho (photo on the right) and the Shokaku. THE'Hosho (flying phoenix) was set up in December 1919 and completed in December 1922; while the second one was not built. THE'Hosho, was the first aircraft carrier designed as such, since the English Furious, Argus e Eagle they were converted ships, and theHerme, designed as an aircraft carrier, did not enter service until July 1923. It was the first unit of this type adopted by the Japanese Navy before the Washington naval treaty, (November 1921-February 1922). In the original projects the Hosho it was equipped with a complete flight deck and a small superstructure on the right side where the bridge was housed (opening photo). In the 1923 it was removed, with the displacement of the bridge in the fore superstructure under the flight deck. On this ship a Japanese pilot was first taken, it was the 16 May 1923, the TV Shunichi Kara piloting a Mitsubishi1 MFl landed on the flight deck.
Japan in the 1922 participated in the Washington naval disarmament conference. The major naval powers came together to limit the arms race, negotiating a freeze on the relations of forces, expressed as relationships between the tonnages of all the units. The numerical and industrial Japanese inferiority, would have led in the following years to outline a policy of technical research, fewer ships, but faster and more powerful, superiority in staff training, and development of aggressive tactics. Therefore, during the period between the two world wars, Japan took the lead in numerous areas of naval armament development. The construction of 4 heavy cruisers belonging to the class was decided Myoko: Myoko, Nachi, Ashigara, Haguro. The first Japanese cruisers were built within the limits of the Washington Treaty, their initial displacement was equal to 10.160 t., Subsequent updates brought displacement to 13.209 t. All units fought heavily during World War II, and none survived the conflict. Three units were sunk in combat, while the Myoko he ended his career as a floating battery. This new type of cruisers set in the 1924-1925 years, was found to be superior to any other existing at that time. They displaced approximately 13.000 tons, and were equipped with 10 203 mm guns, a fair amount of armor and 16 torpedoes from 610 mm in quadruple systems. Welding and light alloys were widely used in this series, reinforcement was increased by increasing 6 to 10 pieces and coupled with 5 towers. The fixed torpedo launchers were also increased, 12 from 610 mm in 4 mined complexes arranged on the main deck. Ai Myoko, followed the splendid: Atago, Chokai, Maya, Takao, (class Takao, so named in honor of the mountain of the same name that stands near the city of Kyoto. True second-generation 10.000 and which were together with the Zara Italian and American Wichita, the best achievements of the time. All Japanese cruisers subsequently underwent major refurbishment work to increase the efficiency of air defense and were also equipped with external counter-bodies to increase stability and underwater protection.
In 1921, Japan received the British "Sempill" mission, a technical naval mission led by Colonel Sempill (1893-1965), for a year and a half, with the aim of helping the Imperial Japanese Navy develop its naval forces. The mission consisted of a group of 30 instructors and support staff, starting his training activity at the Kasumigaura air base. The British trained the Imperial Navy on several new aircraft, such as the "Gloster Sparrowhawk" a single-seater biplane fighter designed in the 1920s by the British company "Gloster Aircraft Company" and produced in the following years initially in the Gloster factories and later in Japan by the first Arsenal Yokosuka Aeronautical Technician. The operations were initially carried out on special ramps built on one of the towers of the battleship Yamashiro, as the aircraft carrier Hosho had not yet been completed. Although used for training on theYamashiro, Sparrowhawk were never assigned toHosho, replaced in on-board operations by a new specially designed model, the Mitsubishi 1MF fighter (photo), before theHosho entered service. The Sparrowhawk however, they will remain in service as trainers in naval bases until they retire in the 1928.
In the 1928, he launched the innovative class of destroyers Fubuki, 20 units were launched between the end of the 20 years and the beginning of the following decade. Armed with six 127 mm pieces in closed turrets, nine 610 mm torpedo tubes and powered by powerful machines, these units represented a significant step forward and revolutionized the concept of destroyers worldwide as an offensive ship. However, despite the massive appearance, the class suffered from stability problems due to the concentration of weapons and ammunition on a hull of relatively small displacement, as well as for the incipient weights at the top. After some serious accidents at sea, all the ships were largely strengthened and modified between 1935 and 1938. From the 1929 the cannons were elevated to a maximum of 70 instead of 40 degrees, to give an effective anti-aircraft capability to the main weapons. During the war the reserve torpedoes and an artillery tower were landed, to load 14 machine-gunner from 25 mm, additional anti-aircraft instead of 2 machine-guns from 13 mm. After the intense war use this class found itself with only one survivor, theUshio, which severely damaged in the Manila Bay on November 14, was towed to Yokosuka.
Japan continued to seek the experience of foreigners in areas where it was lagging behind the West. Under the London Treaty of 1930, the Hiyei as a battleship she had been demilitarized and used as a training ship. However, since the Treaty of London had fallen, it was rearmed. All ships in the class Congo: Congo, Hiyei, Haruna (Photo) Kirischima, underwent in this period a profound work of transformation and renewal of considerable magnitude. There Congo was the last large Japanese ship built abroad, having been built in England by Vickers-Armstrong. Designed by the chief designer, Sir George Thurston who designed a warship recognized as an excellent project. Thruston's project had such a great influence that the Royal Navy stopped his work on the HMS Tiger, the second battle cruiser in the class Leo and had it built according to a project very similar to that of the Congo. The great importance placed in aircraft carriers and naval aviation had materialized from the 1927 to the 1930 with the construction of the aircraft carriers Kaga e Akagi obtained from the transformation of a battleship and a cruiser. The Kaga, from the name of the province of Kaga, it was designed as a battleship of the class Tosa, then deleted. The Washington Treaty on the reduction of naval armaments entered into force, was terminated as an aircraft carrier, capable of carrying an embarked flock of 72 aircraft between Aichi D3A torpedo fighters and bombers. The 4 June 1942 was lost at the Midway battle. THE'Akagi (Red Castle), is the name of a Japanese volcano in the Kanto region, was designed as a battle cruiser and terminated as an aircraft carrier, capable of carrying an embarked flock of 61 aircraft between fighters, Mitsubishi B2M torpedo bombers and bombers. Between the 1935 and the 1938 theAkagi it was subjected to a series of modernizations, starting from the elimination of the flight bridges and bow guns, to form a single large rectangular flight bridge equipped with a small island on the left side and a third elevator. Therefore the motive power (133.000 horses) and the speed (over 31 knots) were also increased. It was one of the aircraft carriers protagonists of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The 4 June 1942 was hit in the battle of Midway, and sunk the next morning, torpedoed by the Japanese themselves.
From the 1933 Japan had made a type of naval torpedo with an oxygen machine, capable of performing a very long run at high speed, for this it was called "Long Lance Type 93-long spear". Its propellant was pure oxygen, which compared to the compressed air left no bubbles to signal the trail of the weapon, in addition to using all the gas for combustion. On the other hand, the compressed air, being composed of nitrogen at 77%, was not combusted and guaranteed a lower yield. The Japanese torpedo was a supremacy, and in the efficiency of the Navy it had much of the tactical ability of the destroyers. Since Japan did not join the London naval treaty of 1936 in March, which established mutual communication among the signatory powers of the treaty, of fleet construction programs, data on Japanese shipbuilding were kept secret.
From the 1937 the Imperial Navy developed numerous and valuable submarines: the I-15 class (Type B1) according to the Japanese classification, consisted of oceanic submarines. Having entered service since the 1940, 20 units were built, of which only one survived the conflict. This is the largest class of submarines built by the Empire of the Rising Sun. The I-15 class were rather fast submarines, with good autonomy. These boats were able to carry a Yokosuka E14Y reconnaissance seaplane, which could take off thanks to a catapult placed in front of the tower. The plane was kept, dismantled, in a hangar. It should be noted that several specimens were subject to more or less extensive modifications. For example, the I-17 had the catapult positioned aft. In addition, some boats were modified by removing the hangar for the plane, mounting an additional 140 mm cannon instead, or they were prepared for the transport of human torpedoes Kaiten. Torpedo modified as a suicide weapon and used by the Japanese Imperial Navy in the final stages of the Second World War. Kaiten means "turning to heaven". The I-15 class was intensively used by the Imperial Navy during World War II, collecting several successes. Among these, the sinking of the aircraft carrier was particularly relevant Wasp and the cruiser Juneau, in addition to damage to the aircraft carrier Saratoga and North Carolina. The only survivor, the I-36, was sunk to cannon fire the first April 1946 from the American ship for submersible support Nereus.
The cruisers belonging to the class entered service between the 1935 and the 1937 Mogami: Mogami (photo), Mikuma, Kumano, Suzuya. For these cruisers, it was decided to install (for the first time in Japan) five towers with 155 mm guns, capable of reaching an elevation of 55 ° capable of engaging both naval and air targets. These cruisers were also equipped with heavy anti-aircraft protection, as well as torpedo tubes installed in turrets. Starting with the 1939 the units of the class were substantially rebuilt. In March 1937, after a long experimentation on scale models carried out in the tank of the Tokyo Naval Technical Research Center, the final project was drawn up which provided for a ship of 68.000 tons, with classic engine and capable of a speed of 26 nodes. There Yamato was set up at the Kure arsenal on November 4, launched the 1937 on August 8, and entered service on December 1940 16 (nine days after the attack on Pearl Harbor). In the same year, engineers from the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki were ordered to begin preparations for the construction of a second battleship. Built under the strictest secrecy measures, including the erection of large screens to hide the US embassy building located opposite the port, the ship was set up on November 1st 1941, and spent nearly eighteen months under construction. Launched on August 1940 5, the Musashi named after the ancient Japanese province of Musashi, he headed to the Truk archipelago, where he became the flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943). After his death the 18 April 1943, the Musashi he transported his ashes to Japan. It was the intention of the Japanese Imperial Navy to build four ships of this class, but the Shinano, third unit in the 1942, while it was still on the hull, it was decided to transform it into an aircraft carrier. Sunk in the 1944 on its first trip, torpedoed by the American submarine Archerfish.
In the 1939 the two of the class were completed Tone: Tone e Chikuma (photo), and which were considered among the best cruisers in the world. In the 1937-39 period the aircraft carrier entered service Soryu (green dragon), compared to previous aircraft carriers, which were nothing but redesigns of existing cruisers, had been designed from the beginning as an aircraft carrier. At the launch, with its speed close to the 35 knots, it was the fastest aircraft carrier in the world. He participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and at the 4 Jun 1942 battle of Midway, launching the first wave of planes against the American base on the island. THE'Hiryu, (flying dragon) aircraft carrier Class Soryu modified capable of transporting a boarded flock of 57 aircraft including Mitsubishi A6M fighters, Aichi D3A torpedo bombers and Nakajima B5N bombers. He participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor that started the war in the Pacific. It was repeatedly hit during the battle of the Midway (4-6 June 1942) sinking the next day. The commander of the 2 aircraft carrier division, Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi (1892-1942), chose to remain aboard the ship, in accordance with the Bushido rules, depriving the Imperial Navy of one of the most experienced naval commanders.
In the same period the aircraft carriers were being set up Shokaku e Zuikaku. The Zuikaku it was equipped with a double hangar superimposed and heavy armor on the belt line (which did not extend to the flight deck). These ships were equipped with a very powerful engine apparatus, similar to that of the Hiryu and similar to that of the powerful 4 cruisers Mogami, recently entered service, and reached a value even higher than that of battleships Yamato from 64.000 t., sufficient to develop 34 nodes. In the battle of the Marianas (19-20 June 1944), the American pilots concentrated mainly on this ship, which remained the last of the six aircraft carriers of Pearl Harbor. The crew gathered, as shown by a photo of the time, for the salute to the flag that was lowered, while the ship's bridge was now tilted more than 10 degrees. Many of the 1.660 men died.
In the same period, the light aircraft carrier was also teamed up Ryujo (photo) unique in its class, capable of carrying a flock of 48 aircraft on board; between Nakajima A4N fighters and Aichi D1A torpedo bombers. There Zuiho, originally built as an oil tanker Takasaki in the 1934 and converted into the 1940 in an aircraft carrier. Identical to its sister ship Shoho, had 12 fighters Mitsubishi A5M and 12 Nakajima B5N armed with torpedoes. There Taiyo initially planned, like a luxurious passenger ship called Kasuga Maru of the Nippon Yusen shipping company. Between May and September 1941, was acquired by the Imperial Navy, undergoing a conversion to become an escort carrier, initially bringing only 27 aircraft, nine Zero-type and attack bombers. The unit at the time of purchase was still at the airport in the construction phase so the transformation took place without having to intervene heavily in the removal of the structures deemed unnecessary. The flight deck was built on the starboard side and the smokestack remained incorporated in the island, an unconventional solution in the Japanese panorama, being however strongly inclined towards the outside to avoid that hot fumes could interfere causing unexpected turbulence in take-off and landing operations of the aircraft . At the end of this program the embarked aviation amounted to approximately 500 aircraft, while the rest of the land-based Imperial Navy amounted to 520 fighter jets, 420 between bombers and torpedo bombers, 510 training aircraft, 140 for tasks various, 70 seaplanes and other 80 destined on board the naval units of the Combined Fleet. In the years before the war two schools of thought were confronted about whether the Navy should be centered on powerful battleships, which could have won over the US in Japanese waters, or on an aggressive fleet of aircraft carriers. Neither of them prevailed and both types of ships were developed, with the result that neither solution succeeded in becoming a predominant force against the US opponent. A consistent weakness of Japanese warships was the tendency to incorporate too powerful armaments and engines compared to the size of ships (a consequence of the Washington treaty) leading to shortcomings in stability, protection and structural strength.
As it would have been shown, the choices were wrong, because it did not take into account the fact that the enemies in the subsequent Pacific war, should not have followed the political and geographical limitations of the previous wars, nor would they tolerate high losses in ships and crews. In the Japanese imperial navy, a confused and unforeseen mixture of new and old spread, typical of the Japanese mentality of the time. On the American side, an indisputable technical-industrial superiority, in the hands of men determined to conclude victoriously, the war started with the attack on Pearl Harbor.
