Mark Stille, Japanese Combined Fleet 1942-43 (Osprey, 2024)
For casual World War II readers, the naval Pacific War began with Pearl Harbor followed by Midway, then the US Navy swept the Pacific, making relentless progress until the Japanese surrendered. But, as Mark Stille points out in this new book in Osprey’s Fleet series, the Japanese fleet proved to be a determined enemy in the pivotal battles around Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands from August 1942 through 1943.
Despite their successes in the South Pacific in early 1942, the IJN suffered from internal division amongst its commanders and with the army. Admiral Yamamoto got his way to prioritise an attack on Midway, but the IJN was still active in the South Pacific. That brought them into action when the US attacked Guadalcanal. The IJN won at Savo Bay, lost at Cape Esperance, then won their only carrier victory at Santa Cruz. Although, they won again at Tassafaronga, the tide had turned against the Japanese, and they evacuated their forces from Guadalcanal. Stille moves onto the Solomons campaign, with the IJN operating a degraded fleet stretched by supporting two campaigns in New Guinea and the Solomons. The latter campaign did not go well mainly because of US air superiority flying from carriers and island bases. A surprise attack by US carrier aircraft on an IJN fleet at Empress Augusta Bay in November 1943 forced an end to IJN operations in the Solomons.
With the narrative of operations in his wake, Stille turns to the IJN ships that fought in them. He notes that the IJN was numerically superior in August 1942, except for the vital carriers, but by the end of the Solomons, it had lost its numerical and qualitative advantage. Reflecting the changing nature of naval warfare, Stille begins his overview of the fleet with the carriers then the battleships. The heavy and light cruisers are followed by the destroyers, the most important ships during this period for their versatile capabilities, though the IJN lost many of them in combat. Stille moves on to technical factors such as gunnery, anti-aircraft weapons, torpedoes – arguably the best in the world – and aircraft.
When it comes to assessing doctrine and command, Stille argues that Admiral Yamamoto’s reputation as a great admiral is undeserved. When he was killed in April 1943, Admiral Koga took command. He was fixated on fighting a decisive battle, though one never materialised. The IJN was reorganised for that purpose and specialised in night-fighting, especially using torpedo attacks. The Japanese also adapted their carrier tactics after the disaster at Midway. Submarine tactics lagged behind these new developments. Similarly, the IJN disregarded the importance of intelligence with some ugly outcomes, particularly at Guadalcanal. Logistically, notes Stille, the US swamped Japan because they simply produced more ships and had more tankers, the lack of which affected IJN operations. Stille also provides brief overviews on the major IJN bases at Truk and Rabaul, including their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, Stille surveys the fleet in combat, including the engagements at Savo Island, the Eastern Solomons, Cape Esperance, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, Tassafaronga, Kula Gulf, Kolombangara, Vela Gulf, Vella Lavella, Empress Augusta Bay, and Cape St. George. He brings that all together in a cogent analysis of the IJN operations, arguing that they performed well enough under increasing US pressure while being let down by Yamamoto’s poor decision making.
Mark Stille’s book is another fine addition to Osprey’s Fleet series. This passage of the naval war in the Pacific is usually told from the American side, and we read about the evolution of the US Navy and an inevitable victory. But Stille flips the script, examining the IJN contribution to the sometimes intense combat that characterised this period. He attacks some long-held beliefs along the way while effectively analysing the IJN in a concise and cogent manner. He adds a nice wee bibliography for those that want to take a deeper dive into the subject. Stille’s engaging text is well supported by Osprey’s usual high quality graphics and illustrations. This is a book for the casual reader with enough bite to satisfy the enthusiast.
