The Japanese battleship Fuso and destroyer Asagumo

[The Sailor]

FUSO (October 24-25, 1944)
The floating pagoda meets her end.

Japanese battleship (39,154 tons) sunk during the Battle of Surigao Strait, Leyte, by a torpedo from the American destroyer USS Melvin. Badly damaged, she lost speed and fell out of formation only to blow up in a cataclysmic explosion half an hour later at 03.40hrs. The Fuso (Admiral Masami Ban) broke in two parts, the two sections remaining afloat and blazing furiously only a short distance from the northern tip of Kanihaan Island. The bow section was sunk by gunfire from the USS Louisville and the stern section sank half an hour later after having drifted with the current for some distance. Many survivors swimming in the sea refused to be rescued by the US ships. The Japanese destroyer Asagumo may have, or may not have, rescued some of Fuso's survivors but she herself was torpedoed and sunk with all on board some four hours later.
Those that survived the sinking of the Fuso and made it to shore, were butchered by Philippine natives out for revenge. The entire crew of the Fuso therefore died, the exact number is not known but estimates put her full complement at just over 1,400 men.

Displacement 30,600 tons
Overall Length 673 feet Beam 94 feet
Speed 22 knots
Belt Armor Main Guns 12 inches 12 × 14″

[Kevin Denlay]

A couple more images of Fuso.

One photo shows Fuso alone, the other photo shows Fuso (and her sister Yamashiro) in later years with 'some' modifications. Look at those bristling big guns! Didn't do her much good though, as she never really got to use em.

Photos from 'Japanese Naval Warship Photo Album - Battleships and Battle Cruisers by Kure Museum.

K

[The Sailor]

You can see why she was called the pagoda, Kevin.

[Yamatoholic]

COs for both and the careers for their wartime COs:

Asagumo
Chief Equipping Officer - Cmdr. Yoshihisa Mori - 1 December 1937 - 31 March 1938
Cmdr. Yoshihisa Mori - 31 March 1938 - 1 August 1938
Lt. Cmdr. Masao Yamagawa - 1 August 1938 - 10 October 1939
Cmdr. Kiichiro Wakida - 10 October 1939 - 15 November 1940
Cmdr. Mutsuji Arikita - 15 November 1940 - 20 August 1941
Cmdr. Tooru Iwahashi - 20 August 1941 - 9 June 1943
Cmdr. Kazuo Shibayama - 9 June 1943 - 25 October 1944 (POW)

Tooru Iwahashi
Commanding Officer, DD Hatsuyuki - 1 December 1939 - 20 August 1941
Promoted Commander - 15 November 1940
Commanding Officer, DD Akigumo - 20 August 1941 - 9 June 1943

Kazuo Shibayama
Commanding Officer, DD Sanae - 25 July 1938 - 15 October 1940
Promoted Lieutenant Commander - 15 November 1938
Commanding Officer, DD Nagatsuki - 15 October 1940 - 15 April 1942
Commanding Officer, DD Suzukaze - 15 April 1942 - 23 May 1943
Promoted Commander - 1 May 1943
Commanding Officer, DD Asagumo - 9 June 1943 - 25 October 1944 (POW)


Fuso
Capt. Kozo Sato - 8 November 1915 - 13 December 1915
Capt. Yaichi Mukai - 13 December 1915 - 1 December 1916
Capt. Toyokazu Yamaoka - 1 December 1916 - 1 December 1917
Capt. Shigetoshi Takeuchi - 1 December 1917 - 1 December 1918
Capt. Tarokazu Ikuno - 1 December 1918 - 1 April 1919
Capt. Kanta Shimauchi - 1 April 1919 - 20 November 1919
Capt. Koshiro Otani - 20 November 1919 - 20 November 1920
Capt. Shokichi Oishi - 20 November 1920 - 1 December 1921
Capt. Norikazu Kanna - 1 December 1921 - 1 December 1922
Capt. Otohiko Kagara - 1 December 1922 - 1 December 1923
Capt. Nobunari Shiraishi - 1 December 1923 - 18 July 1924
Capt. Mitsumasa Yonai - 18 July 1924 - 10 November 1924
Capt. Sankichi Takahashi - 10 November 1924 - 1 December 1925
Capt. Eijiro Hamano - 1 December 1925 - 1 November 1926
Capt. Masao Sugiura - 1 November 1926 - 20 August 1927
Capt. Hisao Ichimura - 20 August 1927 - 10 December 1928
Capt. Muge Ikeda - 10 December 1928 - 30 November 1929
Capt. Tadashi Kurata - 30 November 1929 - 1 December 1930
Capt. Teijiro Sugisaka - 1 December 1930 - 1 December 1931
Capt. Shinichiro Machida - 1 December 1931 - 1 December 1932
Capt. Sadaaki Araki - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1934
Capt. Seiichi Iwamura - 15 November 1934 - 15 November 1935
Capt. Jinichi Kusaka - 15 November 1935 - 1 December 1936
Capt. Tsunemitsu Yoshida - 1 December 1936 - 26 January 1937
Capt. Takeo Takasaki - 26 January 1937 - 1 December 1937
Capt. Hiroaki Abe - 1 December 1937 - 25 April 1938
Capt. Ruitaro Fujita - 25 April 1938 - 15 November 1938
Capt. Fukuji Kishi - 15 November 1938 - 1 November 1939
Capt. Tsutomu Sato - 1 November 1939 - 15 October 1940
Capt. Chimaki Kono - 15 October 1940 - 15 September 1941
Capt. Mitsuo Kinoshita - 15 September 1941 - 5 December 1942
Capt. Keizo Komura - 5 December 1942 - 1 June 1943
Capt. / RADM Nobumichi Tsuruoka - 1 June 1943 - 23 February 1944
Capt. / RADM / VADM* Masami Ban - 23 February 1944 - 25 October 1944 (KIA)

Mitsuo Kinoshita
Promoted Midshipman - 16 December 1915
Promoted Ensign - 1 December 1916
Crewmember, BB Yamashiro - 1 December 1916 - 10 October 1917
Promoted Sub-Lieutenant - 1 December 1918
Crewmember, BB Haruna - 1 December 1919 - 7 May 1920
Acting Division Commander, BB Ise - 7 May 1920 - 17 June 1921
Acting Division Commander, BB Haruna - 10 November 1921 - 1 December 1921
Promoted Lieutenant - 1 December 1921
Equipping Officer, DD Hatakaze - 1 July 1924 - 1 August 1924
Chief Gunnery Officer, DD Hatakaze - 1 August 1924 - 1 December 1925
Promoted Lieutenant Commander - 1 December 1927
Chief Gunnery Officer, CL Kinu - 30 November 1929 - 1 November 1930
Chief Gunnery Officer, CA Aoba - 1 November 1930 - 1 December 1931
Promoted Commander - 1 December 1932
Promoted Captain - 1 December 1937
Commanding Officer, AO Shiriya - 10 January 1939 - 15 October 1939
Commanding Officer, CA Kako - 15 October 1940 - 15 September 1941
Commanding Officer, BB Fuso - 15 September 1941 - 5 December 1942
Promoted Rear Admiral - 1 May 1943
Director, Tagajo Navy Yard - 20 December 1944 - 1 November 1945

Keizo Komura
Promoted Midshipman - 24 November 1917
Promoted Ensign - 1 August 1918
Promoted Sub-Lieutenant - 1 December 1920
Acting Division Commander, BB Nagato - 20 March 1923 - 1 December 1923
Promoted Lieutenant - 1 December 1923
Chief Torpedo Officer, DD Hokaze - 1 December 1924 - 1 December 1925
Equipping Officer, CA Kako - 1 December 1925 - 20 July 1926
Division Commander, CA Kako - 20 July 1926 - 1 November 1926
Chief Torpedo Officer, CL Jintsu - 1 November 1926 - 1 December 1927
Promoted Lieutenant Commander - 30 November 1929
Commanding Officer, DD Kuretake - 30 November 1929 - 15 November 1930
Staff Officer, 2nd Fleet - 15 November 1930 - 1 December 1931
Commanding Officer, DD Namikaze - 1 December 1931 - 1 April 1932
Promoted Commander - 15 November 1934
Staff Officer, DesRon 2 - 1 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
ComDesDiv 2 - 1 December 1937 - 15 November 1939
Promoted Captain - 15 November 1938
Commanding Officer, CA Chikuma - 11 August 1941 - 10 November 1942
Commanding Officer, BB Fuso - 5 December 1942 - 1 June 1943
Commanding Officer, BB Musashi - 9 June 1943 - 7 December 1943
Promoted Rear Admiral - 1 November 1943
Chief-of-Staff, 3rd Fleet - 6 December 1943 - 1 October 1944
ComCarDiv 1 - 1 October 1944 - 10 December 1944
ComDesRon 2 - 3 January 1945 - 20 April 1945
Chief-of-Staff, Yokosuka Naval District - 20 May 1945 - 30 November 1945

Nobumichi Tsuruoka
Promoted Midshipman - 16 December 1915
Crewmember, BB Haruna - 22 August 1916 - 1 December 1917
Promoted Ensign - 1 December 1916
Promoted Sub-Lieutenant - 1 December 1918
Promoted Lieutenant - 1 December 1921
Chief Torpedo Officer, DD Hatakaze - 10 May 1924 - 1 December 1924
Promoted Lieutenant Commander - 1 December 1927
Commanding Officer, SS RO-60 - 20 September 1928 - 5 September 1929
Chief Equipping Officer, SS I-59 - 5 September 1929 - 20 October 1929
Commanding Officer, SS I-59 - 20 October 1929 - 15 November 1931
Chief Equipping Officer, SS I-66 - 1 December 1931 - 1 May 1932
Commanding Officer, SS I-66 - 1 May 1932 - 23 February 1934
Promoted Commander - 15 November 1933
Commanding Officer, SS I-68 - 23 February 1934 - 15 November 1934
Promoted Captain - 15 November 1938
ComSubDiv 11 - 18 December 1938 - 15 November 1939
Commanding Officer, CL Isuzu - 15 November 1939 - 1 September 1941
Commanding Officer, CL Kitakami - 5 September 1942 - 17 May 1943
Commanding Officer, BB Fuso - 1 June 1943 - 23 February 1944
Promoted Rear Admiral - 1 November 1943
Commander, 3rd Escort Convoy - 8 April 1944 - 1 June 1944
Commander, 31st Escort Squadron - 25 November 1944 - 15 August 1945

Masami Ban
Promoted Midshipman - 19 December 1914
Promoted Ensign - 13 December 1915
Crewmember, BB Fuso - 13 December 1915 - 1 December 1916
Promoted Sub-Lieutenant - 1 December 1917
Acting Division Commander, CL Tatsuta - 1 December 1919 - 1 December 1920
Promoted Lieutenant - 1 December 1920
Division Commander, CL Kitakami - 5 February 1924 - 1 December 1924
Promoted Lieutenant Commander - 1 December 1927
Commanding Officer, DD Sawakaze - 30 November 1929 - 14 November 1931
Commanding Officer, DD Minekaze - 30 November 1929 - 20 November 1930
Commanding Officer, DD Hatakaze - 14 November 1931 - 21 February 1932
Commanding Officer, DD Kisaragi - 21 February 1932 - 15 November 1934
Promoted Commander - 15 November 1933
Commanding Officer, DD Shirakumo - 15 November 1934 - 21 November 1935
Commanding Officer, DD Hibiki - 21 November 1935 - 1 December 1936
Commander, Torpedo Boat Division 21 - 1 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
Commander, Minesweeper Division 11 - 1 December 1937 - 3 October 1938
Promoted Captain - 15 November 1939
ComDesDiv 6 - 2 March 1940 - 1 November 1940
Commanding Officer, CL Yubari - 1 November 1940 - 15 August 1942
Commanding Officer, CA Ashigara - 15 August 1942 - 30 January 1944
Commanding Officer, BB Fuso - 23 February 1944 - 25 October 1944 (KIA)
Promoted Rear Admiral - 15 October 1944
Posthumously promoted Vice Admiral - 25 October 1944

FWIW,

-Matt

[Yamatoholic]

Two other ranking officers went down with Fuso:

Eiichi Nakaya
Promoted Engineering Midshipman - 8 June 1922
Crewmember, BB Nagato - 12 February 1923 - 15 April 1924
Promoted Engineering Ensign - 20 September 1923
Promoted Engineering Sub-Lieutenant - 1 December 1925
Division Commander, CVL Hosho - 15 November 1927 - 30 November 1929
Promoted Engineering Lieutenant - 1 December 1927
Chief Engineer, DD Mikazuki - 14 November 1931 - 15 November 1933
Chief Engineer, DD Shinonome - 15 November 1933 - 1 June 1936
Promoted Engineering Lieutenant Commander - 15 November 1935
Division Commander, BB Hyuga - 1 June 1936 - 1 December 1937
Crewmember, CL Natori - 16 September 1940 - 10 November 1940
Promoted Engineering Commander - 15 November 1940
Chief Engineer, CL Kiso - 7 January 1941 - 10 September 1941
Transferred to Line Officer Branch at rank of Commander - 1 November 1942
Chief Engineer, CA Tone - 28 June 1943 - 25 March 1944
Chief Engineer, BB Fuso - 1 April 1944 - 25 October 1944 (KIA)
Promoted Captain - 15 October 1944
Posthumously promoted Rear Admiral - 25 October 1944

Tsutomu Hirata
Promoted Midshipman - 16 July 1921
Crewmember, BB Hiei - 8 April 1922 - 12 July 1922
Promoted Ensign - 12 July 1922
Crewmember, CL Tatsuta - 30 March 1923 - 25 September 1923
Promoted Sub-Lieutenant - 1 December 1924
Equipping Officer, SS I-1 - 10 July 1925 - 10 March 1926
Crewmember, SS I-1 - 10 March 1926 - 3 July 1927
Promoted Lieutenant - 1 December 1926
Division Commander, BB Fuso - 30 November 1929 - 1 December 1930
Equipping Officer, CA Maya - 1 December 1931 - 30 June 1932
Division Commander, CA Maya - 30 June 1932 - 1 November 1933
Promoted Lieutenant Commander - 15 November 1933
Chief Torpedo Officer, CA Atago - 1 November 1934 - 31 October 1935
Chief Torpedo Officer, CA Haguro - 31 October 1935 - 1 December 1936
Promoted Commander - 15 November 1938
Executive Officer, BB Fuso - 15 September 1943 - 25 October 1944 (KIA)
Promoted Captain - 15 October 1944
Posthumously promoted Rear Admiral - 25 October 1944

FWIW,

-Matt

[richardmac]

Hi There

I have been interested in the Imperial Japanese Navy for quite sometime now. At the moment I have been researching the careers of the Battleships Fuso and Yamashiro. There is some great material that has been written over the years on these warships ( J. Skulski's "Battleship Fuso" Anatomy of the Ship Series plus numerous works on Leyte Gulf, etc). For those interested, a new book is going to published and will be available about May 2009 by Anthony Tully - (who co-authored "Shattered Sword" - the best treatment of the Battle of Midway that I have read and wrote an article entitled "Shell Game at Surigao: the entangled fates of the Battleships Fuso and Yamashiro" - available from the Nihon Kaigun website) - entitled "Battle of Surigao Strait."

Kind Regards
Richard

[astraltrader]

Welcome to the forum Richard.

You can find photo`s of both Fuso and Yamashiro in this gallery.


http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1961

[battlestar]

G'Day All

Hi There
I have been interested in the Imperial Japanese Navy for quite sometime now. At the moment I have been researching the careers of the Battleships Fuso and Yamashiro. There is some great material that has been written over the years on these warships ( J. Skulski's "Battleship Fuso" Anatomy of the Ship Series plus numerous works on Leyte Gulf, etc). For those interested, a new book is going to published and will be available about May 2009 by Anthony Tully - (who co-authored "Shattered Sword" - the best treatment of the Battle of Midway that I have read and wrote an article entitled "Shell Game at Surigao: the entangled fates of the Battleships Fuso and Yamashiro" - available from the Nihon Kaigun website) - entitled "Battle of Surigao Strait."
Kind Regards Richard

Hi Richard

Welcome! Just thought you'd like to view this thread, it is my article on the Battle of Surigao Strait called 'The Last Gunfight':)

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2605

I didn't mind 'Shattered Sword' but feel that Walter Lord's 'Incredible Victory' is the better Midway book.

I look forward to 'Battle of Surigao Strait', thanks for letting people know about it!:D

[richardmac]

Hi Terry and Ian!

Many thanks for all the info (loved the photo of the Hyuga and the article on the Surigao strait). Just discovered an interesting recent (2007) four part article on the Internet entitled "The Fuso Mysteries" by Jeffrey R. Cox. Like Samuel Morrison and Anthony Tully, Cox supports the view that it was the Fuso that was torpedoed first and later exploded, breaking in two and sinking, while the Yamashiro continued on up the Surigao Strait to engage the US battlefleet.

What I found most interesting about Cox's article was his theory about how the Fuso blew in half and sank. Up until now most authors have always assumed that either it was the Fuso's boilers/and/or/magazines exploding which caused the ship to break in two. Cox's theory is that the catastrophic explosion which caused the Fuso to break in half and sink was, in fact, a fuel-air explosion of the type that caused the Japanese aircraft carrier Taiho to explode and sink during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

The Japanese, at this stage of the war, were using crude oil from Tarakan which gave off vapors that were highly flamable. Could it be that the torpedo hits on the Fuso damaged the starboard engineering spaces and caused a leakage of fuel and the resulting fires set off the vapors which eventually detonated the magazines?

Be interested to hear what others think!

Kind Regards
Richard

[Tiornu]

Was there any dreadnought uglier than Fuso?
The question is rhetorical.

[astraltrader]

Beauty is obviously in the eye of the beholder. Whilst Fuso was undoubtably a flawed battleship, I thought her pagoda style superstructure to be quaintly Japanese.
Ludicrous, quite possibly - but ugly I dont think so!

[astraltrader]

A fine picture of her in dry dock - 1933.

[kc]

Certainly different, but I wouldn't have said ugly, particularly. Appealing enough for Randall to do a painting of her...

http://www.directart.co.uk/mall/images/dhm1118.jpg
Fuso by Randall Wilson.

http://www.directart.co.uk/mall/more.php?ProdID=2254

[Kevin Denlay]

I didn't mind 'Shattered Sword' but feel that Walter Lord's 'Incredible Victory' is the better Midway book.

Hi Battlestar,

Pardon the late comment here but………………………without meaning to be rude (and I mean that!), and having read both books, you have to be joking, no?

While Walter Lord's book may certainly be an 'easier read' (and may have been the definitive book at the time it was published in 1967) I don’t know how you can say it is 'better' (historically I can only assume?) than a book, published in 2005, that had access to Japanese material that was simply not available to Lord in 67. In most circles, without a doubt, Shattered Sword is considered the definitive Midway book today, hands down.

(For those so interested see Shattered Sword reviews below.)

Re Tully’s upcoming book on Surigao, I’ll comment on that over on your 'The Last Gunfight' thread.

Kevin.



Editorial Reviews

"The best naval history book of 2005." - The Naval Review "To really know about the Battle of Midway, you must read this book." - From the foreword by John B. Lundstrom, author of The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway "A remarkable book... The breadth and quality of the information about the Japanese air groups provided here is simply staggering." - John Jordan in Warship 2006 "One of the two or three most important books on the Pacific War published in the last decade." - Douglas V. Smith, professor of strategy and policy, U.S. Naval War College, in Air and Space "To really know about the Battle of Midway, you must read this book." - John B. Lundstrom, author of The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway "Jon Parshall and Anthony Tully explain, in an entirely new light and from a fresh perspective, how the Japanese navy fought the Battle of Midway. Extensively researched, soundly reasoned, and engagingly and colorfully written, Shattered Sword is the most original piece of scholarship on this decisive event since John B. Lundstrom's groundbreaking The First Team." - Robert J. Cressman, editor and principal author of A Glorious Page in Our History: The Battle of Midway "At last, the Japanese side of the Battle of Midway has been limned in English with accuracy, lucidity, authority, and objectivity. The authors' specialized knowledge of the tactics and technologies of Japanese naval air power, their careful reading of surviving Japanese air unit records, and their appreciation of the larger meaning of the battle combine to give us a combat narrative and analysis that superbly balance expert detail and grand historical import. I suspect it of being a classic." - Mark R. Peattie, author of Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941 and Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941 "A lot has been written about Midway since 1945. Yet everyone who thinks that they know the last word about this momentous event must examine Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully's book on the subject. Shattered Sword, packed with new information, will certainly become the definitive volume on the most important naval battle of World War II." - Eric Bergerud, professor of military and American history at Lincoln University and author of Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific "This incredible book shatters all previous notions on how the Battle of Midway was fought. It also shatters all the standards for military reference works. Shattered Sword will come to be regarded as a benchmark in modern history, for it brings to bear all the tools of modern communication technology in a way that has never been done before. [It] utterly refutes the conclusions of most of the previous accounts of the battle.... This book is a page turner, but its importance and its wealth of detail will demand an immediate re-reading." - Walter J. Boyne, former director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and author of Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the United States Air Force, 1947-1997 "This book releases a large number of bombshells, blowing apart the account of Mitsuo Fuchida, the air commander who wrote a book on Midway. [The authors] also tell a gripping story that is backed up by evidence in a massive book that sets the new starting point for the discussion of Midway.... This book brings a well-presented case, one that places the 'Incredible Victory' in a whole new context.... Shattered Sword is a superb work that should become the definitive reference when the Battle of Midway is discussed. Gordon W. Prange and Walter Lord have been thoroughly eclipsed by this new work creating a full perspective of the pivotal battle of World War II in the Pacific theater." - www.strategypage.com "Forget what you think you know about Midway. Shattered Sword is a landmark study that redefines the crucial 1942 carrier battle, widely considered the most important naval engagement of the last century.... Parshall and Tully dissect the reasons for the Japanese defeat at every level - tactical, operational, and strategic.... It has taken sixty years to begin undoing the enduring myths of Midway, and Shattered Sword will likely become the ultimate reference.... Sixty-three years is not too long to wait for the authoritative word on the Battle of Midway." - Barrett Tillman in The Hook "Why would anyone who has read Walter Lord, Gordon Prange, and Mitsuo Fuchida on this subject think that anything more is to be said, especially by a couple of relatively unknown writers? The short answer is, simply, get this book. Parshall and Tully have pulled off what every author/historian aspires to do: take the body of literature on a chosen topic to a level of insight and understanding not formerly attained or perhaps even imagined.... Shattered Sword can justifiably be labeled a groundbreaker, a landmark work that belongs at eye-level center in any naval historian's bookcase." - Naval History "This meticulously researched and thoroughly documented study is an essential corrective. It is essential reading for anyone interested in carrier aviation, past, present, or future. Although imposing in scale, Shattered Sword is a bargain, and a highly engaging read. Every page seems to throw up a new perspective - from the pathetically low Japanese aircraft production figures, to the political infighting both within the Naval High Command and between the services. The best naval history book of 2005." - The Naval Review "While most of their predecessors have fallen into the same mold - looking at the battle from the American vantage only - Parshall and Tully break new ground in bringing the Japanese perspective into the picture.... The authors state that their book attempts to do three things - present the battle from the Japanese side, study it almost exclusively from an aircraft carrier viewpoint, and point out the errors and exaggerations in a group of myths that have surrounded the battle. The authors succeed in all three goals.... [They] have produced a superb volume." - The Journal of Military History "Will earn its place in the already impressive library that focuses on one of the great moments in naval history." - Naval Institute Proceedings "Provides a much-needed reassessment of the Battle of Midway.... The chapters devoted to the actual battle are a treat, starting with an in-depth description of Japanese flight deck procedures and activities, something rarely detailed in Western publications. This new treatment is basically the Battle of Midway as seen through Japanese eyes.... The authors are to be congratulated. Writing on a topic that might not first seem to have anything new to be divulged, they have created something that is as fresh and vital as if it were the first account written at war's end instead of more than sixty years later. I believe that Shattered Sword will become the preeminent narrative history of this crucial battle, and I consider it to be one of the most important books on WWII naval operations to be published in the last twenty years." - Peter B. Mersky in Naval Aviation News "Parshall and Tully have set a new standard for researching, evaluating, and synthesizing material from sources around the world to provide a complete account of the Battle of Midway and the underlying causes of Japan's defeat.... At least eleven 'urban myths' universally accepted by scholars and sailors have been shattered, providing a whole new level of understanding of the Battle of Midway. Parshall and Tully have provided one of the most readable accounts of the Battle of Midway available anywhere.... Experts will certainly agree that this is one of the two or three most important books on the Pacific War published in the last decade." - Douglas V. Smith, professor of strategy and policy, U.S. Naval War College, in Air & Space "Shattered Sword is a must for any student of World War II history interested in the naval conflict in the Pacific.... The book will be the standard work on the Battle of Midway for years to come. Parshall and Tully's original approach demonstrates how much can still be revealed about World War II even after sixty years of research and writing." - Air Power History "Magisterial in its coverage... revelatory... Parshall and Tully's work is deeply researched, all-encompassing in its perspective, painstakingly detailed in its exposition, and lucidly written. It makes an invaluable contribution to the literature of the Pacific War, especially for bringing the vast research of Japanese scholars to the fore, and is absolutely essential reading for every student of the history of World War II at sea." - Nautical Research Journal ".... this is arguably the most important book on Midway yet written. The authors have made extensive and extremely thoughtful use of Japanese records, particularly pilot log-books and the like, blended this with technical expertise of a high order and produced an account which challenges conventional understanding of this battle.... the definitive book on Midway." - Journal for Maritime Research, October 2006"

Product Description
Many consider the Battle of Midway to have turned the tide of the Pacific War. It is without question one of the most famous battles in history. Now, for the first time since Gordon W. Prange’s bestselling Miracle at Midway, Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully offer a new interpretation of this great naval engagement.

Unlike previous accounts, Shattered Sword makes extensive use of Japanese primary sources. It also corrects the many errors of Mitsuo Fuchida’s Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan, an uncritical reliance upon which has tainted every previous Western account. It thus forces a major, potentially controversial reevaluation of the great battle. The authors examine the battle in detail and effortlessly place it within the context of the Imperial Navy’s doctrine and technology. With a foreword by leading WWII naval historian John Lundstrom, Shattered Sword will become an indispensable part of any military buff’s library. Winner of the 2005 John Lyman Book Award for the "Best Book in U.S. Naval History" and cited by Proceedings as one of its "Notable Naval Books" for 2005.