An excellently illustrated narrative about the Japanese Navy during the fierce battles of Guadalcanal and the Solomons, explaining how and why it fought the way it did. Contrary to myth, the Imperial Japanese Navy was not a shattered force following its defeat at Midway. Pacific War expert Mark Stille examines the IJN's Combined Fleet during the Guadalcanal and Solomons campaigns, when it was reorganized and forced to engage in a brutal war of attrition against the US Navy.

The initial naval battles in the Guadalcanal campaign exploited the strength of the Combined Fleet, which had been trained for night battles. The restructured IJN naval force also proved effective and managed to achieve its clearest victory against the US carriers in the entire war during the battle of Santa Cruz, yet the overall Guadalcanal campaign ended in disaster. As a result, the IJN was unwilling to engage in a major confrontation for the Central and Northern Solomons, using only the power of destroyer ships and land-based air forces to conduct delayed-action combat.

Nevertheless, this was costly and weakened the Combined Fleet for the remainder of the war. Using the latest sources and illustrated with superb artworks, 3D diagrams, and maps, the book represents the first attempt to focus on how the Combined Fleet fought these campaigns and, most importantly, how their outcomes impacted the rest of the war.

Year of Publication: 2024, Dimensions: 18.4x18.4cm