Darkest Hour: Volume 2 - The Japanese Offensive in the Indian Ocean 1942 - The Attack against Ceylon and the Eastern Fleet

(Paperback)

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The book presents the Japanese navy offensive in the Indian Ocean area in March-April 1942. Its main goal was to destroy the Royal Navy in the Far East and achieve domination on the Eastern flank of the Pacific War on the eve of the battle of Midway. The bold operation of two Japanese task forces (Kido Butai and Malay Force) in the Indian Ocean could not be possible without the fall of Singapore in February and the Dutch East India in early March 1942. From the strategic point of view, the Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean was the only moment in the Second World War when the Axis forces could coordinate their efforts to severely threaten the position of the British Empire in the crucial Middle East and India areas. The book contains the description of the strategic planning of both sides in February-March 1942, including the Japanese navy projections on the last step of the first stage of the Pacific War and the Royal Navy hope to halt the enemy advance without taking any significant risks. The Japanese offensive in the Indian Ocean began in March 1942 with the invasion on the Andaman Islands and Christmas Island. By securing both vital positions, the Japanese navy planned to establish its advanced bases in the eastern part of the Bay of Bengal. In the next step, the invincible Kido Butai consisted of five aircraft carriers with its escort, was expected to crush the British bases on Ceylon and once and forever destroy the main core of the Eastern Fleet. The chaos provoked by the Kido Butai would then become a great opportunity for the Malay Force to cut off the British shipping routes in the western part of the Bay of Bengal. This daring operation was tactical, though the strategically untapped success of the Japanese navy, which could no longer wage a victorious war on vast areas of the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. The presented book is the first systematic attempt to describe the less known part of the Pacific War by researching the British and the Japanese archive documents and other secondary sources published in the many countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and India. AUTHOR: Michal A. Piegzik is a Polish Ph.D. in law, living and working in Japan as a researcher, bringing new light on the Pacific War campaigns. In his academic career, he was awarded the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) scholarship for exceptional research results and putting in practice the modern approach in science: presenting significant issues to the general audience, yet deeply investigating the Western and the Japanese archives sources and publications. Graduating from the Faculty of Law, the University of Wroclaw in 2015, he is currently researching Japanese family law at the Tokyo Metropolitan University. The Pacific War is his life's passion which also remarkably influenced his academic skills and career path. He lives in Sagamihara (Kanagawa prefecture), spending free time travelling around Japanese cities and the countryside with his wife. He is an author of five monographs and over 20 articles related to Japanese law and to the Pacific War. 47 b/w photos, 1 b/w & 5 colour maps, 16 colour profiles & figures, 18 tables

Reviews

"For the casual reader, it serves as an effective introduction to the southern China-Burma-India theater in the earliest days of World War II. For the more-focused armchair historian, the text and notes will save significant time otherwise spent translating Japanese primary documents and references."-- "The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation"
"Japan's Indian Ocean foray is superbly covered in this new book from Helion. The initial planning and then the execution of operation is covered in considerable detail."-- "ModelingMadness.Com"
"...filled with focused detail. Sources and defined terminologies and standards, and personal quotes and accounts enrich the text. As does the excellent gallery of photographs and artwork."-- "Aeroscale"
"The two volumes comprising the Japanese naval offensive into the Indian Ocean during World War II are by far the most comprehensive and detailed account of these often minimized or neglected military actions. The use of Japanese, British, Australian, and American archival sources is a real plus, indicative of dedicated scholarship."-- "Naval Historical Foundation"

Author Bio

Michal A. Piegzik is a Polish Ph.D. in law, living and working in Japan as a researcher, bringing new light on the Pacific War campaigns. In his academic career, he was awarded the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) scholarship for exceptional research results and putting in practice the modern approach in science: presenting significant issues to the general audience, yet deeply investigating the Western and the Japanese archives sources and publications. Graduating from the Faculty of Law, the University of Wroclaw in 2015, he is currently researching Japanese family law at the Tokyo Metropolitan University. The Pacific War is his life's passion which also remarkably influenced his academic skills and career path. He lives in Sagamihara (Kanagawa prefecture), spending free time traveling around Japanese cities and the countryside with his wife. He is an author of five monographs and over 20 articles related to Japanese law and to the Pacific War.