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Home/ Warships in the Komandorski Islands 1943: The USN and Ijn Fight the Last Pure Surface Battle
Warships in the Komandorski Islands 1943: The USN and Ijn Fight the Last Pure Surface Battle

Warships in the Komandorski Islands 1943: The USN and Ijn Fight the Last Pure Surface Battle

by Lardas, Mark
No customer reviews yet ISBN 9781472861405 Osprey Publishing

With ship profiles and original artwork, this study explores the warships that fought World War II's last pure surface battle, the battle itself, and why the outnumbered US Navy prevailed.

The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was unique among World War II naval battles. It was the last daytime naval surface battle of World War II where aircraft played no role, and saw a squadron of US Navy cruisers and destroyers engage their Japanese counterparts over a convoy to reinforce Attu and Kiska.

Exploring the warships, the battle, and why it was won, naval expert Mark Lardas explains that due to an intelligence failure, the Japanese escort was twice the size expected, with the US outnumbered 2:1 in heavy and light cruisers. Although both sides had the same number of destroyers (four each) the Japanese destroyers were newer and more powerful than their US counterparts.

A 12-hour brawl of a surface action took place. Despite being badly outnumbered and badly outgunned - and even though the largest US ship was dead in the water at one point - the US Navy emerged victorious. Illustrated with archive photos, profiles of all the major warships involved, and action scenes illustrating key moments in the battle, this book explains how the US victory was achieved, and particularly highlights the importance of superior damage control.

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Product details

BrandOsprey Publishing
Pub dateOct 22, 2024
ISBN-10147286140X
ISBN-139781472861405
Paperback48.0 pages
LanguageEnglish
Dimensions9.75 × 0.15 × 7.3 in
Weight0 lb
Last updated 2026-03-18 04:38
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