After suffering devastating losses in the huge naval battles at Midway and the Soloman Islands, the Imperial Japanese navy attempted to counter-attack against the US forces threatening the Home Islands. Involving the US Fifth Fleet and the Japanese Mobile Fleet, the battle of the Philippine Sea took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. The two fleets clashed on 19-20 June 1944 and the Japanese carrier fighters were shot down in devastating numbers by US aircraft in what became known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", before US counterattacks and submarine strikes forced the withdrawal of the Japanese fleet. Fully illustrated with stunning specially commissioned artwork, Mark Stille tells the enthralling story of the last, and largest, carrier battle of the Pacific War, the one that saw the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as a formed fighting force.

This fully illustrated book details the unequal clash between the United States and Imperial Japanese navies in the largest carrier battle of the Pacific War which destroyed the IJN's ability to conduct further carrier operations. It will appeal to enthusiasts of naval warfare in World War II, especially those interested in naval aviation.

About the Author
Mark E. Stille (Commander, United States Navy, retired) received his BA in History from the University of Maryland and also holds an MA from the Naval War College. He has worked in the intelligence community for 35 years including tours on the faculty of the Naval War College, on the Joint Staff and on US Navy ships. He is currently a senior analyst working in the Washington DC area. He is the author of numerous Osprey titles, focusing on naval history in the Pacific.


Book Information
ISBN 9781472819208
Author Mark Stille
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 309g
Dimensions(mm) 248mm * 184mm * 8mm