Strictly a WWII aircraft type, the dive bomber was able to wreak a great deal of havoc on those on the receiving end of their bombs; as long as they had proper air cover. In Germany, it was the Ju-87, in the US it was the SBD, and in Japan it was the Aichi Type 99. All three of these aircraft were purpose built to place their bomb load directly on target by what is the best way possible; to use the aircraft to aim the bomb. It is difficult to say which one of these three was the most effective ship killer. All of them were proven in combat, and all of them sank dozens of ships, but I think one has to give the nod to the Ju-87.

While on the subject of the Ju-87, it was as much the Germans that inspired the Japanese in developing the Type 99 as anything. The Japanese were always buying a few modern aircraft from various countries in order to study the way they were constructed, and it is through the purchase of Heinkel He-50 airframes that the interest grew.

The Army had little interest in this type of aircraft, but the Navy recognized that these would be very useful against maneuvering ships, which are notoriously difficult to hit using regular bombing methods. Eventually, the Type 99 was chosen with the first prototype flying in late 1937. This actually means that the title of the book is optimistic as the first actual Type 99 unit was not formed until 1940 with the type being chosen for production in December 1939.

From there on, the pilots of these planes honed their skills to perfection, units being attached to every Japanese fleet carrier in the early years of the Pacific war. It was a Type 99 that dropped the first bomb at Pearl Harbor and went on to sink both civilian and military ships of many nations in the first six months of the war.

This book follows a typical format as author Osamu Tagaya covers the history of dive bombing in the IJN, the development of the aircraft, its initial use in China, and then its string of successes in the first six months of the Pacific War. It is the operation of these planes at Pearl Harbor, the advance to the Netherlands East Indies, operations in the Indian Ocean that cause the Royal Navy to flee for nearly two years, Coral Sea and finally Midway in June of 1942. This is where the book ends. While the Type 99 went on to be improved and served until the end of the war, its hey-days were over in 1942.

In line with other similar titles, there are a plethora of period photos of men and machines, many of which are new to this reviewer. This also includes several pages of full color profiles, but it is the combat operations that are by far the most interesting part of the book.

It makes for a book about an aircraft that many in the West have heard of, but few knew anything about. It is most highly recommended.

January 2012

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