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

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.

Author: Mark Lardas
Publisher: Osprey Publishing (UK)
Published: 10/22/2024
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.36lbs
Size: 9.73h x 7.32w x 0.16d
ISBN: 9781472861405

About the Author
Mark Lardas has always been fascinated by things related to the sea and sky. From building models of ships and aircraft as a teen, he then studied Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, but his interest in aviation led him to take a job on the then-new Space Shuttle program, where he worked for the next 30 years as a navigation engineer. Currently he develops commercial aircraft systems as a quality assurance manager. He has written numerous books on military, naval or maritime history.