Tokubetsu Kogeki Tai. Special Attack Units
by Eduardo Cea
Artwork by Eduardo Cea
Translated from Spanish to English by Sally-Ann Hopwood
AF Editions, [2011], 200 pages
Tokubetsu Kogeki Tai narrates the detailed history of Japanese aerial special
attack units that carried out suicide attacks during the latter part of the
Pacific War from October 1944 to August 1945. The author Eduardo Cea has written
seven other similarly designed books about Japanese Navy and Army aircraft with
this volume being the last in the series of eight.
Although the author tells the history in an evenhanded manner with apparent
accuracy, the book’s critical failing is complete lack of documentation of
sources. The English translated from the book's original Spanish is quite good
with only a minimal number of misspellings of Japanese proper names. The author
assumes that readers know wartime Japanese air force organizational units, since
no English translations are provided for terms such as Hikoshidan, Koku Sentai,
Kaigun Kokutai, Hikodan, Koku Kantai, and Hiko Sentai.
Over 100 illustrations of Japanese aircraft and over 30 illustrations of
American aircraft are included in the book. The illustrations show side views of
different planes such as those on the front cover and at the bottom of this web
page. Many of these are the same aircraft models and types with the only
differences being the symbols and numbers displayed on the tail fins and in some cases also
on a plane's side. The photo captions explain when the aircraft were used in
special attacks such as the caption in the photo below.
Special attacks are presented chronologically, but the book does not have a
table of contents, index, or explanation of its target audience. Although
there no notes and bibliography to indicate sources, the author clearly used
both Japanese and English information since extensive information about both sides' operations
are presented. The author certainly went to a great deal of effort to write and
illustrate this history with many details from the Japanese side that are not included in
other sources in English, but its value is limited with no clue as to where
information was obtained.
"Navy Type 94 Reconnaissance Seaplane Kawanishi E7K2,
the second aeroplane in the fifth section of the Sakigake
Tai that participated in the departure on the 4th May within
the Dai 5 Kikusui Sakusen and that contributed to the sinking
of the destroyer USS Morrison (DD-560). Pilot, Ship's
Second Class Sub-lieutenant Atsutsugi Watanabe, navigator
and machine-gunner Second Class Ship's Sub-lieutenant
Motoichi Hayashi." (p. 137) |
