THE BOOKS OF PETER C. SMITH
FIST FROM THE SKY!-
The Biography of Captain Takashige Egusa, IJN 1910-1944
H/B - UK
Edition Crecy Publishing, Manchester,
2006 ; P/B USA
Edition, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA.
2006; P/B Czech Edition, Nase Vojsko,
Prague, 2008; H/B Spanish edition due 2009; H/B Japanese Edition, PHP
Institute, Tokyo due 2009..
The full and amazing story of the
Imperial Japanese Navy's most illustrious dive-bomber pilot is told here for
the first time in its entirety. Using family records and photos, and telling
memories of contemporaries who knew him well, the story of how a simple farm
boy became the world's leading exponent of the dive-bombing technique, and
spearheaded the Japanese Navy's greatest victories of the Pacific War is
revealed here. Egusa's dedication and drive, which
took the IJN dive-bomber carrier forces to the peak of their skill, is given
pride of place, as is his gallant death in forlorn action after the tide of war
had turned against Japan.
But there is more to the Egusa story than
this. We see how the young student earned his place at the Etajima Naval
Academy, and how he was
taught. His early naval career is examined and his caring and deeply
intelligent application of his knowledge is itemised. Even as a student Egusa
showed the talent to think problems through, apply solutions, and equally as
important, he had to the talent and patience to impart his knowledge to others.
We see how he became a naval flyer early on, specialising in the dangerous task
of precision dive-bombing and the major part he played in the development of
this arm of the Navy. His combat experiences in China in the 1930's are
followed, and the careful and intense planning he brought to the assigned task
of the dive bomber force, the destruction of the United States Navy's aircraft
carriers. Frustrated by the absence of his targets at Pearl
Harbor, Egusa's elite nonetheless made
their mark, not only at that battle but in many more in the months that
followed. As the spearhead of the "Kido Butai", Egusa took fire and
destruction to the Allied cause, from Port Darwin
to the Indian Ocean. One American historian
wrote, "Wherever there was Japanese victory, there was Egusa." But we
also see other things in this book. The historical events that shaped his
thinking; the behind the scenes hotbed of plotting and intrigue, of which he
had no part, that were a feature of Japanese political events in the 1930's;
and we see the the humane side of the warrior; his
family, his courtship and marriage, his children and everyday events. Following
research in Japan
that led to the first fully comprehensive history of the Aichi D3A1/2
"Val" dive-bomber, the premier exponent of that aircraft in battle is
given the same detailed treatment. Truly a revealing look
at "the other side of the hill" for western readers.
Paul Wilson in Classic Wings magazine
gave the book a full 5-star rating, and called it, "fascinating
reading." Professor Akira Shimizu said: "I was impressed by your
assessment in depth of Etajima... I remember that my life at Etajima was almost
the same as your observations. I was very lucky to be in the Japanese Naval
Academy in wartime and The First High School
and University of
Tokyo after the
war."
.
