The Aichi Type 99 Carrier Bomber (D3A) code named Val by Allied intelligence was the mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navys carrier dive-bomber force from 1941 to 1943. It sank more Allied warship tonnage than any other Axis aircraft during World War 2. While the Vals participation in the major carrier battles has been widely covered in other English language sources, details of its operations have received scant attention in English. This book explores the Vals combat operations. Colour illustrations and photographs complement the development of dive-bombing methods in the IJN.

Contents:

- Dive Bombing in the Imperial Japanese Navy

- Development of the 99 Kanbaku

- Combat Debut

- Tora, Tora, Tora

- Zenith in the Indian Ocean

- Coral Sea and Midway

- Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz

- Land-based Operations in the Solomons and New - Guinea

- Debacle in the Marianas · Kamikaze

- Appendices