Sinking Force Z 1941: The day the Imperial Japanese Navy killed the battleship

The sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse in 1941 marked a significant moment in air power and naval history, as it demonstrated the vulnerability of battleships on the open ocean and the dominance of aircraft as a maritime weapon. The loss of Force Z was a colossal disaster for the British and effectively marked the end of its empire in the East, while also marking the last time that battleships were considered the masters of the ocean.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 21 January 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

A history and analysis of one of the most dramatic moments in both air power and naval history is presented here. With the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse, no battleship was safe on the open ocean, and the aircraft took its crown as the most powerful maritime weapon. In late 1941, war was looming with Japan, and Britain's empire in southeast Asia was at risk. The British government decided to send Force Z, which included the state-of-the-art battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse, to bolster the naval defences of Singapore and provide a mighty naval deterrent to Japanese aggression. These two powerful ships arrived in Singapore on 2 December - five days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But crucially, they lacked air cover. On 9 December, Japanese scout planes detected Force Z's approach in the Gulf of Thailand. Unlike at Pearl Harbor, battleships at sea could manoeuvre, and their anti-aircraft defences were ready. But it did no good. The Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers were the most advanced in the world, and the battle was one-sided. Strategically, the loss of Force Z was a colossal disaster for the British, and one that effectively marked the end of its empire in the East. But even more importantly, the sinking marked the last time that battleships were considered to be the masters of the ocean. From that day on, air power rather than big guns would be the deciding factor in naval warfare.

Weight: 312g
Dimension: 185 x 246 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472846600