Title: Aichi D3A1/2 Val
Author: Peter C. Smith
Publisher: Crowood press, Aviation Series
Pages: 192pgs/Hardcover
ISBN: 1 86126 278 7
Price: $36 (from Roll Models)
I was really excited when I first opened this book.
Finally a book about Japanese Aircraft that was written
in English! As I paged through the book I got more
and more exited about the photos and the detailed history
(I'll get to that in a minute).
The book
opens with a history of dive-bombing and the Imperial
Japanese Navy. It's basically a summary with some
interesting details of the original dive-bombers and
works its way up to the Val.
You are
then given a history of Aichi Kokuki Corporation.
From it's beginnings as the Aichi Clock and Electic
Company all the way through the changes during the war
years.
You then
get a behind the scenes look at how the Val design came
about. How many different influences came together
to design and build one of the most successful dive-bombers
of WWII. For the modeler, there is a greatly
detailed description (complete with many photos) of the
Val itself and the Val's distinguishing characteristics.
Once
your technical briefing is over, you get a look at the
Val's operational use. A detailed history that
takes you through China, Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, the
Philippines, Port Darwin, South-West Celebes and Java,
the Indian Ocean, Battle of the Coral Sea, Midway,
The Aleutians, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and the
Philippine Sea. Finally, there is a chapter on the
final mission, the Kamikaze.
There
are a couple of downsides to the book. There are a
couple of photos that are mislabled (or possibly the
wrong photos), and there are times when you do get a bit
lost in the detail.
Overall,
the information and the presentation overcome any of the
shortcomings (not to mention again that it's in English!).
Get this book! For the $36 (from Roll Models) it's
an excellent value.
My
thanks to Crowood Press for the review copy.
-Dave Pluth
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