GHQ-NLF Press release photo of Admiral Yamamoto - original print.

Isoroku Yamamoto (4 April 1884-18 April 1943) was a Fleet Admiral (Gensui) and Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during WW2. A graduate of Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and an alumnus of U.S. Naval War College and Harvard University (1919-1921), he was responsible for major battles such as Pearl Harbor and Midway. He died during an inspection tour of forward positions in the Solomon Islands when his transport aircraft was ambushed by American P-38 Lightning fighter planes. His death, which occurred as a result of the Americans breaking Japanese naval codes, was a severe blow to Japanese morale.

Whilst electronic copies of this photograph can be found on the Web, this is an original GHQ-NLF print. It does not however bear a release authorisation, as would be the case if it was a Press Release. It is most likely that this was part of the record of Navy Ministry.

The photograph is 5 5/8 x 7 15/16 inches (14.2 mm x 19.8 mm). Mounted on white card 7 7/16 x 10 3/8 inches (18.7 mm x 26.3 mm). £20.00, including post and insurance.

Encouraged by Vyacheslav Plehve, the Minister of the Interior, Czar Nicholas II made plans to seize Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) from the Ottoman Empire, and expand into Manchuria and Korea. It proved to be a terrible blunder. Russia's expansion and penetration into Manchuria, China and Korea brought it into direct conflict with Japanese interests.

Port Arthur, on the Liaodong Peninsula in Manchuria, featured prominently in the ensuing war. The Treaty of Shimonoseki, which ended the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) had given Port Arthur to Japan. However, the western powers had over-ruled this part of the treaty, and gave the port to the Russian Empire, furthering Russian interests in the region. It was a vital strategic concern to the Russians, since it was their only warm water Pacific harbour.

On 8 February 1904 the Japanese fleet under Admiral Heihachiro Togo launched a surprise torpedo boat attack on the Russian ships at Port Arthur. The attack badly damaged two battleships. These attacks developed into the Battle of Port Arthur. A series of indecisive naval engagements followed; Admiral Togo was unable to successfully attack the Russian fleet as it was protected by the harbour's shore batteries, whilst the Russians for their part declined to leave harbour and engage the Japanese, especially after the death of Admiral Makarov on 13 April 1904. Nevertheless, tying up the Russian fleet allowed the Japanese to land near Incheon in Korea. From Incheon the Japanese occupied Seoul and then the rest of Korea. By the end of April 1904, the Japanese army under Kuroki Itei was ready to cross the Yalu river into Russian-occupied Manchuria.

Russian strategy focused on fighting delaying actions to gain time for reinforcements to arrive via the long Trans-Siberian railway. On 1 May 1904, the Battle of the Yalu River became the first major land battle of the war, when Japanese troops stormed a Russian position after an unopposed crossing of the river. Japanese troops proceeded to land at several points on the Manchurian coast, and, in a series of engagements, drove the Russians back towards Port Arthur. These battles, including the Battle of Nanshan on 25 May, were marked by heavy Japanese losses from attacking entrenched Russian positions, but the Russians maintained their focus on defending, and did not counterattack.

Since the engagements had so far proved indecisive, the Japanese switched to attempting to deny the Russians the use of Port Arthur, first by sinking concrete obstacles in the deep water channel, and then by the world's first use of offensive mine laying, sinking two Russian battleships. The Russians also began to lay offensive mines, and sank two Japanese battleships. On 23 June 1904 the Russian squadron, now under the command of Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft attempted to break out of the harbour, but failed. By the end of the month, Japanese artillery were firing shells into the harbour.

Japan then began a long siege of Port Arthur, which had been heavily fortified by the Russians. On 10 August 1904 the Russian fleet again attempted to break out and reach Vladivostok. However, on reaching the open sea they were confronted by Admiral Togo's battleship squadron. In the ensuing Battle of the Yellow Sea, battleships from both sides exchanged gunfire until the Russian flagship, the battleship Tsesarvich, received a direct hit on the bridge, killing the fleet commander, Admiral Vitgeft. At this, the Russian fleet turned around and headed back into Port Arthur. Eventually, the Russian warships at Port Arthur would be sunk by the artillery of the besieging Japanese army.

Attempts to relieve the city by land also failed, and, after the Battle of Liaoyang in late August, the Russians retreated to Mukden (Shenyang). Port Arthur finally fell on 2 January 1905 when the garrison's commanding officer ceded the port to the Japanese without consulting his high command, an indication of desperation on the part of the beleaguered Russian garrison.

The Japanese army now continued northward. The Battle of Mukden commenced at the end of February, when Japanese forces tried to encircle General Kuropatkin's headquarters at Mukden. Russian forces resisted, but on 10 March 1905 they ordered a retreat. The Japanese army had suffered massive casualties, and were in no condition to pursue the Russians.

Meanwhile Admiral Togo was aware that Admiral Rozhestvensky's Baltic fleet was coming to engage his forces, and arranged his fleet so that Admiral Rozhestvensky's ships would have to 'cross the T'. This meant that the Japanese could bring all their guns to bear on the Russian fleet, whilst exposing themselves to only the forward Russian guns. The Japanese fleet, consisted of four battleships plus numerous other vessels. They had the advantage of superior speed due to their clean hull bottoms. In addition, the Japanese gun crews were excellent, and had spent endless hours in gunnery training prior to the engagement.

Admiral Rozhestvensky's fleet was, on paper stronger; it contained four new battleships of the Borodino class, plus four other battleships, albeit ones that were obsolete by the standards of the day. However an 18,000 mile journey had fouled his ship's bottoms, reducing their speed, and his crews were new, and thus less well-trained than the Japanese gun crews.

On 27 May-28 May 1905 the two fleets met in the Tsushima Strait. Rozhestvensky overconfidently charged his battleships straight into Togo's 'T'. By the following day, all eight Russian battleships, numerous smaller vessels, and over 5,000 Russian seamen were lost.

The defeat shook Russian confidence. Throughout 1905, the Czar's government was rocked by the Russian Revolution of 1905, which posed a severe threat to the stability of the country. Russia elected to negotiate peace rather than continue the war, so that it could concentrate on internal matters. Czar Nicholas therefore accepted President Theodore Roosevelt's offer to mediate between the two countries.

The 1904-05 war had profound effects on the rest of the 20th century. Japan's defeat of an established European power caused profound shock in the West. It had after all been, by European standards, a backwards feudal country only a generation earlier, when Perry forced the shogunate to sign an unequal treaty. Japan's prestige rose greatly as a result of the victory, and it began to be considered a modern Great Power. Its military success also gave encouragement to anti-colonial movements around the world, with future implications for the colonial powers.

Russia, on the other hand, slipped greatly in international esteem, having lost virtually its entire Eastern and Baltic fleets. The Germans particularly took note. Russia was France's ally; Russia's loss of prestige would have a significant effect on Germany's future plans for war with France. Furthermore, whilst the 1905 defeat led Russia to reform its military, enabling it to face Germany in WW1, the seeds had also been laid for the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.

The US-brokered peace Treaty of Portsmouth caused much resentment in Japan. The war had rocked the Japanese economy. Although Japan gained a great deal from the Treaty, it was not nearly as much as the Japanese public had been led to expect. Japan's initial negotiating position had demanded all of Sakhalin and monetary reparations as well; they received only half of Sakhalin, and no reparations. Many Japanese took the view that the West was forcing another unequal treaty upon Japan. The frustration caused the Hibiya riots and the collapse of Katsura Taro's cabinet on January 7, 1906. It also resulted in an entrenched mistrust of the West. In the meantime, the lack of Russian competition meant that Japan was free to follow its ambitions in China. The West's preoccupation with WW1 and the Great Depression that followed allowed the Japanese military to begin efforts to dominate China. These efforts would culminate in the Pacific War of WW2. The 1904-05 war therefore sowed the seeds for the great conflicts of the remaining 20th century. This photo, and the following one, therefore represent the start of these events.

The photo is in pristine condition, despite being approximately ninety years old. The age of the photo is indicated by the lack of Western dress, the design of the artillery pieces, and the fact that some of the characters are slightly blurred in places. Films around the turn of the 20th century were not as fast as modern films, and found it difficult to capture movements, even in daylight. This led to some movements being blurred; under some circumstances busy streets could appear empty as movement blurred people into invisibility. Early studio portraits circumvented this by various contraptions that held the sitter absolutely still. The fact that the photographer has taken an outdoor scene like this indicates that he was using a very modern film for the period

3 15/16 x 4 5/8 inches. Mounted on ornate card 7.1 x 8.9 inches with caption on the back. £15.00, including post and insurance.

In pristine condition, despite being approximately ninety years old. The age of the photo is indicated by the design of the artillery pieces, and the fact that the soldier's face is blurred. Films around the turn of the 20th century were not as fast as modern films, and found it difficult to capture movements, even in daylight. This led to some movements being blurred; under some circumstances busy streets could appear empty as movement blurred people into invisibility. Early studio portraits circumvented this by various contraptions that held the sitter absolutely still. The fact that the photographer has taken an outdoor scene like this indicates that he was using a very modern film for the period.

3 15/16 x 4 5/8 inches. Mounted on ornate card 7.1 x 8.9 inches with caption on the back. £15.00, including post and insurance.

These are two private unpublished photos from an album. They are mounted on black card 7.1 x 10.4 inches. The photo of Army Minister Araki is 6 x 4 5/8 inches. The photo of the artillery piece is 4 3/8 x 2 15/15 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

Unmounted photograph 5 13/16 x 4 3/16 inches. £15.00, including post and insurance.

Singapore was a strategically vital military base that protected Britain’s other Commonwealth possessions in the Far East. Its defences had been upgraded at great cost in 1938, when British military planners confidently predicted that any Japanese attack would come from the sea. It was inconceivable to British military planners that an attack could come from any other direction, and certainly not through the jungle and mangrove swamps of the Malay Peninsula.

However, an air of complacency ruled, which was rather strengthened by some outright racism. The British military command in Singapore still thought that war was fought by the 'rule book'; in their opinion the Japanese army was only good enough for fighting the Chinese. Officers probably spent more in the important social centres of the Raffles Hotel and Singapore Club than in considering the Japanese threat. When the Japanese did land at the Malayan airfield of Kota Bharu, Singapore’s governor, Sir Shenton Thomas is alleged to have said "Well, I suppose you'll (the army) shove the little men off." Subsequent events demonstrated that the old truism that one should never underestimate one's enemy.

The Japanese onslaught through the Malay Peninsula occurred almost at the same time as Pearl Harbour and took everybody by surprise. Contrary to the expectations of British military planners, it came through the jungle and mangrove swamps of the peninsula. The whole operation was completely unconventional; two divisions, without artillery support, and with only light tanks, covered 550 miles in 55 days by riding stolen bicycles. The speed of the advance denied the British forces time to re-group. This was the first time British forces had encountered a full scale attack by the Japanese, and it shattered any thoughts that the Japanese would fight a conventional war.

On 8 December 1941, Force Z, consisting of the battleships 'Prince of Wales' and 'Repulse' plus four destroyers including the Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire, put to sea and headed north up the Malay coast towards the Japanese landing site. Force Z had been sent to Singapore to deter a Japanese attack.

Force Z left Singapore without air cover. The commander of the fleet, Admiral Sir Tom Philips, was aware that British forces could not guarantee air cover for his ships, but thought that Japanese aircraft would be unable to operate so far from land. He was also of the opinion that his ships were relatively immune from fatal damage via air attack since no capital ship had, as yet, been sunk by air attack whilst at sea. The largest ship sunk solely by aircraft had, till then, been a heavy cruiser.

Unfortunately for British assumptions, in late 1940 the plans for defending Singapore had been sent to British Far East Command by the S.S. "Automedon", along with other Top Secret mail. On 11 November 1940 the "Automedon" was captured north of Sumatra by the German raider Atlantis, and subsequently sunk. The Germans sent copies of the cargo of secret documents to Japan, and it has been argued that these documents played a prominent part in Japan's decision to go to war. They certainly played a major part in Japanese strategic planning. British plans relied on the American Pacific Fleet reinforcing Force Z at Singapore in the event of Japanese aggression. Yamamoto's attack on Pearl Harbour meant that support would never come, and that Force Z was the only naval force capable of disrupting the landings. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto therefore reinforced the Kanoya and Genzan Kokutai with 36 extra Betty torpedo bombers and his naval aviators began training vigourously for an attack on the two British capital ships.

On 9 December 1941, the RAF lost nearly all of its frontline aircraft when the Japanese had attacked airfields in Singapore. This destroyed any hope of the RAF providing air support for the army before the actual attack on Singapore had actually begun. It also meant that the RAF at Singapore could not provide cover for Force Z, which would have to rely on Australian units instead.

On 10 December 1941, 'Prince of Wales' and 'Repulse' were sunk by repeated attacks from Japanese high level "Nell" bombers from the Mihoro Kokutai and "Betty" torpedo bombers from the Mihoro and Kanoyo Kokutai; both groups were operating out of bases in Indo-China. The RAF could offer the ships no protection as their planes had been destroyed by the Japanese the previous day, and the Australian Brewster Buffaloes that were sent to provide air cover arrived as the ships were sinking. Ironically, the fleet was returning to Singapore, having been unable to find any targets.

The loss of both ships had a devastating impact on morale in Britain. In addition, combined with the earlier attack on Pearl Harbor, it left the Allies with no operational capital ships in the Pacific Theatre. The attack also underlined the need for a fleet to include an aircraft carrier to provide air cover.

Ironically HMAS Vampire survived the attack on Force Z, only to be sunk about four months later during the attack on HMS Hermes.

The destruction of the two capital ships and the loss of the RAF frontline aircraft meant that the British-led army was thus left to oppose the Japanese advance on Singapore on its own. Lieutenant General Arthur Percival had 85,000 men under his command, many of whom had never seen combat. General Tomoyuki Yamashita had 30,000 men, many of whom had fought in the Manchurian/Chinese campaign. At the Battle of Jitra in Malaya (11-12 December 1941), Percival's men were soundly beaten and were in full retreat.

On 8 February 1942, 23,000 Japanese soldiers attacked Singapore across the Johor Strait. The Japanese advanced with speed and ferocity. At the Alexandra Military Hospital, Japanese soldiers murdered the patients they found there, although General Yamashita apparently later shot the officer responsible. On 15 February 1942, running out of food and some types of ammunition, the defending forces capitulated. It was the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.

This picture shows the attack on 'Repulse' and 'Prince of Wales' at 11:13 am, 10 December 1941. A plume of black smoke is streaming from 'Repulse', which has just been hit by a bomb, and the ship is surrounded by near misses. 'Prince of Wales' is taking evasive action; the white smoke is from the ship's funnels as it increases speed. Whilst there are electronic copies of this photo on the web, this is an original GHQ-NLF print of the original reconnaissance photo, and is thus contemporary with the action. The photo was subsequently released to the Japanese press by the military and probably appeared in Daitoua Sensou Gahou, a WW2 Japanese magazine that consisted of war photographs from the East Asia theatre. However, unlike the copy held by the US Navy, this print does not bear a release authorisation, as would be the case if it was a Press Release. It is most likely that this was part of the records of one of the Imperial Japanese Ministries.

5 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, mounted on white card 7 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

Japan launched a surprise attack on the Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Philippines, just ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Aerial bombardment was followed by landings of ground troops on Luzon. The defending forces, faced with a numerically superior opponent, withdrew to the Bataan Peninsula and to the island of Corregidor at the entrance to Manila Bay. Manila, which was declared an open city to prevent its destruction, was occupied by the Japanese on 2 January 1942. American-led opposition to the Japanese invasion continued until the final surrender of the United States-Philippine forces on the Bataan Peninsula in April 1942 and on Corregidor in May 1942. Most of the 80,000 prisoners of war captured by the Japanese at Bataan were forced to undertake the infamous Bataan Death March. Opposition continued, however, in the form of large-scale underground and guerrilla activity. Japan continued to occupy the Phillippines unti its surrender on 2 September 1945.

This picture was probably taken by an official Japanese war photographer, and probably appeared in Daitoua Sensou Gahou, a WW2 Japanese magazine that consisted of war photographs from the East Asia theatre. However, this print does not however bear a release authorisation, as would be the case if it was a Press Release. It is most likely that this was part of the records in one of the Imperial Japanese Ministries.

5 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, mounted on white card 7 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

These would appear to be highly unofficial photos, particularly since they come from someone's photo album.

Photographs both 3 7/8 x 5 9/16. Mounted on stiff black card 5 1/2 x 7 inches. £25.00, including post and insurance.

Photograph 4 1/16 x 5 1/3. Mounted on captioned white card 7 x 8 1/2 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

Personal and unpublished photographs of the Japanese Grand Military Review of 1909. See also the rare Japanese illustrated book on the subject.

Mounted on black card. First captioned photo, 4 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches. Second captioned photograph, 4 3/8 x 6 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance. Also see here for an illustrated Japanese language book on the Grand Review.

A personal group photograph entitled 'Shiroyama'. I'm not certain if this refers to a ship, or to Shiroyama Park. 3 1/8 x 4 5/16, mounted on black card 3 3/8 x 5 3/16 inches. £10.00, including post and insurance.

2 1/4 x 4 1/4. Mounted on stiff grey card 3 x 5 1/8 inches. £6.00, including post and insurance.

£6.00, including post and insurance.

2 1/4 x 3 7/16 inches. Mounted on stiff black card 3 7/8 x 4 5/8 inches. £6.00, including post and insurance.

2 3/8 x 3 3/4 inches. Mounted on stiff black card 3 5/16 x 4 3/4 inches. £6.00, including post and insurance.

2 9/16 x 3 3/8 mounted in booklet 4 1/8 x 6 1/2 inches by the studio photographer. £13.00, including post and insurance.

£13.00, including post and insurance.

£10.00, including post and insurance.

The Imperial Guard was formed in 1867 from palace guard units and was based on the Prussian Garde du Korps. It became part of the Imperial Japanese Army when the Emperor Meiji assumed all the powers of the state and formed an army based on European lines. By 1885 it formed one division of the Imperial Japanese Army. The division contained four regiments of two battalions each.

The Imperial Guard stayed at one division until 1905 when, after the Russo-Japanese War, two Guard Brigades were formed from indigenous Formosans. In 1920 the Guards Cavalry Regiment, Guards Field Artillery Regiment, Guards Engineer Battalion, Guards Transport Battalion, plus other Guards service units were added. From 1937 to 1939 the Guards Engineer Battalion was expanded into a regiment as was the Guards Transport Battalion.

In September 1939, the Imperial Guards division was split in half. The 1st Guards Brigade was transferred to South China and became known as the Guards Mixed Brigade. In October 1940, it joined other Japanese units occupying French Indo-China. In April 1941 it returned to Tokyo, but did not re-join its parent division.

The remainder of the division (3rd and 4th Guards Regiments) became the 2nd Guards Brigade. In 1940 the 2nd Guards Brigade went to China, briefly stopping in Shanghai before being posted to Hainan Island. In June 1941, the 5th Guards Infantry Regiment joined the 2nd Guards Brigade there, and the brigade became the Imperial Guard Division again. It later saw action with General Yamashita's 25th Army in the Battles of Malaya and Singapore. The Guard Division was involved in notorious Japanese war crimes such as the Parit Sulong massacre and the Sook Ching massacre. Lt Gen. Takuma Nishimura, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a British military court in relation to the Sook Ching killings, was later convicted of war crimes by an Australian Military Court in relation to the Parit Sulong massacre. He was executed by hanging on June 11, 1951.

The Guards Mixed Brigade remained in Tokyo, becoming 1st Guards Division in May 1943 while the Imperial Guard Division became 2nd Guards Division. The 1st Guards Division consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 6th Guard Regiments. The Imperial Guard was dissolved at the end of WW2, only to be reformed in 1947 as part of the National Police Agency.

4 3/16 x 5 15/16 inches. Mounted on black card 5 15/16 x 8 3/4 inches.£15.00, including post and insurance.

A collection of seven unpublished photos documenting a general's visit during the 1930s. £50.00, including post and insurance.

3 1/8 x 4 7/16. Studio mounted on grey card by the studio photographer, Urada of Yokosuka, Sagami, Japan. A very rare document indeed. £15.00, including post and insurance.

Japan had acquired the vast northeastern region of China as a result of the Manchurian Incident. However, the Japanese military was not satisfied and planned to increase Japanese influence further, especially into Shanghai where it had concessions. The Japanese therefore needed to create some incidents to provide some pretexts justifying further military action in China. As a result of these incidents there was an upsurge of anti-Japanese protests in Shanghai, and for a boycott of Japanese goods.

On August 23 1932, the Japanese Shanghai Expeditionary Force, led by Iwane Matsui, landed in Liuhe, Wusong, and Chuanshakou. The Japanese almost always began their amphibious assaults with heavy naval and air bombardment of the Chinese coastal defense works and trenches. It was not unheard of for the Chinese to lose an entire garrison to such bombardments.

The subsequent Battle of Shanghai was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the entire war.

Two photographs, mounted on grey card, 7.7 x 9.3 inches. Captioned photograph of naval officers 3 1/4 x 4 1/4. Captioned photograph of Chinese junk, 2 3/8 x 2 3/8 inches, uncaptioned photograph of naval officer, 3 1/4 x 4 1/4. £25.00, including post and insurance.

Count Hisaichi Terauchi (8 August 1879 - 12 June 1946) was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and Commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group during World War II. He suffered a stroke on 10 May 1945 after hearing of the loss of Burma by Japan. Terauchi personally surrendered to Lord Mountbatten in Saigon on 30 September 1945, when he surrendered his family heirloom wakizashi. The sword dates from 1413, and is now kept at Windsor Castle. Terauchi died in a prisoner of war camp in Malaya after the end of the war.

This picture was probably taken by an official Japanese war photographer, and probably appeared in Daitoua Sensou Gahou, a WW2 Japanese magazine that consisted of war photographs from the East Asia theatre. However, this print does not however bear a release authorisation, as would be the case if it was a Press Release. It is most likely that this was part of the records in one of the Imperial Japanese Ministries.

5 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, mounted on white card 7 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941, less than eight hours after Pearl Harbour. They achieved air superiority on the first day of battle by destroying the only military aircraft available on the ground. British naval vessels were ordered to leave Hong Kong for Singapore which was thought by British planners to be impregnable.Unfortunately this was the same day that the Singapore-based battleships 'Prince of Wales' and 'Repulse' were destroyed by Japanese torpedo bombers.

The Battle of Hong Kong ended with the British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on 25 December 1941. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, civilians suffered from widespread food shortages caused by imposed rations, and hyper-inflation due to forced exchange of currency for military notes. Hong Kong's population declined from 1.6 million before the invasion to about 600,000 in 1945.

This picture was probably taken by an official Japanese war photographer, and probably appeared in Daitoua Sensou Gahou, a WW2 Japanese magazine that consisted of war photographs from the East Asia theatre. However, this print does not however bear a release authorisation, as would be the case if it was a Press Release. It is most likely that this was part of the records in one of the Imperial Japanese Ministries.

5 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, mounted on white card 7 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

Some of the most intense fighting of World War II occurred in the Solomon Islands. On 7 August 1942, the Allied Forces' launched their most significant operation against the Japanese Imperial Forces in a bid to take advantage of the victory at Midway. The operation consisted of simultaneous naval bombardments and amphibious landings on the Florida Islands at Tulagi and Red Beach on Guadalcanal. The Battle of Guadalcanal became an important and bloody campaign fought in the Pacific War as the Allies began to limit Japanese expansion.

This picture was probably taken by an official Japanese war photographer, and probably appeared in Daitoua Sensou Gahou, a WW2 Japanese magazine that consisted of war photographs from the East Asia theatre. However, this print does not however bear a release authorisation, as would be the case if it was a Press Release. It is most likely that this was part of the records in one of the Imperial Japanese Ministries.

5 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, mounted on white card 7 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.

The sinking of HMS Hermes photo appeared in the May 8 1942 issue (No. 6) of Daitoua Sensou Gahou, a Japanese magazine of WW2. The magazine was basically a collection of war photographs from the East Asia theatre. Whilst electronic versions of this photo are to be found on the web, this is one of the original GHQ-NLF prints taken by Japanese reconnaisance aircraft. However, it does not bear the release authorisation that would be found on a Press Release, and was probably part of the records of the Imperial Navy Ministry.

Hermes was the first purpose-built aircraft carrier in the world (keel laid down 1918, launched 1919, commissioned 1923). She had a complement of 20 aircraft, consisting of Martlets (the US Navy's Wildcat) and Fairey Swordfish torpedo planes.

On 9 Apr 1942, Admiral Nagumo of the Japanese navy launched an air raid on the British navy base at Trincomalee at the island of Ceylon, where HMS Hermes was undergoing repairs. Ultra decryption of Japanese codes gave Hermes advance warning, allowing her to flee the port for the base at the Maldives Islands. However she was spotted off Batticaloa by a Japanese reconnaissance plane as she returned following the raid. Since, at the time, she lacked planes of her own, she was defenceless when she was attacked by 70 Japanese Aichi D3Al "Val" bombers of the Japanese First Air Fleet's carriers Akagai (flagship), Hiryu, and Soryu. Hermes was hit forty times, and sank with the loss of 307 men (about half the official complement, if aircrew are included). Her escorts, the Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire and the corvette Hollyhock, and two tankers were also sunk. Ironically, HMAS Vampire has survived the attack on "Prince of Wales" and "Repulse" four months earlier. 590 survivors of the attack were picked up by the hospital ship Vita and taken to Colombo. Some survivors were taken to Kandy where they spent ten days recuperating at the Queens Hotel.

The Japanese carrier Akagai had been the flagship for the Pearl Harbour attack in December 1941. The Japanese Fleet went on to attack Darwin on its return to Japan. All three Japanese carriers were sunk a year later, 5 June 1942, at the Battle of Midway.

5 5/8 x 7 7/8 inches, mounted on white card 7 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches. £20.00, including post and insurance.