I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine - Objective Panama Canal [Hardcover]

Henry Sakaida (Author), Gary Nila (Author), Koji Takaki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2006

The I-400 'super submarine' was one of the most monstrous creations to emerge from the Second World War and in its time it was the largest submarine ever built. It was considered to have been one of Japan's most secret weapons - indeed the Allies remained unaware of its existence until it surrendered in late August 1945. At more than 400 ft long, weighing 5,700 tons, carrying a crew of 200 and possessing a range of over 50,000 miles, the I-400 carried three Seiran attack floatplanes in a hangar built on to its deck ahead of the massive conning tower. The Imperial Japanese Navy tasked the I-400 with a secret mission to attack American cities and to destroy the Panama Canal. This book is the result of many years of meticulous research. The authors have traced and interviewed three of the original six pilots slated to fly the Seirans on their hazardous missions. They have revealed - for the first time - the story their aircraft being painted in fake US markings for their final mission.The book contains hundreds of astonishing photographs, many previously unpublished, showing the I-400 from both outside and inside as well as its hangars and aircraft.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Hikoki Publications (May 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1902109457
• ISBN-13: 978-1902109459
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,649,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Banzai newsletter, May 5, 2006

By 

Banzai (Eva, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine - Objective Panama Canal (Hardcover)

This book is one for all WWII history buffs. It is well detailed, plenty of pictures, and does a fantastic job of explaining a little-known segment of Japanese military operations. We can't say enough good things about this publication. It belongs on everyone's shelf.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new book on Japanese Naval History!, April 30, 2006

By 

Ron Werneth - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine - Objective Panama Canal (Hardcover)

I recently purchased a copy of this book and it is simply superb. It covers an important part of Japanese navy history about the immense I-400 class submarines and their mission to do suicide strikes on the Panama Canal. This book is loaded with rare photos, excellent veteran accounts and drawings.

I enjoyed reading it a great deal and would gladly read future works from authors Henry Sakaida, Gary Nila and Koji Takaki.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, May 28, 2006

By 

Grumpy (El Monte, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I-400 Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Strike Submarine - Objective Panama Canal (Hardcover)

This book was oustanding. The graphics were high quality stuff and the never-before seen photos were extremely intriguing. The book was filled with both.

I especially liked the numerous accounts given by the American and Japanese veterans who were there. Most historians summarize and generalize the experiences and opinions of veterans. Sakaida, Nila and Takaki printed what each man said and thought. This is what sets these authors apart from the rest.

I highly recommend this book. Reading it was like having a conversation about this historical submarine with the men who were there. It was not a cold book filled with historical data and technical specifications.