Nakajima B5N «Kate» and B6N «Jill» Units (Osprey Combat Aircraft 119)

Entering service during the Sino-Japanese War, the Nakajima B5N (code-named ‘Kate) excelled and went on to achieve surprising and dramatic successes in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It also contributed to the sinking of the US aircraft carriers USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea, USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway, and USS Hornet at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Its replacement, the Nakajima B6N ‘Jill, while a marked improvement over its illustrious predecessor, was never able to achieve its full potential in combat due to advances in Allied aircraft, finding itself relegated to the dreaded Kamikaze strikes in the latter part of the war. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Introduction 8 Chapter One: B5N ‘kate’ Development and Early Successes 10 Chapter Two: Midway, the Aleutians and the Solomons 40 Chapter Three: Land Attack Operations and Other Roles 72 Chapter Four: B6N ‘Jill’ and the Kamikaze 80 Colour Plate Commentary 94 Index 98