This DNK publication features the photo collection of Abe Tetsuo who visited Indonesia between January and November 1940, working for Mainichi Shimbun. The original photos are of great importance as they show the IJNAF forces in action in the South Pacific.
The first chapter entitled "The water birds of Halong base" is a photographic record of the 934Ku at their Halong seaplane base on Ambon Island. An excellent set of 22 photos with A6M2-N "Rufe" but also F1M "Pete" and N1K "Kyofu" seaplanes.
The second chapter entitled "The Zero fighters in Southwestern Pacific" features 26 amazing photos of Zero-sen of the 381Ku.
Chapter 3 "The struggling of 732nd NAG in operations Z1 and KON" deals with the 732Ku with 25 fantastic photos of Mitsubishi G3M "Betty" bombers. The chapter also includes a few photos of IJAAF aircraft that shared with Navy units the Waile base on Halmahera island and three photos of G3M3 "Nell" of the 2nd Kanoya Kokutai based at Digos, Mindanao island.
The 4th and last chapter "The air operations over Okinawa, seen from Kushira base" features 18 photos of B6N2 "Tenzan" and B5N1 and B5N2 "Kate" bombers operating as the title suggests from Kushira base on Kyushu island during the defence of the Okinawa.
The publication is complimented by 16 color profiles illustrated by Nishikawa Yukinobu and very helpful (but of dubious quality) English translations for all the captions and some of the text.
This was a highly anticipated publication by DNK, similar to the IJAAF photo collection of Kikuchi-san. Unfortunately there are two things that take away most of the fun; horrible lay-out with some extremely interesting photos spread on two pages damaged by the inevitable "valley" and excessive
noise on most photos damaging the details.
Nevertheless it is a most valuable publication full of interesting information and images rarely seen in print that indeed could have been published better.