Aichi 99 Kanbaku 'Val' Units: 1937-42

The Aichi Type 99 Carrier Bomber (D3A) – code named 'Val' by Allied intelligence – was the mainstay of the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier dive-bomber force from 1941 to 1943. It sank more Allied warship tonnage than any other Axis aircraft during World War 2. While the Val's participation in the major carrier battles has been widely covered in other English language sources, details of its operations have received scant attention in English. This book explores the Val's combat operations. Colour illustrations and photographs complement the development of dive-bombing methods in the IJN. **
### Review
"This long-awaited title is #63 in the Osprey Combat Aircraft series and is certainly one to add to your collection... I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Japanese Aviation, WWII, or aircraft in general. It is well done, and you can’t beat it for the price." - Tim Hortman, IPMS
"There are a plethora of period photos of men and machines, many of which are new to this reviewer. This also includes several pages of full color profiles, but it is the combat operations that are by far the most interesting part of the book. It makes for a book about an aircraft that many in the West have heard of, but few knew anything about. It is most highly recommended." - Scott Van Aken, Modelling Madness
### From the Publisher
Osprey's Combat series combines the best archival photography available with specially commissioned artworks and first hand accounts, making these books favourites amongst historians, modellers and aviation enthusiasts everywhere.