Hoover Institution (Stanford, CA) — The Hoover Institution Library & Archives has acquired the wartime journals of Captain Ichirō Shimoda, an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served as a naval aviator during the Second World War. Among the engagements described are preparations for and participation in the Pearl Harbor attack, operations of the Second Carrier Division’s dive-bomber unit, the bombing of Wake Island, and the sinking of the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. This passage captures both the gravity of the moment and the psychological weight borne by participants on the eve of one of the most consequential military actions of the twentieth century.
Author: January 27, 2026
Published at: 2026-01-27 00:00:00
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