At the beginning of the Second World War, the Japanese Navy was arguably the most powerful navy in the world. Its naval aviation corps, consisting of 10 aircraft carriers and 1,500 top-notch aviators, was the most highly trained and proficient force of its kind. How and why this impressive force was eventually crushed by the U.S. Navy is a subject that has fascinated me practically forever, and this page is devoted to the proud navy that lost the Pacific War.