Fading Victory: The Diary of Admiral Matome Ugaki, 1941-1945

by Donald M. Goldstein (Editor)

Looks at Japan's navy

Genres: History, Japan, Naval History, World War II

752 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

A former officer in the United States Air Force, Donald M. Goldstein was Professor of Public and International Affairs at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Reviews

[Mark Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history, written at the time by a major participant. It’s not an easy book to read, the author was an Admiral and his diary is mainly concerned with issues he’s dealing with to win the war. It’s evident through the diary he was a sincere patriot, loyal to his country and the Emperor, and would go to any lengths to secure victory. He was the principal officer in charge of the Navy’s effort to attack Allied forces with the deadly kamikaze attacks from late 1944 through the end of the war, costing thousands of American and British lives, and sinking dozens of ships in the process.

But this isn’t a narrative history. Many passages have been truncated by the editors, the period from January through March 1943 is missing (this section was lost right after war) and he didn’t write a great deal about every day. So, in those ares like strategy and fleet tactics Ugaki waxes in great detail. He liked to hunt, fished sometimes, and was a real person with faults and feelings. It’s these passages that make him human to me, and crosses the great void that would otherwise exist in a narrative history.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into the thoughts of a high ranking Japanese naval officer. Even though Ugaki thought of himself as realistic, he wasn't. And many details of the war that you might expect are not present, he is forever attending "exercises" (wargames) either as player or judge but only once or twice does he mention the subject or purpose of the exercise. In fact the diary seems like more of a release for the author at the end of the day rather than any kind of account of events. Still there are tidbits: IJN communications and knowledge of US operations seem poor at best. Their scouting reports were often hilariously wrong and the number of false alarms incredible. This wasn't a big problem as long as they were attacking but once they were thrown on the defensive (August 1942), it greatly hindered both planning and response.

[James S · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a WWII in the Pacific Naval war buff, and you're already generally familiar with the campaign timelines and battles, and you're itching for more info, especially that from the Japanese perspective, then you're going to LOVE this book. If not, then it's probably a tedious slog.

This is a nearly day by day account of Ugaki's participation in WWII from before Pearl Harbor to the very last day of the war, and he was in the thick of the action. As is the case in war, most days were not that eventful. And his war diary is full of small operational details of ship movements, plans, weather, supply problems, and other such stuff. If you like micro-histories, and want to know what the war looked and felt like to a Japanese naval officer with a great view of it, then THIS IS YOUR BOOK.

But there's no way I'd recommend it to an entry-level WWII in the Pacific reader.

[Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

An invaluable diary for any student of naval history in WWII. Do not get bogged down trying to absorb all the ships or dates of battles noted throughout this valuable 666-page book. Read the work with a wider vision and look for the interesting and valuable personal commentary this IJN leader records.

Admiral Matome Ugaki, though an enemy of the USA in the early 1940s, displayed admirable military traits of tenaciousness, discipline and loyalty.

He also reveals touching personal traits as several sweet remembrances on the anniversaries of the death of his wife who succumbed in 1940. Late in the war when he was stationed on land, he notes the freshness of the spring flowers and tweeting birds whenever he emerges from an all-night stay in a bunker.

The admiral is to be faulted however for his final mission on 15 August 1945. He needlessly and reflectively led several Kamikaze aircraft toward the U.S. fleet in a completely futile last gasp. This final air mission led eleven aircraft and their occupants to a needless waste of their lives after his emperor had announced a complete surrender earlier on the same day via a nationwide radio broadcast.

The irony of the last line in this diary is the admiral's strict instruction that his massive war diary should never fall into the hands of the enemy. We are all historically enriched by having access to this compelling and readable war diary.

[Mike Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became acquainted with this book back in the early 1990’s when I was at the Naval War College and I used it as a reference for a paper on the use of surprise as a primary tactic at the operational and strategic level of operations by the IJN. In the 21st century it is an interesting read about a naval force battling with a peer competitor and finding itself dropping farther and farther behind its opponent. It has pertinent lessons in other areas as well including BDA. Highly recommended for the naval professional.