Justin Pyke
@justinpykehistory.bsky.social
MA in History. Studies intelligence, sea power, air power, and the Asia-Pacific War. Researching U.S. intelligence assessments of Japanese air and sea power, 1919-1941. Andor appreciator and PC gamer.
Pinned
A sincere welcome to all of my new followers! I don't claim to be anyone important, but I mostly post about my research, the Asia-Pacific War, Star Wars (mainly Andor... let's be real), PC gaming, tabletop, and the brunches that will probably stop my heart one day.
Here's the recording, for those of you who missed it!
December 21, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Here's the recording, for those of you who missed it!
We're live now!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQjl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQjl...
Airpower Wins Wars 4: The First Carrier Battle
YouTube video by Military Aviation History
www.youtube.com
December 21, 2025 at 6:04 PM
We're live now!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQjl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQjl...
Reposted by Justin Pyke
Chris and I have settled on Sunday, December 21 @ 6pm GMT / 11am MT. The stream will be on YouTube, as usual.
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
Finished Piegzik's _Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway_! I'll be sharing some thoughts on it along with Chris this coming Sunday during a live stream. We'll probably end up talking casually about Operation MO in general as well I suspect.
December 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Chris and I have settled on Sunday, December 21 @ 6pm GMT / 11am MT. The stream will be on YouTube, as usual.
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
Chris and I have settled on Sunday, December 21 @ 6pm GMT / 11am MT. The stream will be on YouTube, as usual.
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
Finished Piegzik's _Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway_! I'll be sharing some thoughts on it along with Chris this coming Sunday during a live stream. We'll probably end up talking casually about Operation MO in general as well I suspect.
December 20, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Chris and I have settled on Sunday, December 21 @ 6pm GMT / 11am MT. The stream will be on YouTube, as usual.
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
(Let's see if the third attempt at this doesn't have a typo in it...)
Reposted by Justin Pyke
“The United States, according to the New York Times, has a Maginot Line problem.
The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”
Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)
foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”
Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)
foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
U.S. Strategists Keep Getting France’s Defeat Wrong
Myths about the Maginot Line are strangely persistent.
foreignpolicy.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
“The United States, according to the New York Times, has a Maginot Line problem.
The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”
Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)
foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
The problem is that Monsieur Maginot’s infamous namesake fortification has little to do with what really happened in 1940.”
Me in Foreign Policy (gift link)
foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/18/f...
Finished Piegzik's _Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway_! I'll be sharing some thoughts on it along with Chris this coming Sunday during a live stream. We'll probably end up talking casually about Operation MO in general as well I suspect.
December 18, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Finished Piegzik's _Gamble in the Coral Sea: Japan's Offensive, the Carrier Battle, and the Road to Midway_! I'll be sharing some thoughts on it along with Chris this coming Sunday during a live stream. We'll probably end up talking casually about Operation MO in general as well I suspect.
So, I have a question for those of you way more knowledgeable on US Army training in the interwar years than me. One very consistent critique I come across from US Army officers who observed IJA training is that their marksmanship training sucked. This doesn't read to me as stemming from prejudice.
December 17, 2025 at 11:25 PM
So, I have a question for those of you way more knowledgeable on US Army training in the interwar years than me. One very consistent critique I come across from US Army officers who observed IJA training is that their marksmanship training sucked. This doesn't read to me as stemming from prejudice.
Reposted by Justin Pyke
I've seen some responses to this dismissing the idea that doing Roman military history could be a disadvantage in the job market because it is so popular with the public.
There absolutely is a hiring bias against military history in the field, but it has nothing to do with being white or male.
There absolutely is a hiring bias against military history in the field, but it has nothing to do with being white or male.
This is 100% incorrect as the explanation for why someone obsessed with Roman *military* history is not being hired.
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I've seen some responses to this dismissing the idea that doing Roman military history could be a disadvantage in the job market because it is so popular with the public.
There absolutely is a hiring bias against military history in the field, but it has nothing to do with being white or male.
There absolutely is a hiring bias against military history in the field, but it has nothing to do with being white or male.
Got some mild urge to chip away at research for my book again. I still need to get back to NARA one day to fill in key gaps on the ONI side. That will be many years off at this rate. :/
December 16, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Got some mild urge to chip away at research for my book again. I still need to get back to NARA one day to fill in key gaps on the ONI side. That will be many years off at this rate. :/
I had my head stuck in the ground and completely missed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I'm watching a friend play through it and have been listening to the soundtrack while I work. It's an incredible game so far and the OST is easily one of the best I've heard. No wonder it was showered in awards.
December 15, 2025 at 4:58 PM
I had my head stuck in the ground and completely missed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I'm watching a friend play through it and have been listening to the soundtrack while I work. It's an incredible game so far and the OST is easily one of the best I've heard. No wonder it was showered in awards.
I got up to the sinking of Shoho and it has been a few years since I've read an account. Basically this.
Also something of a redemption for the Yorktown air group's poor results against the Tulagi invasion force.
Also something of a redemption for the Yorktown air group's poor results against the Tulagi invasion force.
a group of cartoon characters are standing in front of a christmas tree and looking surprised .
Alt: A gif from The Simpsons with a child crying "Stop, stop! He's already dead."
media.tenor.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I got up to the sinking of Shoho and it has been a few years since I've read an account. Basically this.
Also something of a redemption for the Yorktown air group's poor results against the Tulagi invasion force.
Also something of a redemption for the Yorktown air group's poor results against the Tulagi invasion force.
Reposted by Justin Pyke
The World War II Museum in New Orleans has posted videos from their recent conference. You can see my panel with @milhistcurator.bsky.social here.
I discuss U.S. Navy "systems" (CIC, Tenth Fleet, and Logistics) and he covers the integration of the Seabees.
youtu.be/sXspMCd9r1U?...
I discuss U.S. Navy "systems" (CIC, Tenth Fleet, and Logistics) and he covers the integration of the Seabees.
youtu.be/sXspMCd9r1U?...
US Navy’s WWII Transformations with Trent Hone, Frank Blazich
YouTube video by The National WWII Museum
youtu.be
December 11, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The World War II Museum in New Orleans has posted videos from their recent conference. You can see my panel with @milhistcurator.bsky.social here.
I discuss U.S. Navy "systems" (CIC, Tenth Fleet, and Logistics) and he covers the integration of the Seabees.
youtu.be/sXspMCd9r1U?...
I discuss U.S. Navy "systems" (CIC, Tenth Fleet, and Logistics) and he covers the integration of the Seabees.
youtu.be/sXspMCd9r1U?...
I have the Battle of the Coral Sea on the brain lately for reasons (more to come soon). I still feel awfully lonely in my spicy Operation MO take.
December 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I have the Battle of the Coral Sea on the brain lately for reasons (more to come soon). I still feel awfully lonely in my spicy Operation MO take.
I always found this atmospheric shot interesting. Oilers don't get the attention the capital ships do, but easily one of the most impressive aspects of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was getting the force there in the first place.
IJN oiler Kokuyō Maru
Date: December 9, 1941
Location: Central Pacific
Photo: Morikazu Takeda from the Kyokutō Maru
Situation: during Operation Hawaii
static.ow.ly/photos/origi...
Date: December 9, 1941
Location: Central Pacific
Photo: Morikazu Takeda from the Kyokutō Maru
Situation: during Operation Hawaii
static.ow.ly/photos/origi...
December 10, 2025 at 3:23 AM
I always found this atmospheric shot interesting. Oilers don't get the attention the capital ships do, but easily one of the most impressive aspects of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was getting the force there in the first place.
Reposted by Justin Pyke
So, I was looking into why I had a random illustration of a Soviet and Chinese bombing raid on Taiwan in February 1938 on my computer. It led to this fascinating discovery.
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
1938 Gum Inc. Horrors of War (R69) Non-Sport Checklist | Trading Card Database
www.tcdb.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:19 AM
So, I was looking into why I had a random illustration of a Soviet and Chinese bombing raid on Taiwan in February 1938 on my computer. It led to this fascinating discovery.
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
This came up on livestream last week. This kind of thing is why I give no credence to "rendering more realistic air combat isn't exciting enough" for film in an effort to justify P-51s pulling 60g backflips or whatever. This CG isn't totally realistic. It's filmic in presentation, just grounded.
December 7, 2025 at 8:27 PM
This came up on livestream last week. This kind of thing is why I give no credence to "rendering more realistic air combat isn't exciting enough" for film in an effort to justify P-51s pulling 60g backflips or whatever. This CG isn't totally realistic. It's filmic in presentation, just grounded.
Reposted by Justin Pyke
An impromptu thread (thank you @bantiarna.bsky.social!) of my reading recommendations for those of you who are Shinsengumi fans in particular or curious about the Bakumatsu (late Edo) period in general.
Conrad Totman's "The Collapse of the Tokugawa Bakufu" is one of the major texts that's always referenced. Jansen's book which you read is another. There's also Harry Harootunian's "Toward Restoration," Yates' "Saigo Takamori" and Mark Ravina's Saigo book "The Last Samurai"
December 7, 2025 at 3:17 AM
An impromptu thread (thank you @bantiarna.bsky.social!) of my reading recommendations for those of you who are Shinsengumi fans in particular or curious about the Bakumatsu (late Edo) period in general.
So, I was looking into why I had a random illustration of a Soviet and Chinese bombing raid on Taiwan in February 1938 on my computer. It led to this fascinating discovery.
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
1938 Gum Inc. Horrors of War (R69) Non-Sport Checklist | Trading Card Database
www.tcdb.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:19 AM
So, I was looking into why I had a random illustration of a Soviet and Chinese bombing raid on Taiwan in February 1938 on my computer. It led to this fascinating discovery.
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
www.tcdb.com/Checklist.cf...
I'm finding it difficult to get excited over an announcement that Total War: Medieval III is in "early pre-production" (lol) and that the game engine might actually function in future. I guess we'll see if the long rumoured Total War: 40K gets announced at The Game Awards.
December 5, 2025 at 5:48 AM
I'm finding it difficult to get excited over an announcement that Total War: Medieval III is in "early pre-production" (lol) and that the game engine might actually function in future. I guess we'll see if the long rumoured Total War: 40K gets announced at The Game Awards.
Following up his previous post, here's @karyuu.bsky.social giving a brief rundown of Japanese tank optics.
karyu.org/2025/12/03/j...
karyu.org/2025/12/03/j...
Japanese Army Tank Optics
This article documents the basic specifications and development history of optical equipment used by the Japanese Army in its tanks and self-propelled guns during World War II. It covers the primary…
karyu.org
December 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Following up his previous post, here's @karyuu.bsky.social giving a brief rundown of Japanese tank optics.
karyu.org/2025/12/03/j...
karyu.org/2025/12/03/j...
Reposted by Justin Pyke
So, hey, my new book on Truman and the Bomb comes out NEXT WEEK! In this post on Doomsday Machines, I give a rundown of WHAT IT IS ABOUT, and other useful information, including the talk I am giving about it on December 16. doomsdaymachines.net/p/the-most-a...
"The Most Awful Responsibility"
My new book on Truman and the bomb will be released next week
doomsdaymachines.net
December 4, 2025 at 2:17 PM
So, hey, my new book on Truman and the Bomb comes out NEXT WEEK! In this post on Doomsday Machines, I give a rundown of WHAT IT IS ABOUT, and other useful information, including the talk I am giving about it on December 16. doomsdaymachines.net/p/the-most-a...
Reposted by Justin Pyke
Mitsuo Fuchida's personal photo album "Autobiography: Summer is Near" is now available on the Hoover Institution's website.
Link: digitalcollections2.hoover.org/view/ark:/54...
Link: digitalcollections2.hoover.org/view/ark:/54...
Photo album No. 2 "Pictures for Fuchida story" (自伝 夏は近い Autobiography: The Summer is Near), 1939-1945
digitalcollections2.hoover.org
December 2, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Mitsuo Fuchida's personal photo album "Autobiography: Summer is Near" is now available on the Hoover Institution's website.
Link: digitalcollections2.hoover.org/view/ark:/54...
Link: digitalcollections2.hoover.org/view/ark:/54...
This is some pretty outstanding research from @karyuu.bsky.social and makes for an interesting read.
karyu.org/2025/11/24/m...
karyu.org/2025/11/24/m...
Mysterious Japanese Tanks Scrapped by the Americal Division
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, multiple experimental Japanese tanks disappeared with little trace. Due to the widespread stories (perhaps overblown in this regard) of the Japanese armed…
karyu.org
December 3, 2025 at 9:47 PM
This is some pretty outstanding research from @karyuu.bsky.social and makes for an interesting read.
karyu.org/2025/11/24/m...
karyu.org/2025/11/24/m...
Reposted by Justin Pyke
When the forces of postwar economic growth keep unearthing painful reminders of the wartime past: three episodes from Tokyo
1) June 1967: construction crews expanding the Tozai line discover the remains of 4 adults and 2 children entombed in an air raid shelter in Koto ward.
1) June 1967: construction crews expanding the Tozai line discover the remains of 4 adults and 2 children entombed in an air raid shelter in Koto ward.
December 3, 2025 at 5:54 AM
When the forces of postwar economic growth keep unearthing painful reminders of the wartime past: three episodes from Tokyo
1) June 1967: construction crews expanding the Tozai line discover the remains of 4 adults and 2 children entombed in an air raid shelter in Koto ward.
1) June 1967: construction crews expanding the Tozai line discover the remains of 4 adults and 2 children entombed in an air raid shelter in Koto ward.
Reposted by Justin Pyke
Ooh so this is a really good question and worth exploring, because there's an interesting complexity in the answer! 🧵
Did the Choshu/Satsuma forces face similar discipline problems or was the lesser degree to which they did so part of the reason they won?
December 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Ooh so this is a really good question and worth exploring, because there's an interesting complexity in the answer! 🧵