　軽巡洋艦「那珂」は、大日本帝国海軍が建造した川内型軽巡洋艦の３番艦です。「那珂」は当初4隻（「加古」・「那珂」・「川内」・「神通」）が計画された二等巡洋艦の2番艦として大正11（1922）年6月10日に横浜船渠に起工されました。しかし、大正12（1923）年9月1日に発生した関東大震災により、船台上で著しく損傷。結果として旧「那珂」は解体の上、川内型3番艦として改めて起工し、大正13（1924）年5月24日に工事再開。翌年3月24日、進水し、最初の起工から約3年が経過した大正14（1925）年11月30日に就役しました。
　大東亜戦争序盤は、第四水雷戦隊の旗艦として南方の攻略作戦の船団護衛・上陸支援に参加。昭和18（1943）年4月1日には新編された第十四戦隊の旗艦として、多数の輸送任務に従事しました。昭和19（1944）年2月17日にトラック泊地北方で航行不能となった「阿賀野」救援からの帰途、トラック入港を目前にして、来襲した米軍機による苛烈な攻撃より、沈没しました。「那珂」は被弾により艦首50mを失うも、果敢に応戦したことが伝えられています。
　本作品は、「那珂」の戦歴の中でも最も知られるスラバヤ沖海戦時の一幕をイメージして描いたものです。同海戦は、昭和17（1942）年2月末、ジャワ島占領のためジャワ島東部へ向かう陸軍第48師団と坂口支隊を乗せた輸送船団を護衛していた第五戦隊・第二水雷戦隊と共に第四水雷戦隊（旗艦那珂）と、これを迎撃するためにスラバヤから出撃してきた連合国軍のABDA艦隊との間で生起した海戦です。『第四水雷戦隊戦闘詳報』にあった記述を基に、このスラバヤ沖海戦の主戦が繰り広げられる前日、艦隊の列外に出て九四式二号水上偵察機を射出する「那珂」をイメージして描き上げました。
　制作のきっかけは、「那珂」艦内神社の分霊元である大洗磯前神社（茨城県）より、頒布用絵馬用の絵についてお問い合わせを頂いたことでした。絵馬のために描き下ろした作品ですので、令和5（2023）年2月17日に「軍艦那珂慰霊祭」が斎行される機会に合わせて、本作品の特製複製画を同社へ奉納しました。

The light cruiser Naka was the third of the Sendai class light cruisers built by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Naka was the second of four second-class cruisers ("Kako", "Naka", "Sendai", and "Jintsu") originally planned, and was laid down at Yokohama Dockyard on June 10, 1922. However, the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923 severely damaged the ship on the berth. As a result, the former "Naka" was dismantled and re-commissioned as the third ship of the Sendai class, and construction resumed on May 24, 1924. She was launched on March 24 of the following year, and commissioned on November 30, 1925, about three years after the initial construction.

In the early stages of the Greater East Asian War, as the flagship of the 4th Destroyer Squadron, she participated in fleet escort and landing support for the southern campaign. On April 1, 1943, as the flagship of the newly formed 14th Squadron, she was engaged in numerous transport missions. On February 17, 1944, while returning from a rescue mission for Agano, which had been disabled north of the truck port, Naka was sunk by a fierce attack by incoming U.S. aircraft just before entering the truck port. The Naka lost 50 meters of her bow due to the bombing, but reportedly fought back valiantly.

This work is an image of a scene from the Battle of the Java Sea, the most well-known battle in Naka's military history. The battle took place at the end of February 1942 between the 5th Squadron, 2nd Mine Squadron, and 4th Mine Squadron (flagship Naka), which were escorting a convoy carrying the Army's 48th Division and Sakaguchi Branch on its way to eastern Java for the occupation of the island, and the Allied ABDA Fleet, which had sailed from Surabaya to intercept them. Based on the description in the "4th Destroyer Squadron Battle Report", I imagined and drew the scene of the Naka going out of the line of the fleet and launching a Type 94-2 water reconnaissance plane the day before the main battle of the Battle of the Java Sea unfold.

The impetus for this work came from an inquiry from Oarai Isosaki Shrine (Ibaraki Prefecture), the origin of the spirit of the shrine enshrined on board the "Naka", regarding a drawing for an ema (votive picture tablet) to be distributed. Since the drawing was created for the ema, a special reproduction of the painting was dedicated to the shrine on the occasion of the "Memorial Ceremony for the Warship Naka" to be held on February 17, 2023.

総頁数：156P　販売価格：4,400（税込*）*BOOTH価格は梱包・送料込
収録作品：79点（帝国海軍艦艇/海自艦艇/外国海軍艦艇）
仕様：見開きにズレが無く、ほぼ水平に開くク―タ・バインディング製本

Total number of pages: 156p
Price: 4,400(tax included*)*BOOTH price includes packing and shipping costs.
Included works: 79 pieces (IJN, JMSDF, US, British, French, German
and Italian Navy vessels)
Specifications: PUR binding with no misalignment of spreads and horizontal opening.