　「大淀」は、大日本帝国海軍の大淀型軽巡洋艦の1番艦です。艦名は、宮崎県下の最大河川「大淀川」から名付けられました。昭和十四年度に着手された第四次軍備充実計画（通称④計画）により巡洋艦乙（阿賀野型軽巡洋艦）と共に巡洋艦丙として計画され建造されました。
　大東亜戦争開戦前、海軍の対アメリカ戦計画では潜水艦部隊による敵主力艦隊の漸減邀撃が予定されていました。「大淀」は、その潜水艦作戦を支援するため新型水上偵察機（紫雲）の運用を可能とし、艦体中央部に航空機格納庫、艦後部に大型カタパルトを装備した航空巡洋艦として計画・建造されました。昭和⑰(1942)年4月2日、大淀は呉海軍工廠で進水。翌昭和18年2月28日に竣工しましたが、搭載予定だった紫雲の性能不足と太平洋における戦局の変化から潜水艦作戦に投入されることはなく、主に輸送作戦に従事することとなりました。昭和19(1944)年3月頃より水上機格納庫を会議室に改造、完成後の5月上旬から連合艦隊旗艦となり、豊田副武司令長官が座乗しました。事実上、帝国海軍最後の聯合艦隊旗艦となりました。その後は再び最前線に投入され、レイテ沖海戦（エンガノ岬沖海戦）・礼号作戦・北号作戦等・フィリピン方面で活動しました。昭和20(1945)年2月下旬に内地帰投後は呉練習戦隊に編入され、瀬戸内海（呉）に停泊し、7月28日の呉軍港空襲で大破横転、沈没しました。
　本作品は、「大淀」が竣工後まもなく「紫雲」の増加試作機6機をトラック方面へ輸送し現地で試験運用を行った様子をイメージして描いたものです。ほんのひと時だけではありますが、「大淀」の計画通りの姿が南洋にあったのです。

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.

The Oyodo is the first of the Oyodo class light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after the Oyodo River, the largest river in Miyazaki Prefecture. She was planned and built as cruiser Hei together with cruiser Otsu (Agano-type light cruiser) under the Fourth Armaments Enhancement Plan (commonly known as Plan 4), which was launched in 1939.
Before the outbreak of the Greater East Asian War, the Navy's war plan against the United States called for the gradual reduction and interception of the enemy main fleet by submarine forces. To support this submarine operation, the Oyodo was planned and built as an aircraft cruiser capable of operating a new type of seaplane (Shiun) and equipped with an aircraft hangar in the center of the ship and a large catapult in the rear. On April 2, 1942, Oyodo was launched at the Kure Naval Arsenal. However, due to the lack of performance of the Shiun, which was to be installed on her, and changes in the war situation in the Pacific, she was not deployed in submarine operations, but was mainly engaged in transport operations. Around March 1944, she was converted from a seaplane hangar into a conference room, and after its completion in early May, she became the flagship of the Combined Fleet, with Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Toyoda sitting on board. In effect, she became the last flagship of the Imperial Navy's Combined Fleet. After that, she was deployed to the front line again, and engaged in the Battle of Leyte Gulf (Battle of Cape Engano), Operation Rei-Go, Operation Hoku-Go, and other operations in the Philippine area. After returning to Japan in late February 1945, she was assigned to the Kure Training Squadron, anchored in the Seto Inland Sea (Kure), and was heavily damaged, overturned, and sunk in an air raid on Kure Military Port on July 28.
This work depicts an image of the Oyodo transporting six prototypes of the Shiun to the Truk area for local test operations shortly after her completion. It was only for a short time, but it was a great opportunity to see Oyodo operate the “Shiun” as planned, in the Southern Ocean.