The IJN in the Med…

As the remembrance of World War I winds towards its close…

But the Imperial Japanese Navy also made a more direct contribution to the European war effort. From late 1914 on, the British made repeated requests for the deployment of Japanese naval forces in support of allied forces in Europe, although Tokyo rebuffed such requests. By 1916, however, the Japanese government had reconsidered, apparently seeing some value in the experience that could be gained from a long-range, long-term naval deployment. In 1917, the British requested the deployment of a Japanese squadron to the Mediterranean, in order to assist with escort and anti-submarine duties.