Death of Yamamoto
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
On 14 April 1943, Fleet Radio Unit Pacific Fleet decoded a intercepted Japanese Navy message, which allowed the US to know that Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, was planning on an inspection of three front-line bases near Bougainville Island. The message contained specific details regarding Yamamoto's arrival and departure times and locations, as well as the number and types of planes that will transport and accompany him on the journey. When Admiral Nimitz, US's commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet, read the message, he decided to go ahead with striking down Yamamoto en route after deciding that no potential replacement for Yamamoto would be more capable than the brilliant admiral who planned the attacks on Pearl Harbor. His death at enemy hands would also deal a severe blow against Japanese morale, Nimitz concluded. The final go-ahead came from the White House via Navy secretary Frank Knox. After receiving the approval, Nimitz gave the task to Admiral Halsey, whose forces were in the Solomons area at the time.
Halsey sent a squadron of 18 Army P-38 Lightning fighters based in Henderson Field on Guadalcanal on 18 April 1943 to attack Yamamoto's planes. The date was especially chosen on the one-year annivesary of the Doolittle Raids, partially for revenge as it was just made known to Halsey that three of the captured Doolittle raiders were just beheaded by the Japanese. Knowing Yamamoto was always punctual, it made Halsey's planning easy. The P-38 fighters were fitted with extra large drop tanks in order to provide the pilots enough fuel for the return trip after the strike. After a series of dogfighters, the lead Nakajima G4M2 "Betty" bombers (escorted by six Zero fighters) was strafed by machine gun fire, and crashed into the jungle below. Not knowing which bomber carried Yamamoto, the second bomber was also attacked, and she crashed into the ocean with passenger Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki (he survived). Yamamoto's body was found by Japanese search and rescue party, led by Army engineer Lieutenant Hamasuna, the next day in the jungle north of Buin. He had been thrown clear of the plane's wreckage, white-gloved hand grasping the hilt of his samurai sword. He was killed by machine gun fire before the plane crashed. According to Lieutenant Hamasuna, Yamamoto was instantly recognizable, sitting perfectly under a tree, head dipped down as deep in thought; however, it is largely argued that Yamamoto's remains were tidied up by the search party out of respect.
The Japanese government did not announce Yamamoto's death until 21 May. To cover up the fact that the Allies were reading Japanese code, American newspapers published a story that civlian coast watchers in the Solomons saw Yamamoto boarding a bomber in the area. The Japanese apparently bought into the story, and did not change their code.
Captain Watanabe and his staff cremated Yamamoto's remains at Buin, and the ashes returned to Tokyo aboard the battleship Musashi, Yamamoto's last flagship. Yamamoto was given a full state funeral on 3 June, where he received, posthumously, the title of Fleet Admiral and awarded the Order of the Chrysanthemum, First Class. Part of his ashes was buried in the public cemetery in Tuma in Tokyo and the remainder at his ancestral burial grounds at the Chuko-Ji Temple in Nagaoka City. Tens of thousands of mourners came to Nagaoka City to pay their last respects.
Sources: Death of Yamamoto due to 'Magic', the Pacific Campaign.
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» Halsey, William
» Nimitz, Chester
» Ugaki, Matome
» Yamamoto, Isoroku
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Winston Churchill
12 May 2005 07:00:07 AM
do you have any pictures of Yamamoto as a baby or teenager, I need it for a report
17 Jun 2005 05:13:11 PM
Seems to me Yamamoto was growing to tired to be cautious. And his soldiers learned the art of suicide all too well.
27 Jun 2005 01:06:14 PM
It is importent to remember that this entire operation was planned, and carried out by regular line pilots. This was not some special unit.Everyone from Capt Mitchell to the lost Roy Hine was U.S. Army Air Corps line pilots. That is the greatness of the mission. Just regular guys with a regular leader doing a phenominal job. Anyone interested in the whole story including background information on all the pilots and Yamamoto should read Lighting Strike it is all inclusive.
18 Jul 2005 04:43:06 AM
Admiral Ugaki survived the crash of the 2nd bomber and after recuperating was put in charge of BatDiv 1.
2 Oct 2005 12:12:37 PM
As a French historian, I prepare a conference about Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku. Admirals life is more interesting that what official history done. But i cant forget Pearl Harbor.
2 Jan 2006 07:50:32 PM
Is there a movie about this operation that attacked and killed the monster of Pearl Harbour?
17 Feb 2006 10:00:08 PM
Outstanding Mission by Army Pilots flying P-38s. A winning combination all the way round.
26 Feb 2006 04:36:42 PM
There is an account of the air battle that brought down Yamamotos Betty bomber at the following web address: http:www.salute.co.uksalutegamesyamamotoYamamoto.htm
28 Feb 2006 05:47:37 AM
I have been reading a book on Yamamato. To me, he is a great warrior. A Japanese Hero, who fought well for his emperor. the point is Yamamoto was forced into this war which he really hated.
28 Mar 2006 10:43:49 PM
all i know that my grand-grand father tsumetaro yamamoto is a great and good soldier.even that i see him only in picture.but my grand father tell something a story that happen b4 ww2.my grand father is genaro yamamoto.but now my grand father is dead.im looking forward to know about the yamamoto clan.i want to know more about the story of yamamoto.
4 Sep 2006 05:19:21 PM
I second Jerrys comments. Lightning Strike by Donald A. Davis is an excellent reference book that puts Yamamotos death in perspective along all those involved.
12 Oct 2006 09:18:11 PM
yes anonymus whos aking about the pistures of yamamoto i had that all if you want i can show you but first you need to tell why your interested about the pictures of my grandfather???????????
7 Nov 2006 12:02:23 PM
really helpful, thanks
20 Nov 2006 01:38:26 PM
**** Yamamoto all is fair in War, **** Coward Bastards started it America Nuke finished it..
26 Dec 2006 06:44:09 PM
Why did the Japanese treat non-Japanese so poorly? What they did while occupying China, and what is now Korea, the Phillipines, was beyond description. Between 13 and 12 of all POWs died - by starvation, work-to-death, or outright murder. Even today, the non-Japanese cannot trust the Japanese Nihonese. Cultures are so different, and no culture is innocent when it comes to war, but they are still in denial of their crimes. They refuse to pitch to a foreignerAmerican, who played in their professional baseball league, when he got close to passing their homerun king. I can only conclude that society is not ready to embrace the rest of the globe. Otherwise, they are a very old and proud society. It is a shame. There is so much good there as well - wisdom, beauty, order. Still, I thank God they are not yet a military power.
9 Mar 2007 07:06:54 PM
As atrotious as the attack on Pearl Harbor may be, Isoroku Yamamoto was following his orders. Of course he would do the best job he could, and thats exactly what he did. Remember, he was opposed to attacking the United States, and he was also very wary of what would come of it. So, if your orders are to do something you know will bring about dire consequences, would you not do the best damned job you could in an attempt to deafen an inevitable retaliation?
15 Mar 2007 11:13:28 AM
hello this is mister history man and umm i think the death of this man was horific and i thik that he is really ugly
10 May 2007 04:00:47 PM
I really think that you should put yourself in his place before you start saying negative things about him. I war is a stupid thing to do ,we should all get along.
5 Jul 2007 12:22:57 AM
It is my view that Yamamoto was a hero and one of the finest examples of a soldier that any nation could look on. He did his duty, but he fought honorably and died honorably.
23 Nov 2007 12:39:39 AM
let me teach you the art of war and bravery. nimitz should follow what other generals did in the past. i honored robert e. lee and william t. sherman because they decide the outcomes in the battlefield. so did wellington and napoleon. shooting at the back is a cowardly acts done by nimitz because he is afraid of battling head to head with yamamoto. Poor nimitz.
11 Feb 2008 02:28:59 PM
well to answer anonymous #15 i have to say that the Japanese saw themselves as a superior race to others. I do have to agree with "genghis khan" that it was a very cowardly thing to do. however it was a very strategic plan in order to remove a stronger enemy. he might have been thinking of an easier way to win this war. I believe most people hated this war and in war you try to finish it as fast as possible.
6 May 2008 08:18:49 PM
這本"三字經"一本不賣
三本五十六元
買不買? 阿
買不買阿
25 May 2008 08:23:52 AM
He's a great Soldier.
11 Aug 2008 01:03:27 AM
what about yamamoto's sword? was it found? and if so where may i see it on display....
6 Sep 2008 12:33:27 AM
I have to say there is alot of negative comments about yamamoto, but how many of you have actually looked at his personal life. All he wanted was to be a husband and a father. If you talk to someone that knew him he Hated war!!! He didnt want to leave his children, or die at hat age. for **** sakes he died at about the about the age his his father was when he was born. when the task was given to him he didnt like that idea so natrually he did the best he could so there would have less error. how many americans can say that if the task was given to them that they would not fight for the country they love. in the end i would say yamamoto was a hero. ps look at what some of the american soldiers were doing to the iraq prisoners.
17 Nov 2008 08:24:44 AM
I see a couple of comments calling Nimitz a coward but check out Yamamoto's opinion on a similar situation.
On August 20th, 1939, Yamamoto became the commander of the United Fleets and its First Fleet Division. On November 11th, 1940, the celebrating conference of 2600th imperial year was held at the Double-Bridge Park in front of the Emperor's Palace. The emperor had a speech there under the bright sun. A few days later, Sorimachi who attended to the conference, talked to Yamamoto to share his impressions. Yamamoto answered,
"Yes, I was invited, but I did not attend, so I cannot tell you how it was for me. It was an occasion where probably all of the government people and the emperor gathered in one place. We are at war against China. Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai Shek) is a great commander and he has a good Airforce power. If I were he, I would just attack the Double-Bridge Park and easily destroy Japan. Therefore, I was with the fleet watching the sky two entire days. It was nothing but luck that I did not see any airplanes coming."
12 Apr 2009 07:08:55 PM
wow this really helped me a lot, but wikipedia also has a lot
8 Oct 2009 01:16:41 PM
Alot has been said about Adm. Yamamoto, but no one has said anything about the quote that he made after receiving the "Tora, Tora, Tora" message. This is a paraphrased quote, he said, "We have but awakened a sleeping giant and he will crush us" or words to that effect. This statement could have ended his career if Gen. Tojo could have had his way. Adm. Yamamoto was a brilliant stratigist and a brave hero to the Japanese People of the time. May he rest in peace, May all those who fell in that conflict rest in peace. My tour of duty in Japan (1973) included a few visits to Japanese veterans of WW II. Their stories were just as thrilling as those told by my father (pbwh).
Shelly Ann,
LPN(ret), HM2(FMF)/USN, Sgt/USAR, ACM/olc, VNeVet, GWVet, VFW/DAV Life Member
16 Oct 2009 08:41:10 AM
Killing Yamamoto was really a tragic necessity and was more of a turning point than Midway for in it Japan's Navy was decapitated. He genuinely like America and Americans and deplored the idea of war. Americans found out after the war that he was really very pro-American and really bothered by Pearl Harbor. Had he survived the war he may not have been tried as a war criminal.
He placed himself in peril and did what he asked his navy people to do. He went into a war zone and paid the price. He always believed he would die in the Pacific War.
He left behind Reiko his wife and 4 children and the true love of his life, a geisha. He was influenced by Christian Missionaries but never became a born again Christian himself.
He is the greatest Admiral since Lord Nelson.
The only one that could have succeded him with as much clout was RADM Tamon Yamaguchi, a brilliant strategist who took his own life after the Midway loss.
12 Feb 2010 03:41:15 PM
I believe that I read a story long ago that at least one of the Admirals children were smuggled out of Japan to Manila by Marist Brother Missionaries and later taken to safety in the US. Does anyone know is that was true?
6 Mar 2010 04:30:20 PM
Its interesting reading all these comments. Admiral Yamamoto like other Japanese officers in the post WWI military were trained very well in the US by the American military.
I first heard of Yamamoto when I was growing up in my village which is about a 20 minute drive to where his military transport had crashed.
19 Mar 2010 05:38:17 PM
Yamamoto did what any true warrior would do, he fought and died for his country and his ideals. Anyone who holds that against him, is either a woman or a coward. They hit us, we hit them, that is war, do not shame the warriors who fight wars when most know nothing of the horror that they are.
19 Mar 2010 05:40:29 PM
A great man, on par with Nap, Nim, Alex, Eis, Mac, Romm, cea, the great Military leaders of the recorded era. Names are shortened so that only those with historical backround can comprehend my thought process.
19 Apr 2010 06:38:33 AM
This is a gr8 site and I got alot of info off of it the best info I have came from here and I got an A+
21 Apr 2010 02:19:56 PM
Thank u all for these interesting comments. :) I am reading this article for an assignment and I believe they shouldn't have tried to kill Yamamoto because i mean: it may have been wrong but as others have said, he did it for his country, though realizing it was a horrible mistake.
Bless Yamamoto's heart as well as those who were killed during the bombing at Pearl Harbor.
22 Apr 2010 04:56:49 PM
i have an old sword . the tang has been signed "Yamamoto Large Husband". I'm trying to find out how old it is.