World War II Database

Ryusaku Yanagimoto was high-cheek boned and said to have had a set of intense eyes. Previous served as a naval attaché to Britain and then an instructor at the Naval War College, he was made the commander on 6 Oct 1941 of the new aircraft carrier Soryu in a series of successful attacks against the Allied forces across the Pacific. He participated in high-profile victories such as the attack on Pearl Harbor and the raid on British ships in the Indian Ocean, establishing an impressive resume.

Near the conclusion of the Battle of Midway, Yanagimoto's Soryu was attacked by American aircraft carrier Yorktown's SBD Dauntless aircraft, then struck by a torpedo by the submarine Nautilus. Many officers and sailors of Soryu recall seeing the visage of the captain standing by the starboard side of the bridge, seemingly calm and undeterred by the raging fires. When the ship finally gave in, the cold Pacific waters became Yanagimoto's final resting place.

Ryusaku Yanagimoto Timeline

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Edward Chen says:
   26 Nov 2005 09:29:48 PM
   
   Good entry here, but the correct name is Yanagimoto (surname) Ryusaku (given name) Shattered Sword presents Japanese names in their patronymic format.
   Captain Yanagimoto skippered carrier Soryu and went down with his ship during Midway.
   
   Here is his photo (as posted in Shattered Sword obtained from Yushukan website):
   
   http:www.yasukuni.or.jpenglishyasuhtml_englishimg15_2p.jpg

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