|
...1941 sneak attack Pearl Harbor, that killed more than 2,400 Americans. (1) Yamamoto also had planned a bold attack on Midway in mid-1942, the success of which would have resulted in flying Japanese flags over the Hawaiian Islands. Fortunately, United States intelligence had already broken the Japanese code and learned of the operation in advance. (2) The information allowed the U.S. Navy to destroy four of Japan's aircraft carriers, and put Japan on the defensive for the first time in the war. (3)
United States intelligence units continued to intercept and decode Japanese naval messages. On April 13, USMC Major Alva B. Lasswell, one of the intelligence analysts at Pearl Harbor's Fleet Radio Unit, Pacific, received and decoded a message from the commander of the Japanese Southeastern Air Fleet. (4) The message noted that on April 18, Admiral Yamamoto would be flying from the Japanese-held island of Rabaul to the island of Bougainville, the closest he had ever come to the U.S. front lines. It mentioned that Yamamoto would be in a medium attack bomber, escorted by six fighters, and even specified his times of arrival at each base. The Japanese admiral had a reputation for punctuality. If Yamamoto was scheduled to be at a certain place at a certain time, one could count on his being there. (5)
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, pondered the wisdom of shooting down Yamamoto. On the negative side, a raid to kill him might reveal to the Japanese that the Americans had broken their code. It would also remove a leader whose behavior patterns had become familiar to intelligence analysts. On the other hand, here was a golden opportunity to deprive the Japanese of their leading admiral and demoralize them. A chance to avenge Pearl Harbor might have also been in the back of his mind. (6)
Historians have debated whether or not Nimitz consulted his superiors in Washington, which would have included Admiral Ernest King, the Chief of Naval Operations; Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. (7) Nimitz could have made the decision on his own. By the rules of war, a military commander in uniform in the field was fair game. Killing a soldier or sailor in combat could not be construed as a political assassination. However, most other military leaders who died in warfare were killed with their troops in battle, and not singled out for elimination behind their own lines. (8) An attempt to kill Yamamoto was more akin to special operations.
In any case, on April 15, Nimitz authorized Adm. William F. Halsey, commander in the South Pacific, to initiate preliminary planning. (9) Halsey passed on the project to RAdm. Marc A. Mitscher, commander of joint air operations in the Solomons. At Guadalcanal, Mitscher had jurisdiction over the only aircraft within range of the Yamamoto flight. The date was tempting. April 18, 1943 would be the first anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. Admiral Mitscher had been the commander of the U.S.S. Hornet, the carrier from which the Doolittle raiders launched. (10)
The question by this time was not so much whether or not to attack Yamamoto, but how. Planners of the Yamamoto mission on Guadalcanal included Admiral Mitscher, his chief of staff Brig. Gen. Field...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
More articles from Air Power History
The resurrection of Bill McGlynn's flying fortress. (Short Story).(Sho..., June 22, 2003
Irish Volunteers in the Second World War. (Book Reviews).(Book Review)..., June 22, 2003
Guts & Glory: The Making of the American Military Image in Film. (Book..., June 22, 2003
On War and Leadership: The Words of Combat Commanders from Frederick t..., June 22, 2003
Throwing Fire: Projectile Technology through History. (Book Reviews).(..., June 22, 2003
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
%20%20&position=1)