Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto: biography

The birthplace of Isoroku Yamamoto, born on April 4, 1884, was Nagaoka, located in the Niigata Prefecture. The future admiral came from the family of a poor samurai. Since childhood, the boy dreamed of serving on the ship and, having grown up, entered the Academy of the Navy. Isoroku Yamamoto was educated in 1904, when the Russo-Japanese War began.

Getting Started

At the beginning of the armed confrontation the sailor got on the armored cruiser Nissin, which took part in the battle of Tsushima. In that battle, May 28, 1905, the Japanese routed the 2nd squadron of the Pacific fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky. A significant number of Russian ships were sunk. It was this battle that was the culmination of the war. For Isoroku Yamamoto, victory was given at a high price. He was injured, having lost his middle and index fingers.

Continuation of military career

Despite the trauma, Yamamoto's service did not just continue, but went up the hill. He enrolled in the Naval College, which formed the cadres of the high command of the fleet. The officer graduated at the age of 30, and in 32 years (in 1916) became a lieutenant commander. But on this Isoroku Yamamoto did not stop. In the years 1919-1921. He was educated abroad, listed at the American Harvard University.

Yamamoto, two times as a naval attache, served in Washington. Life in the New World affected his political views. At that time, the military proved itself as a supporter of the peaceful settlement of any world conflicts and a sharp opponent of the war against the United States. In 1923 he was promoted to captain.

New Challenges

At the age of 40, the future Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto became interested in naval aviation, preferring it to his former specialization in naval artillery. First, he tried himself in command of the cruiser Isuzu, and then - the carrier of the Akagi. Seeing the future of the army and navy in aviation, the military also commanded in the department of aeronautics.

In a break between the two world wars, Japan, along with other influential powers, tried to follow the course toward disarmament. In order to develop common measures in this direction, maritime conferences were convened twice in London (in 1930 and 1934). Became Vice Admiral Yamamoto participated in them as a career military officer who accompanied Japanese diplomats.

Despite these pacifist gestures, the government in Tokyo gradually exacerbated the situation in the Far East. In 1931, an invasion of Manchuria occurred, in 1937 the war with China began, and in 1940 Japan signed an allied pact with Germany and Italy. Isoroku Yamamoto, whose photographs then often became part of the Western press, consistently opposed the militaristic decisions of his authorities. Supporters of the war (which were much larger) were severely criticized by the Vice Admiral.

Appointment of the Fleet Commander-in-Chief

In 1940, Isoroku Yamamoto, quotations of whose speeches in the Navy were transferred from mouth to mouth, received the rank of admiral and became commander-in-chief of the United Fleet. At the same time, the military continued to receive threats from Japanese nationalists who considered him a betrayer of the interests of his homeland. In 1941, the militarist Hideaki Tojo became the prime minister . It seemed that Yamamoto's career was in the balance. Admiral was almost the main hardware opponent of Tojo.

However, in spite of everything, Yamamoto managed to maintain his rank and position. His widespread popularity among subordinates (and officers and sailors treated him with boundless respect). In addition, the admiral had a personal friendship with Emperor Hirohito. Finally, Isoroku Yamamoto, quotations from the theoretical works of which became the bible for the entire fleet, was one of the most competent people in all the armed forces. Having a western education and unique work experience, only he could consistently pursue the ongoing reform of Japan's naval armada.

Conflict with militarists

The government of Tojio, which came to power, began preparations for a war against the United States of America. Yamamoto was skeptical about a possible conflict with the US. He believed that Japan would not be enough to defeat the enemy in the Pacific, capturing the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and other islands. The war with America was to end only after Washington surrendered. Admiral did not believe that Japan has enough resources for such a march-throw and, as shown by the further development of events, was right.

Nevertheless, remaining in his post as commander-in-chief of the fleet, Yamamoto took part in the preparation of the ambulance campaign. With his direct participation, preparations were under way for an attack on Pearl Harbor. The Admiral opposed the "Cantai Cassin" - a strategic doctrine according to which Japan was supposed to wage war with the US, taking defensive positions. Yamamoto, on the contrary, believed that his country has only one opportunity to defeat the States - to shock the American public with a lightning offensive and force politicians to immediately sign peace.

Preparing for war

Since the attack on Pearl Harbor was carried out with the help of aircraft, special attention should be paid to the development of aviation. This is what Isoroku Yamamoto was doing. The film "Attack on Pearl Harbor" clearly demonstrates his contribution to the success of that operation. Also, the admiral took care of aviation, which operated in coastal operations. With his patronage, the development of the G3M bomber and the torpedo carrier G4M was conducted. These models differed in the increased range of the flight, which gave the Japanese command an additional weighty advantage. Americans called the G4M a "flying lighter".

Yamamoto Isoroku, whose biography was largely connected with aircraft, raised the task of creating a new long-range fighter. They became the model A6M Zero, received a much lightweight design. The Admiral initiated the reorganization of aviation and formation of a new First Air Fleet. It was this formation that participated in the raid on Pearl Harbor. While preparing for the operation, Yamamoto hoped for the surprise factor. A sudden attack would give the Japanese another few months of freedom in the Pacific until the American fleet arrives there.

Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, six Japanese aircraft carriers, carrying about 400 aircraft, approached Pearl Harbor. There was an attack, as a result of which four battleships and 11 other large ships of another type were sunk. Many auxiliary and secondary vessels were also destroyed. The Japanese lost only 29 crews.

Although the successful attack was planned by the commander-in-chief of the United Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto, it was carried out by Tuiti Nagumo. It was this vice-admiral, frightened of too much loss, ordered the aircraft to retreat. Yamamoto criticized this decision. He accused Nagumo of not fulfilling important tasks: the bombing of the military infrastructure of the Americans on the island of Oahu and the destruction of enemy aircraft carriers that were absent in the harbor. Vice Admiral, however, did not punish. The authorities were pleased with the result of an unexpected raid.

Continuation of the campaign

After the events in Hawaii, the Japanese armed forces continued to implement the strategic plan of the empire. Further fights were led by Dzisaburo Ozawa, For Takahashi and Nobutake Kondo. All of them were subordinate to Isoroku Yamamoto. A brief biography of this commander is an example of a naval commander, who had to perform an incredibly large task.

The Japanese set out to subjugate all the Pacific islands. Yamamoto developed a plan for the fleet and aviation to destroy numerous bases of British and Dutch. The main battles took place for the Netherlands-based East India (modern Indonesia).

First of all, the Japanese occupied the north of the Malay Archipelago. Then in February 1942 a battle took place in the Java Sea. The Japanese fleet defeated the United States, the Netherlands, Australia and England. This success allowed to completely occupy the Dutch East Indies. A little later, the resistance of the Americans in the Philippines was localized.

Disputes about the future

The successes of Japanese weapons did not embarrass the Allies. Neither the United Kingdom nor the United States intended to agree to peace. In Tokyo, they took a break in order to determine which direction to move on. Most military leaders advocated an offensive in Burma and the way out through it to India, where with the help of local nationalists it was planned to overthrow the British metropolis. Admiral Yamamoto, however, had the opposite opinion. He proposed to attack the remaining American positions on the Pacific islands.

The film "Isoroku Yamamoto" in 2011 (another name - "Attack on Pearl Harbor") clearly shows how uncompromising the Admiral was. Here and this time he did not abandon his point of view. During one of the discussions of the Tokyo headquarters, he was bombed by the US aviation. This incident forced the Japanese command to reconsider their plans. Soon Yamamoto's idea of attacking the island of Midway was the basis of the strategy for a new phase of the war. The Admiral was appointed commander-in-chief in the forthcoming operation.

Midway operation

According to the Yamamoto plan, the Japanese fleet was to be divided into two parts. One group he was going to send to the shores of Alaska to distract the Americans, and the second to attack the Midway Atoll. The operation was carefully prepared. It seemed that the admiral had provided all the details. If everything went according to his plan, the Japanese at the decisive moment would have received a considerable advantage in the forces and defeated the Americans in parts.

However, the events on the eve of the start of the battle for Midway crossed all the hopes of Yamamoto. American intelligence was able to decipher the secret Japanese code, through which secret data was transmitted. The success of cryptographers gave the enemy a colossal advantage.

When the battle began on June 4, 1942 at Midway, the American ships suddenly escaped from all Japanese attacks and organized their own ambush. In the decisive battle, 248 aircraft and 4 aircraft carriers Yamamoto were destroyed. Japanese pilots, although they were in the air, could only flood one enemy ship (Yorktown). Admiral, realizing that the battle was lost, ordered the remaining forces to retreat.

Lessons of defeat

The failure of the Midway operation was the turning point of the whole war in the Pacific. The Japanese lost their best technique and human footage. The United Fleet has lost the initiative and has since only led defensive battles. At home the admiral was subjected to widespread criticism.

Was Isoroku Yamamoto in the defeat of wine? The book behind the book on this subject is published today both in Japan and in other countries. Supporters and defenders of the military believe that his plan was no worse than plans for similar operations against opponents of the Axis countries. The main reason for the defeat of the Japanese was the success of Americans who read the secret code and learned the plans of the United Fleet.

Battles in the Solomon Islands

In the second half of 1942, the war in the Pacific moved to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Although Japan had many resources, they were smoldering day after day. Yamamoto, who lost much of his reputation, took on the leadership of minor operations. In August, he personally led the battle near the eastern Solomon Islands, and in November - the battle for the island of Guadalcanal.

In both cases, the Americans and their allies won. The Japanese suffered defeat primarily because of the army's inability to effectively operate on the shores of the islands. Great losses were mowed by the ranks of destroyers, torpedo and dive bombers. In February 1943, Japan lost control of Guadalcanal. A series of battles on the Solomon Islands was left for the Americans.

Death

Despite the defeat after defeat, the admiral did not lower his hands. He continued to inspect the troops and raise the morale of the fleet. On the eve of one such trip, the Americans again intercepted the secret message, which contained detailed information on the Yamamoto route. The find was reported to the White House. President Roosevelt demanded the liquidation of the Japanese commander.

On the morning of April 18, Yamamoto flew from Rabaul, a port on the island of New Britain. His plane was to make a journey of almost 500 kilometers. On the way, the bomber of the admiral was attacked by Americans who had arranged a well-planned ambush. The Yamamoto plane collapsed over one Solomon Islands.

After a while a rescue team of Japanese arrived there. The body of the admiral was found in the jungle - during the fall he was thrown out of the fuselage. The navy was cremated and buried in Tokyo. He was posthumously awarded the rank of Marshal, the Order of Chrysanthemum, and also the German Knight's Cross. During the war, the figure of Yamamoto became truly legendary. The whole of Japan was shocked by his death, and the country's leadership recognized the death of the national hero only a month after the American operation.