Yamamoto, Isoroku, born 04-04-1884 in the village of Kushigun Sonshomura on Hokkaido.
He enrolled at the Naval Academy at Etajima, Hiroshima
in 1896, later target for the first atomic bomb, graduating in 1904. In 1905 during the war with Russia he saw action as an ensign on the cruiser Nisshin in at the Battle of Tsushima against the Russian Baltic Fleet and was slightly injured. After the war he went with various ships all over the Pacific. In 1913 he went to the Naval Staff College at Tsukiji, a sign that he was being groomed for the high command. Upon graduation in 1916, he was appointed to the staff of the Second Battle Squadron and was adopted by the Yamamoto family. On 31-08-1918, he married Mihashi Rreiko,
the daughter of a dairy farmer from the island of Wakamatsu, groomed from birth by prevailing social norms to reflect the ideals of Japanese women of the time. Mihashi was to bear him four children. The eldest out of which being a boy was to carry on the Yamamoto name.



From 1919-1921 Yamamoto studied at Harvard University. Promoted to Commander upon his return to Japan he taught at the staff college before being sent to the new air-training centre at Kasumigaura in 1924 to direct it and to learn to fly. From 1926 to 1928, he was naval attaché to the Japanese embassy in Washington. He was then appointed to the Naval Affairs bureau and made Rear Admiral,
he attended the London Naval Conference in 1930. Back to Japan he joined the Naval Aviation bureau and from 1933 headed the bureau and directed the entire navy air program. In December 1936, Yamamoto was made vice minister of the Japanese navy, from which position he argued passionately for more naval air power and opposed the construction of new battleships. He also opposed the invasion of Manchuria and the army hopes for an alliance with Germany. When Japanese planes attacked a US gunboat on the Yangtze River in December 1937 he apologised personally to the American Ambassador. He became the target for right wing assassination attempts, the entire Naval ministry had to be placed under constant guard. However on 30-08-1939 Yamamoto was promoted to full Admiral and appointed commander-in-chief of the entire fleet. Yamamoto did not soften his logical anti-conflict stance, when the Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy in September 1940,
Yamamoto warned Premier Konoe Fumimaro, suicide age 54, on 16-12-1945,











Yamamoto
had at his disposal a massive fleet of some 250 ships, including eight carriers. Yamamoto’s strategy was a very complex series of feints and diversionary attacks to trap the Americans. Unfortunately for the Japanese the Americans were well aware of the plan. Decoded intercepts of communications meant that by the end of May, the United States knew the date and place of the operation, as well as the composition of the Japanese forces. Compounding this there was poor communication on the Japanese side and the commanders were inadequately prepared. The Battle of Midway, from June 4 to 6, 1942, was another aircraft only clash and a disaster for the Japanese, losing four carriers to the American loss of one and 3,500 men to only around 300 American dead. Yamamoto never recovered from the defeat at Midway although he remained in command. He
directed the Solomons campaign and realising the strategic importance of Battle of Guadalcanal, he initiated the efforts to remove the American troops who had landed on 07-08- 1942. Yamamoto’s forces suffered huge losses before he conceded that he could not could not dislodge the Americans. On 04-01-1943, he ordered the evacuation of the island. The actual evacuation was a tactical masterwork. To boost morale following Guadalcanal, Yamamoto decided to make a inspection tour throughout the South Pacific. In April 1943, U.S. intelligence intercepted and decrypted reports of the tour. Eighteen American P-38 aircraft flew from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal to ambush Yamamoto in the air.


Death and burial ground of Yamamoto, Isoroku Takano.









Yamamoto, age 57, is buried on the Tama Reien Cemetery in Tokyo. Close by the graves of the Commander 2nd Guard Regiment General Korechika Anami, the Russian spy Richard Sorge, Commander of the IJA 10th Division, General Kazushige Ugaki, commander 4th Fleet, the Principal of Naval Academy in Eta-jima, General Shiigeyoshi Inoue, Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara, and “Tiger of Maleisië”, Conqueror of Nederlands Oost-Indië, General Tomayuki Yamashito.
