Isoroku Yamamoto
Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy and commander of the Combined Fleet during World War II.
He was born in Nagaoka, Niigata, and his name refers to his father's age of 56 at his birth.[1] He opposed war with the United States but led the Combined Fleet after being reassigned from the naval ministry in 1939.[2][3]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 4 April 1884
- Died
- 18 April 1943
- Birthplace
- Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
- Place of death
- near Panguna, Bougainville, Territory of New Guinea
- Alma mater
- Imperial Japanese Naval Academy; Harvard University
- Spouse
- Reiko Mihashi (1918)
- Children
- Two sons and two daughters
- Allegiance
- Empire of Japan
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
He was wounded at the Battle of Tsushima, losing two fingers on his left hand from an explosion in his ship's forward turret.[4] In 1916, he was adopted into the Yamamoto family, a common practice for samurai families lacking sons.[5] In January 1941, he began developing a plan to attack Pearl Harbor, setting the date for December 7, 1941.[6][7] Between 1919 and 1921, Yamamoto was a special student at Harvard University, and later, while serving as a naval attaché in Washington, D.C., he gained fluency in English.[2][8]
In 1923, Yamamoto achieved the rank of captain, and the following year he shifted his focus from gunnery to naval aviation.[9] Because he strongly resisted a pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Japanese nationalists sent him hate mail and death threats throughout 1938.[3]
What the cited sources add
A 2010 Harvard Magazine article notes that Seymour Morris Jr. argued Yamamoto's time at Harvard from 1919 to 1921 gave him insights into American psychology that emboldened his attack plan.[8] Morris wrote that Yamamoto hitchhiked around the United States during his summer breaks, exploring the country.[8] As a naval attaché, Yamamoto gambled at poker with American military officers and developed contempt for their mental agility.[8] The PearlHarbor.org account states that Japanese losses at Pearl Harbor totaled 64 men and 29 aircraft.[10]
The same source records that 2,403 Americans were killed during the attack.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stille, "Yamamoto Isoroku", Osprey Publishing, 2012 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lessons in Surprise, by Primus V (Harvard Magazine, July–August 2010)<br>This article explains research done by Harvard alum Seymour Morris Jr who wrote of Yama; "Sea Mystery: Deserted Submarine Unidentified", The Dalby Herald, 16 December 1927, p. 3 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hoyt, "Yamamoto: The Man Who Planned Pearl Harbor", McGraw-Hill, 1990 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Drabkin, "Admiral Yamamoto: A Gripping Biography of the Legendary Japanese Commander", Tuttle Publishing, 2026 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Davis, "Lightning Strike: The Secret Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto and Avenge Pearl Harbor", St. Martin's Griffin, 2006, p. 38 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Japanese announcement of the attack at Pearl Harbor, 1941., "History Resources", The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York (USA), retrieved 18. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Morison 2010, p. 86 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Lessons in Surprise, by Primus V (Harvard Magazine, July–August 2010)<br>This article explains research done by Harvard alum Seymour Morris Jr who wrote of Yama. facts only, no text reused. harvardmagazine.com
- Wikipedia, "Isoroku Yamamoto" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "1920–1929", Chronology of Courses and Significant Events (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Casualties", PearlHarbor.org, April 27, 2017. facts only, no text reused. pearlharbor.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Isoroku Yamamoto (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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