Isoroku Yamamoto

Isoroku Yamamoto (b. 1884) was a Fleet Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, a graduate of Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and alumnus of U.S. Naval War College and Harvard University (1919 - 1921).

Isoroku Yamamoto in Days of Infamy
Isoroku Yamamoto carried out the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent invasion of Hawaii. He also helped defeat the USA's first attempt to retake the Hawaii in June, 1942.

Yamamoto had the respect of the entire Japanese military establishment. Even Army leaders revered the admiral, despite the traditional rivalry between the army and the navy. Thus, when Commander Minoru Genda concluded in March, 1941 that Japan must invade Hawaii rather than simply attacking the American navaly base at Pearl Harbor, he brought his plan to Yamamoto. Yamamoto was persuaded by Genda's arguments, although he retained his own reservations that the American industrial complex would readily overwhelm Japan in the long run. Yamamoto personally oversaw the attack and invasion of Hawaii in December, 1941 through February, 1942. After American forces surrendered, Yamamoto returned to Japan to oversee its military operations in Asia.

He returned to Hawaii at the insisitence of the naval forces present, who anticipated America to launch a counter-invasion by the summer. From the Akagi, Yamamoto oversaw the utter defeat of the over-confident American forces.

However, Yamamoto's concerns proved prophetic. The Americans returned in 1943 with a far superior force. Yamamoto was not present in Hawaii when Japan was defeated and her forces crushed.

Isoroku Yamammoto in ''In the Presence of Mine Enemies
Isoroku Yamamoto was one of the Empire of Japan's most revered figures. A popular restaurant in Berlin bore his name (see: Admiral Yamamoto).