Killing a Peacock: Case Study of the Targeted Killing of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto - World War II Operation Vengeance Against Japanese Pearl Harbor Attack Leader with P-38 Lightnings from Guadalcanal

This excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. In early April 1943, the United States military targeted and killed Imperial Japanese Marshal Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Isoroku Yamamoto. It marked the first time in known history, that the US military specifically targeted an individual commander for elimination.

Examination of various primary source material, to include personal letters, and transcripts from the interviews of eyewitnesses reveals a narrative that describes the circumstances surrounding the decision to target and kill Yamamoto. Starting with an appreciation of the intelligence and its unique value to the Allies during the Second World War, the narrative moves to describe a decision-making process based on strong circumstantial evidence and supporting testimony. The monograph then offers an understanding of the how the mission actually transpired and reveals that successful completion of the mission was anything but a forgone conclusion. Lastly, the aftermath of the mission and the reaction by both the Japanese and Americans, reveal the strategic effect of the mission. The mission had a strong effect on the both wills of the people and though it did not turn the tide of the war per se, it did help secure an American victory at the end of the Second World War. The findings here reveal that the circumstances surrounding the decision to kill Yamamoto revolved around the means, ways, and end.

The decision to kill Yamamoto hinged on several factors, beginning with the intelligence used to decipher his itinerary. The US Army and Navy intelligence community prized the ability to decipher Japanese code and they realized a mission to intercept his transport aircraft could compromise this critical capability. A closely guarded secret since the 1920s, the ability to understand Japanese naval transmissions proved itself invaluable in aiding the US Pacific Fleet to victories at the Battle of Midway and Guadalcanal. In addition, Yamamoto's command represented a known quantity to military planners. They could safely rely on his predictable habit of beginning his planned major offensives with a preemptive air attack. On the contrary, there was no way to predict the preferences of the Admiral's replacement. The possibility existed that a new commander could bring a new dynamic to the art of warfare in the Pacific, one that could possibly shift momentum back to the Japanese. The Imperial Japanese Navy had just experienced two significant losses to the Americans and Yamamoto gave indications that he believed his navy's victory was now impossible.