Attack on Yamamoto

Author: Carroll Glines
Publisher: Orion Books NY
Edition: First
Cover: Hardcover w/Dust Cover
Signed: Yes
ISBN: 0-517-57728-3
Pacific
Signed By Rex Barber & John Mitchell, with Picture of Pilots

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Synopsis: Carroll Glines's detailed reconstruction of the April 18, 1943 mission to intercept and shoot down Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto represents one of the most precisely planned and executed targeted killings in military history. The work examines how American codebreakers' success in intercepting Japanese communications enabled a surgical strike against the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, demonstrating both the capabilities and limitations of intelligence-driven special operations during World War II. Glines combines operational analysis with biographical detail, examining how this single mission required unprecedented coordination between intelligence agencies, strategic planners, and tactical aviation units operating at extreme range under challenging conditions. The narrative begins with the intelligence breakthrough that revealed Yamamoto's planned inspection tour of forward positions in the Solomon Islands, examining how American cryptographers had achieved the capability to read Japanese naval communications in near real-time. The author documents the difficult decision-making process involved in approving the mission, examining how American leaders weighed the intelligence value of continuing to read Japanese communications against the strategic benefits of eliminating Japan's most capable naval commander. Glines provides detailed analysis of mission planning, examining how Army Air Forces planners calculated precise timing, navigation requirements, and fuel consumption for a 400-mile round-trip mission that required split-second coordination to intercept Yamamoto's aircraft. The work includes comprehensive examination of the P-38 Lightning fighters selected for the mission, analyzing how their long range and twin-engine reliability made them the only American aircraft capable of reaching the interception point and returning to base. Central to the narrative is the detailed reconstruction of the mission itself, examining how sixteen P-38 pilots flew an incredibly precise navigation course at extremely low altitude to avoid detection while timing their arrival to coincide with Yamamoto's departure from Ballale airfield. Glines documents the brief but decisive air combat that resulted in the destruction of both Japanese aircraft carrying Yamamoto and his staff, examining how the mission succeeded despite mechanical problems and navigation challenges that threatened to compromise the operation. The author addresses the broader implications of Yamamoto's death for Japanese naval operations, examining how the loss of Japan's most experienced naval commander affected both strategic planning and morale throughout the Japanese fleet. The work examines the security measures implemented to protect the intelligence sources that made the mission possible, including the cover story that attributed Yamamoto's location to coast watcher reports rather than communication intercepts. Glines documents the post-mission analysis that confirmed Yamamoto's death while examining how Japanese responses to the attack revealed their awareness that American intelligence capabilities had improved dramatically. The narrative includes examination of the ethical and legal questions raised by targeted killing of military commanders, comparing this operation to similar actions in other conflicts while acknowledging the unique circumstances of total warfare. Throughout, the author maintains focus on the individual participants in this historic mission, documenting their training, motivation, and subsequent careers while honoring their contribution to one of World War II's most successful special operations. This definitive account serves as both operational history and intelligence study, providing insights into how information warfare and precision tactics combined to achieve strategic objectives during the Pacific conflict.

Attack on Yamamoto, is one of the many primary source materials in the Army Air Corps Museum collection.