15. The Turning of the Tide in the Pacific
The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 had been overseen by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander of the Combined Japanese Imperial Fleet. Yamamoto, a prophet of the naval air power that devastated Pearl Harbor, was the Japanese Navy’s dominant figure. A determined and aggressive commander, he drew bold and imaginative plans. He also possessed the kind of strong leadership that ensured such plans were embraced by his subordinates, who idolized Yamamoto and strove to execute his orders with vigor and skill. A chess champion of the Japanese Navy, he also became an excellent poker player while studying and serving as an attaché in America. US intelligence judged him “exceptionally able, forceful and quick thinking“. After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese under Yamamoto went on a rampage, and won stunning victories.
The Japanese wanted a battle of annihilation, like the 1905 Battle of Tsushima that had decided the Russo-Japanese War, then negotiate a favorable peace. Pearl Harbor was a success, but no Tsushima, so the Japanese figured an invasion of Midway Island might lure what’s left of the US Navy to show up for a climactic showdown. However, US cryptanalysts had cracked Japanese codes and knew of the upcoming attack. Moreover, the Americans had more carriers in the Pacific than expected – one had been transferred from the Atlantic, and another that had been damaged in an earlier battle and was expected to take months to fix, was rushed back into service after 48 hours of repairs. The Japanese had expected to deal with only one or two American fleet carriers. Instead, they would face three carriers, and an alert enemy waiting in ambush rather than one caught off guard.
