[ken5050]

We had broken the Jap codes, remember, and we intercepted messaged indicating that Yamamoto was going to make an inspection tour...they sent out a flight of 4, I think, P-38's....CMH winned Dick Bong was on the flight, if I recall..they intercepted the Jap plane over Rabaul, I believe...

[Grampa Dave]

Our navy code crackers had broken the Japanese Purple Code and only a handful of people outside of the NSG knew that the code had been broken.

Yamamoto's radio traffic was constantly being monitored, and his flight plan was intercepted re times, where, and other data.

There was a fierce debate on revealing this or not. It was hand carried to FDR. He slept on it, and he said to take Yamamoto out. The danger of doing this, could have signaled the Japanese code people that their code had been intercepted, and big changes could have been instituted after Yamamoto was intercepted and killed.

The plan was drawn up and acted on. Yamamoto died as a result. Outside of some minor code changes, nothing radical was done on their end. Many still argue that we should have left Yamamoto alive to crack his coded messages to really hammer the Japanese in all of their future Naval operations. Like all things that happen in war, there are two sides. Killing Yamamoto was a pschological victory for our side and a devastating one for the Japanese.

[hchutch]

I don't know if Bong was in that flight. I know that Tom Lanphier was the guy who led the four-plane attack section, and he was the guy who brought justice to Yamamoto for Pearl Harbor.

[shekkian]

Actually Yamamoto was shot down over Formosa.

Anyway, back to the topic, I read Doolittle's memoir,I could never be so lucky again. Incredible read. One of our greatest heroes of the 20th century.

[rockfish59]

I always liked Hal Holbrook in 'Midway' when he would say 'YAMMA-moto'! lol!