1943 Today, the plane of the Japanese Navy Joint Fleet Commander Yamamoto Irosaki was shot down by the US military. At that time, Izuru Yamamoto was about to inspect the front line bases, but the radio message of his detailed operation route had been deciphered by the US military, and Izuru Yamamoto's habit of being on time and on time also made the US military's fighter's ability to hit it with one blow.
htmlOn April 18th is Sunday, and it happens to be a good weather without clouds.According to the prior decision, Yamamoto Ioroji was accompanied by Chief of Staff Ugaki, Adjutant Tsuke Fukusaki, Military Medical Officer Takada, Aviation Staff Duankurito, Muroi Yuji, Accountant Kitamura, Meteorological Nagatoto and Communications Staff Kaori Imamura. Watanabe and Kuroshima who often follow Yamamoto and are unable to go there together due to illness.
Yamamoto is still so regular. He gets up at 5 o'clock in the morning, has breakfast at 5 o'clock, and then changes into military uniform. Yamamoto was always wearing white military uniforms, whether in Truk or in Labaoer. A staff officer thought the white was too conspicuous and proposed to change the grass-green military uniform during the war, and Yamamoto agreed. Since he could return on the same day, Yamamoto only brought glasses and cigarettes.
When Yamamoto and his party arrived at the airport, the two "one" land-based bombers to which the 705 Air Force had already started the engine. Yamamoto looked up at the sky and said, "Today is the best climate for flight."
Yamamoto Iroru said hello to the person who saw him off and boarded the plane No. 1, and Chief of Staff Ugaki boarded the No. 2 . According to the scheduled time, two land-based bombers took off on time at 6 o'clock and left Labaoer Airport. Immediately afterwards, the 6 Zero fighter s, which belonged to the 204 Air Force, also drew far apart from the rolled dust and soared into the air. Then, the formation of the San San formation was divided into two teams, and the guards flew on the left and right sides of the Yamamoto landline respectively. After 1 hour and 30 minutes, Bougainville appeared on the left, and the fleet began to lower the altitude, and the dense tropical jungle on the island was clearly visible. The Buin Base and the Island of Baler are not far away. On the second plane, the mechanic passed through the village and handed Ugaki a note, "Arrived at Baler at 7:45." The plane would land in 15 minutes.
At this time, 16 closely-formed P-38 "Lightning" fighter jets (two planes of the sniper team failed to take off due to failure) were flying from the south towards Bougainville. The pilot on the plane seemed to have echoed in his ears of Major General Mitchell's extremely harsh order before boarding the plane: "No matter how much the price you pay, you must complete the task!" The plane is not allowed to use radio during flight, only compass and speedometers.
The US military's P-38 lightning fighter
fleet flew low at sea for 2 hours after taking off. At 9:33 (7:33), the P-38 fleet crossed the green coastline of Bougainville Island and flew over the forest sea. It arrived at the predetermined location at the scheduled time, only 50 seconds earlier than the expected time of Yamamoto's plane. Major Michel, the commander of the fleet, looked at the watch: 9:34. It was only 1 minute as planned, and Yamamoto's landline should appear 3 miles west, but there was no shadow of a plane there. At this tense moment, one of his pilots suddenly broke the radio and silence and called out, "Discover the enemy plane, front left!"
Michel saw the enemy plane flying in front of the mountain. He counted quickly: There were 8 aircraft in total, including 2 bombers.
He was so proud. Yamamoto's time was so accurate, it was only 1 minute away from the interception plan time.
Michel turned east, parallel to the enemy plane's course and began to climb high. "Be careful, throw away the secondary fuel tank!" After saying that, Michel suddenly opened the accelerator and led the aircraft group to climb up to a height of 6,000 meters to lure the fighter jets escorted by Japan. Only Lanfier's sniper team was left below. The Japanese escort fighter plane was really fooled, and they threw away Yamamoto's landline plane and rushed towards the US plane. The sniper team of Lieutenant Ranfir, who was responsible for the interception mission at the lower right of about 500 meters away from Yamamoto's plane quickly pulled up, and four P-38 "lightning" fighters rushed into the route of Yamamoto's plane like lightning.
At this moment, the fooled "zero" escort discovered the American fighter that was quietly pulled up. He was shocked and rushed down at full speed, trying to cover Yamamoto's landline. Unfortunately, it was too late and it was too late! Ranfire had taken the lead, turned his fuselage and aimed at the direction of Yamamoto's plane for a sweep. Just as the two planes were about to stagger, Ranfire knocked off the right wing of Yamamoto's plane. Once the "One" land attack aircraft catches fire, it cannot be saved, and the parachute is of no use at such a low altitude.
At the same time, Chief of Staff Ugaki's landline was also blocked, and the plane quickly descended from a height and made a sharp turn of 90 degrees. Ugaki looked forward and on the right front 4 kilometers away from the No. 2, No. 1 was emitting black smoke, spitting flames and slowing down. He shouted to the aviation staff room standing on the aisle of the plane and said in a flash: "Protect the officer's plane!" Then he shouted loudly to the pilot: "Catch up with No. 1, catch up with No. 1, catch up with No. 1!"
A US plane rushed over, and the pilot instinctively made a sharp turn, and No. 1 disappeared from their sight. When the plane resumed horizontal flight again, plane No. 1 was no longer in the air. The worried Ugaki only saw a stream of black smoke rising into the sky in the dense forest. Alas, everything is over!
The moment when Yamamoto's plane crashed, Lanfir saw it very clearly. He said: "I saw Yamamoto's plane touching the treetops of the dense forest, and its wings were swept into purple flames, flames and fragments. The wings fell off, and the body drilled into the dense forest like a red fireball..."
At the same time, Lanfir's wingman ignored the strafing of the dive-down Japanese "Zero" plane, and seized the opportunity to shoot a row of dense bullets at Ugaki's plane. Ugaki, who was sitting in the plane, looked helplessly as the machine gun on the P-38 nose spit out the flames, and he felt his landline trembling. The pilot of P-38 was an excellent gunner. He hit the right side of the bomber on the first shot, and then hit the left side. The entire plane was hit by the shells like a drum, and began to shake violently.
Another shell suddenly ripped open the right wing of the bomber. The captain sitting in front of Ugaki pushed the pole hard, attempting to make an emergency landing at sea. This is his only way to survive at this time. The moment before the bomber was in the water, the pilot pulled the lever hard, trying to pull the plane up again, but it was too late. The bomber hit the sea at full speed, and the plane sank to the left. The plane crashed slightly north of Cape Moira at the southwest end of Buuvere Island. Ugaki did not die, and he and Kitamura accountant and driver Lin Hao survived by chance.
The battle lasted only 3 minutes, and at 9:38, the whole world returned to its original silence.
Rear Admiral Mitchell reported to Halsey: "The P-38 aircraft group commanded by Major John Michel's Army attacked the Caheli area. After 9:30 am, two onshore attack aircraft escorted by the "Zero" fighter jets formed into dense formations were shot down, and three Zero fighters were shot down. One of my P-38 aircraft has not returned yet. April 18 seems to be our victory day." Halsey, who was satisfied, immediately called back:
"Congratulations on your success! In the hunted duck, there seems to be a peacock holding it."
The next morning, Lieutenant General Halsey, the commander of the US Special Mixed Fleet, read the telegram of victory at the regular meeting of the officers. Rear Admiral Turner applauded with joy. "Okay, Kelly," Halsey said, "What's the point? I originally wanted to lead that bad guy onto Pennsylvania Street with iron chains to show his name and let you kick him, that's better!"
But at this time, in Japan, it was like a loss of his parents, and everyone was shocked.
html On the 118th, two staff officers staying in Labaoer, Kuroshima and Watanabe, Kuroshi Renyi, Ozawa Jisaburo, etc., learned about Yamamoto's death from telegrams from Buyin and the report of the return escort fighter jet, but they were still unclear about Yamamoto's life and death. At 2:30 pm, a telegram was sent to Tokyo, shocking all Japanese naval leaders. The naval province was panicked, as if a major earthquake had occurred. Navy leaders such as Shimada Hikasaki, Sawamoto's Navy Chief, Nagao Military Command, Ito Military Command, and First Minister Fukuruhiro all came to the ministry to work overtime that night.is in Labaoer. At around 8 a.m. on the 19th, Watanabe and the military doctor of the Southeast Fleet, Kuboshi, flew to Buyin on a land-based bomber. They first saw Chief of Staff Ugaki, with a bandaged face. Chief Ugaki said hurriedly, "Sir, you are four or five miles from Cape Moira. Go quickly, go quickly." Watanabe immediately flew to the scene by seaplane for reconnaissance, but found nothing. Later, he ordered the plane to fly back to the sea and landed near a waiting minesweeper boat. He re-studied the new search plan and decided to send 60 soldiers from the minesweeper boat to form a search team, and personally took charge of the command, landing from the mouth of the Xiaohe River.
The river winds and turns, reaching deep into the dense forests on the coast of Bougainville. They placed pre-prepared food, clothing, medicine and other supplies on the boat and went upstream. The higher the river, the shallower it is, and in some places there are dead trees pouring into the river blocking the way. On the way, they had to abandon the boat and go ashore, divide into two teams, walk along the banks of the river, and search for the deep mountains and dense forests.
At that time, there were various units of the 17th Army of the Japanese Army stationed on Bougainville Island. After the incident, many search teams were dispatched, including a 9-man search team under the command of Lieutenant Furukawa, the 6th Special Marine Corps of Sasebo, stationed in Buyin; a search team commanded by Lieutenant Eyeyo Hamasaki and a naval search team starting from Buyin; and another was a search team of Lieutenant Shigeru Yasube. On the 18th, the 1st team led by Hamasaki saw with his own eyes the fierce battle between several US P-38 fighters and the Japanese Navy's "Zero" fighters in the air. They also stood up and cheered for the navy's fighter jets: "Fight! Fight hard!" At this time, a stream of black smoke rose from the dense forest on the mountain in the distance. They thought it was a shot down American plane, so they happily clapped their hands and cheered, shouting to the Japanese plane in the air: "Good fight! Good fight! Those guys were finally knocked down by you!" They never expected that it was Yamamoto Iroku's landline plane that was shot down.
A few hours later, an emergency order came: The landline of our Navy's request for people fell. Let you organize a search team immediately to search. After finding it, report it up immediately to indicate the location of the plane's crash. After receiving the order, Binsha immediately organized a 10-person search team to enter the mountain. They struggled to cross the dense forest, crossed the flowing river, and circled around the dense forest, but found nothing. As they approached dusk, they had to return to the troops in disappointment. This day, the Navy search team also traveled in vain. Binsa received an order to continue searching tomorrow.
Yamamoto Isori landline wreckage in the jungle
html Early in the morning of the 119th, the search team led by Hamasa had to enter the jungle again. Suffer the bitterness of the first day again. Another day was almost over, but no clue was found. When they decided to walk back with disappointment, a man in the team suddenly said excitedly: "Captain, there seems to be a smell of gasoline in this area." They walked in the direction of gasoline. Soon, something like a pile of soil appeared in front of not far away. They were puzzled: How could there be mounds of soil in such a place? After a closer look, it turned out that the tail wing of a destroyed "One" land-based bomber was standing upright, and the main wing and propeller that were smashed to pieces. The thick airplane body broke in the place where the sun flag was printed. The nose part has been burned to ashes. They found Yamamoto's body about 10 meters from the head of the plane. Yamamoto was sitting on the seat cushion of the plane, holding a saber in his left hand, and his right hand with white gloves rested on it, his head drooped above the saber, and the general's seal was hung on the left and right collars of the military uniform. His lower left armpit leaned slightly against the chair handle, his left chest was bleeding, and his white gloves were dyed red. Next to Yamamoto, Major General Takada Rokuro lies lying on the side of the military doctor. Both corpses had maggots, and the smell was extremely bad.Yamamoto looks so peaceful and careful, it seems difficult to understand. This became the basis for various legends and imaginations about Yamamoto's death later.Some say that Yamamoto's appearance is like a living person; some say that after the plane crashed into the ground, Yamamoto was not dead at all, he committed suicide after walking out of the body; some say that when people walked towards him, he suddenly opened his eyes and looked at everything around him before he died safely.
In fact, according to analysis, after the plane crashed, only Takada was conscious. He was afraid that Yamamoto's remains were burnt, so he dragged him out of the cabin and asked him to hold a saber in his hand and maintain a majestic posture. Soon, Takata himself died.
According to the autopsy record written by Navy Chief Military Doctor Yoshisaburo Taribuyashi on April 20, Yamamoto's injuries were as follows: "There is a bullet the size of an index finger in the center of the swollen bone on the left shoulder. The direction of the bullet is the upper right front; there is a bullet the size of a small finger in the corner of the left jaw. The exit is at the outer corner of the right eye, as big as a thumb indentation... Obviously, it was fatal due to damage to the main internal organs."
html On April 21, 11 bodies including Yamamoto were cremated on Buin Island. On the 22nd, Watanabe and Ugaki Chief of Staff escorted the ashes back to Labaoer. On the 23rd, Yamamoto's ashes were sent from Labaoer by a seaplane to the flagship "Mushashi" of the Joint Fleet anchored at Truk Island. The Yamamoto era of the United Fleet is over.Author: Zhi Peizhu
Editor: Wei Zhong
Editor: Liu Qing
Excerpted from "War Gambler: Yamamoto Izuru"
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-