Marshal Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Isoroku Yamamoto (1884–1943), born Isoroku Takano, was the supreme commander of the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Wounded as an ensign at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War, Yamamoto studied at Harvard University and served as naval attaché in Washington, developing a deep appreciation of America's colossal industrial capacity.

A visionary proponent of naval aviation over traditional battleship dogma, Yamamoto opposed joining the Tripartite Pact with Nazi Germany and warned Prime Minister Konoe: 'In the first six to twelve months of a war with the United States and Great Britain I will run wild and win victory upon victory. But then, if the war continues after that, I have no expectation of success.' He planned the carrier strike on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. On April 18, 1943, US naval intelligence intercepted his flight itinerary, and his G4M 'Betty' bomber was shot down over Bougainville during Operation Vengeance.