FOUR
One Plan at a Time
ADMIRAL YAMAMOTO ISOROKU was commander in chief of Japan’s Imperial Combined Fleet. He was a brilliant commander. A charismatic and ambitious man, Yamamoto had risen almost to the top of his profession despite the fact that he had championed some unpopular causes (or maybe because of it). He supported the international naval treaties before the war that kept Japan’s fleet smaller than those of the United States and Britain. He also supported the development of naval aviation during a period when battleships were seen as the trump card. He argued against an alliance with Nazi Germany. He was used to taking controversial positions, and he was often proved right.
By 1942, Yamamoto had led the Imperial Combined Fleet for ...
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