Who got Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto that day?

[The Aviator]

Fleet Admiral Yamamoto held several important posts in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and undertook many of its changes and reorganizations, especially its development of naval aviation. He was the commander-in-chief during the decisive early years of the Pacific War and so was responsible for major battles such as Pearl Harbor and Midway. He died during an inspection tour of forward positions in the Solomon Islands when his transport aircraft was ambushed by American P-38 Lightning fighter planes. His death was a major blow to Japanese military morale during World War II.

Following a topic in another section, it is interesting to note that he was the holder of the German Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

But who got him that day in '43?

The Yamamoto Mission

Tom Lanphier played a leading role in one of the most successful and controversial missions of WWII, the shoot-down of Admiral Yamamoto. Lanphier was temporarily attached to the 339th squadron, and selected to lead the flight of four "shooters," the Lightnings that would actually intercept the Betty bombers of Yamamoto's party. On April 18, sixteen Lightnings took off from Guadalcanal, headed for Bougainville and their deadly rendezvous with Admiral Yamamoto. The caught him and shot him down.

There lies another controversy that seems to always plague these actions.
Many believe that Barber had the better claim. Besby Holmes wrote that during the battle, it was his impression that Barber had shot down Yamamoto. A group of aviation enthusiasts and pilots, led by the ace George Chandler, has lobbied strenuously on Barber's behalf. Nonetheless, Lanphier always maintained that he had scored the kill, gunfire from his P-38 sawing off the Betty's right wing.

It is a big very interesting story for all enthusiastes to read and as there is far to much in it to print it all here. Here it is.

John W. Mitchell, led Admiral Yamamoto Mission, P-38 Lightning flier

[spidge]

I have seen all this on the history channel with actual footage.

Quite interesting.

[The Aviator]

Well I am glad to say you didn't see it on WW2 chat Spidge

[Kyt]

Magic and Lightning - March 2006

and a response

http://www.afa.org/magazine/may2006/0506letters.pdf

Who Shot Down Yamamoto?
Having been a participant in the Yamamoto mission, I read your article with great interest and found it to be very accurate except in one small detail: the 30-foot altitude and a major disagreement with its conclusion about [1st Lt.] Rex Barber and [Capt.] Tom Lanphier, who were both very good friends of mine [“Magic and Lightning,” March, p. 62].

In the 13th Fighter Command report “Subject: Fighter Interception,” it stated we flew at 30 feet and, in another place, we flew 10 to 30 feet above the water. In truth, John Mitchell briefed us to maintain 50 feet of altitude, which I and my team mates did all the way to Bougainville. Ten to 30 feet above the ocean is ridiculous in that if one engine quits, only the most skillful of pilots could prevent crashing into the ocean before they could safely convert to single engine flying. After Japanese records revealed that only two Betty bombers were shot down, not three, and no Zero s were shot down, Tom wrote an unpublished book (I have a opy) in which he claimed that only he should have full credit for shooting down Yamamoto’s plane. Up to that time, Rex was willing to accept half credit, but after Tom let Rex and [Maj.] John Mitchell read it, they were in strong disagreement from then on. My personal interest started the day after the mission when I asked Tom about the Betty bomber he said he had shot down. He told me that after he turned into the three Zeros on the right side of Yamamoto’s plane (which in my mind was fabulous in that it gave Rex an unimpeded path to Yamamoto’s plane), he shot at the oncoming Zeros and, as they passed, he made a 180-degree turn after which he saw a Betty bomber at about 90 degrees to him and at some distance. He fired his guns using lead, and the Betty’s right wing came off and the Betty rapidly descended to a crash.

In 1988, the Nimitz Foundation at Fredricksburg, Tex., held its first symposium with its subject “The Yamamoto Mission.” There were seven of us from the mission, plus Yanagua, the only survivor of the six Japanese Zero pilots. Through an interpreter, he told the audience that no Zeros were shot down, five landing at Kahili and one at Ballalae, and then at about two o’clock the six took off, joined up, and flew back to Rabaul. After the talks, through an interpreter, he told me he was the only one still living because, in a fight with an F6F, he had his right hand hit, which had to be amputated and he could not fly any more. The other five were killed in combat later on. When he saw a P-38 about to attack Yamamoto’s airplane (because they had had their radios removed to lighten the plane), he was unable to warn Yamamoto’s pilot. He flew ahead and fired his guns in the hope that his tracers would warn the pilot, but to no avail. After the Betty was fired at, Yanagua stated it crashed after 20 to 30 seconds. (I have a copy of his sworn statement as to this fact.) Another book has a part of Admiral Ugaki’s diary in which he said he saw the attack and that after Yamamoto’s plane was hit, it took only 20 seconds before it hit the ground. There is no way that the P-38G models that we flew with no aileron boost could make a 180-degree turn and fly to the fray in the cited 20 to 30 seconds. However, in Tom’s unpublished book, he states that he followed Yamamoto’s Betty bomber to near its crash site. [He] gave a very accurate description of the scene, and also how he had shot down Yamamoto’s plane for the second time (of course, not mentioned by him was that it was the second time), which brings up the question: Should future review boards give him credit for shooting down one and- a-half bombers? Without question, that would be ridiculous. It is my strong opinion that Tom never fired one round at any Betty bomber. Also, after Yanagua and Admiral Ugaki confirmed they had seen a P-38 shoot down Yamamoto’s plane and said so, only Rex should be credited with this victory because their statements and Rex’s are practically identical.

Douglas S. Canning
Maitland, Fla.

[The Aviator]

Thanks for Magic and Lightning. Great read.

[Antipodean Andy]

Well, it certainly wasn't the Black Sheep!

Passing reference to the TV show!