In the morning of April 18, 1943, Admiral Yamamoto boarded his aircraft, a Mitsubishi G4M1 Model 11 — called Betty by the Americans — at Rabaul. He flew in aircraft 323. A second Betty, aircraft 326, carried Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki and part of Yamamoto’s staff. They were travelling on a tour to inspect Japanese air units participating in Operation I-Go, which had begun on April 7, 1943. The tour would also serve to boost Japanese morale following the disastrous Guadalcanal Campaign and its evacuation during January and February.
Escorted by six A6M3 Zeros they departed towards Balalae Airfield on an island near Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, a flight of 507 kilometres. They climbed to an altitude of 6,500 feet, with their fighter escort positioned at their 4 o’clock and 1,500 feet higher. The flight was uneventful until they were almost within sight of Balalae. Then, suddenly, a force of enemy fighters appeared. One of them attacked Yamamoto’s plane 323 and poured fire into its right engine, fuselage and tail. When the left engine was also hit the plane began trailing black smoke, rolled over and crashed into the jungle.
The following day, April 19, a Japanese search and rescue party led by army engineer Lieutenant Hamasuna found the wreck. Yamamoto’s body had been thrown clear of the aircraft. He sat in his seat — originally positioned in the cockpit behind the pilot and co-pilot — beneath a tree, slouching as if in deep thought, his katana still clutched in his white-gloved hand. He had been struck by two bullets, one in the shoulder and one to the head. The latter had killed him instantly.
The news of Yamamoto’s death was not made public in Japan until more than a month later, and came as a profound shock to the nation. The Americans spread a cover story that civilian coastwatchers in the Solomons had observed Yamamoto boarding a bomber and relayed the information by radio, concealing the fact that they had broken the Japanese military codes.
