Isoroku Yamamoto (å±±æ¬ äºåå
, Yamamoto Isoroku, April 4, 1884 â April 18, 1943) was a Japanese Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II until his death.
Yamamoto was born Isoroku Takano (é«é äºåå
, Takano Isoroku) in Nagaoka, Niigata. His father, Sadayoshi Takano (é«é è²å), was an intermediate-rank samurai of the Nagaoka Domain. “Isoroku” is an old Japanese term meaning “56”; the name referred to his father’s age at Isoroku’s birth.
In 1916, Isoroku was adopted into the Yamamoto family (another family of former Nagaoka samurai) and took the Yamamoto name. It was a common practice for samurai families lacking sons to adopt suitable young men in this fashion to carry on the family name, the rank and the income that went with it.
Yamamoto held several important posts in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), and undertook many of its changes and reorganizations, especially its development of naval aviation. He was the commander-in-chief during the early years of the Pacific War and oversaw major engagements including the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway.
Yamamoto was killed on 18 April 1943 after American code breakers identified his flight plans, enabling the United States Army Air Forces to shoot down his plane. His death was a major blow to Japanese military morale during World War II.
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