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Jungle Trek to Yamamoto's WWII Death Site
12 Nov
Summary
- Journey to Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, to find WWII wreckage.
- Site marks where Admiral Yamamoto, Pearl Harbor mastermind, was killed in 1943.
- Allied forces intercepted Japanese communications leading to the attack.
Travelers endure a grueling journey, navigating treacherous, unpaved paths and numerous river crossings on Bougainville Island, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea. The destination is the jungle crash site of Japanese Navy Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
This site marks the final resting place of the mastermind behind the Pearl Harbor attack, who was killed in 1943. Yamamoto's plane was shot down over southern Bougainville by American P-38 Lightning fighters.
The successful mission, code-named Operation Vengeance, was possible because Allied forces had intercepted and deciphered Japanese communications detailing the admiral's travel plans. Bougainville was occupied by the Japanese in early 1942.
