TheCodeBreakers
American embassy.
As the President was addressing a message of peace to the Emperor,
the men of the Japanese strike force were listening to a message of war.
Shortly before, Admiral Nagumo had topped off the fuel tanks of his
combat ships for the final dash. His crews waved farewell to the slow-
moving tankers. Now the officers read a stirring message from Yamamoto
to all hands: "The moment has arrived. The fate of the empire is at stake.
Let every man do his best." Banzais rent the air. Up the mast of Akagi
fluttered the very flag that had flown at Japan's great naval victory over
Russia in 1905. It was a moment of great emotion. Nagumo altered
course to due south and bent on 26 knots. Through a mounting sea, the
battle force plunged toward its target.
Lovely, peaceful, that target lay "open unto the fields, and to the sky,"
oblivious to the onrushing armada of destruction. And as it increased its
annaabi.ee 
