TheCodeBreakers
two-motored Mitsubishi (Betty) attack bombers would reach Ballale in an
hour and 45 minutes; this was partially confirmed by the estimated
hour-and-40-minute return time from the slightly closer Buin. This
meant that Yamamoto would arrive at Ballale about 7:45 a.m. Though he
would be escorted by six fighters, Mitchell and Lanphier decided to
attack him about 35 miles up the Bougainville coast to avoid the planes
that buzzed around Kahili airstrip not far from Buin. This pushed the
time of interception back ten minutes to 7:35 a.m.—or 9:35 a.m.
American time.
Next morning, 18 P-38s of the 12th, 339th, and 70th Fighter
Squadrons lifted off the Henderson runway at 7:25 (American time).
Thirty-five minutes later and 700-odd miles away, Yamamoto's flight took
off right on schedule. Radios silent, the Americans flew a semicircle of
435 miles around Munda, Rendova, and Shortland at wave-top height
to avoid radar detection
annaabi.ee 
