The route avoided known observation posts and kept the formation over open water. But flying compass headings over open ocean with no visual reference points required navigation skills that bordered on art. Wind drift could push aircraft miles off course. Compass errors of even a few degrees would compound over 435 mi.
Mitchell calculated that to arrive at the intercept point within 5 miles, close enough to visually acquire the target, his navigation error could not exceed one degree over the entire 2-hour flight. The fuel calculations were equally unforgiving. At optimal cruise settings, 2,000 revolutions per minute, 32 in of manifold pressure, the P38s would burn roughly 70 gall per hour per engine, or 140 gall total.
The outbound leg would consume approximately 280 gall. Climbing to attack altitude and combat would burn another 100 gall. The return flight would require another 280 gall, total 660 gall, leaving roughly 115 gallons reserve. Mitchell planned for the formation to maintain strict radio silence, cruise at 185 mph indicated air speed, and avoid any unnecessary maneuvering.
Every climb, every turn, every burst of throttle consumed fuel they couldn’t spare. On the evening of April 17th, Mitchell briefed the mission to 18 selected pilots. The targets identity sent shock waves through the briefing room. Captain Thomas Lanir, one of the assigned shooter pilots, later recalled, “The room went absolutely silent when we learned who we were hunting.
This wasn’t just another intercept. This was a chance to eliminate the man who planned Pearl Harbor. The mission profile was straightforward in concept, nightmarish in execution. 12 P38s would form the high cover element, providing protection against Japanese interceptors. Four P38s would form the killer flight designated to engage Yamamoto’s bombers directly.
