Station HYPO

All six of the Japanese aircraft carriers involved in the attack of 7 December 1941 that brought the United States into the Second World War were sunk—by the United States Navy! Four of those six, including the KIDO BUTAI’s flagship, AKAGI, were sunk during the battle of Midway. The fifth carrier, SHOKAKU, ZUIKAKU’s sister, was sunk by submarine USS CAVALLA on 19 June 1944. United States Naval communications intelligence played in a role in the sinking of all six of these Japanese aircraft carriers.

The primary reason United States submarine operations against Japan were as successful as they were was because of U.S. Navy communications intelligence.

An excellent book is Captain W.J. Holmes’ DOUBLED-EDGED SECRETS: U.S. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS IN THE PACIFIC DURING WORLD WAR II. Wilford J. Holmes, a submarine officer well before Pearl Harbor, had been medically retired in the 1930’s. “Jasper” Holmes as he was known was recalled to active duty in 1941. He was attached to the 14th Naval District and assigned to the Navy’s ComInt unit, Station HYPO, at Pearl Harbor. I consider Double-Edged Secrets the single most interesting book I’ve read in the past 40 years. It was published in 1979 by the Naval Institute Press. (I think the Naval Institute Press has either a hardcover or a paperback reprint of this book available . If not, used copies can be purchased from ABE.com.)

After being medically retired, I think in the rank of lieutenant, Jasper Holmes became a professor of engineering at the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus on Oahu. (Holmes Hall at UH is named in his honor.) Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, Jasper Holmes under the penname of Alec Hudson wrote short stories for the SATURDAY EVENING POST. These fictional short stories related to U.S. submarine operations in a war in the Pacific. According to the late Captain Edward L. Beach, Holmes’ short stories were published in 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941. In 1992, the Naval Institute Press reprinted these short stories in a book titled UP PERISCOPE! AND OTHER STORIES under Holmes’ penname of Alec Hudson.

I’d love to have an enlarged copy of the map included with the photograph of the sinking of ZUIKAKU. If I can obtain one somehow, I’d mount it in a picture frame and put it on a wall in the living room of my home. It’s a wonderful map! (There isn’t enough room on my office’s walls or on the walls of my library as bookcases occupy all available space.)

Nice job coming up with the photograph taken during ZUIKAKU’s sinking, Mario! I had never before seen this photograph. So thank you and the article’s author very much!

Well done, as always!

Andy McKane,
25 October 2022

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