This is the story of a man and a navy, and their shared death wish--Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki and the Imperial Japanese Navy. In 1945, both achieved their wish, with enormous cost to the people of Japan. The Imperial Navy was physically destroyed and its remnants dismantled at the demand of the victorious Allies. After the Emperor announced Japan's surrender on August 15, Ugaki stripped off his insignia of rank, climbed into a torpedo bomber, and flew to Okinawa, where his intention was to crash into an American ship. In fact, his aircraft and several others filled with ardent young men who had accompanied Ugaki on his last mission, were all shot down by American nightfighters.