Wilfred Holmes

Wilfred J. Holmes
Born	(1900-04-04)April 4, 1900 Stockport, New York,U.S.
Died	January 7, 1986(1986-01-07)(aged 85) Honolulu,Hawaii, U.S.
Occupation	US Naval Officer
Known for	Naval intelligence analysis
Spouse	Isabelle West Holmes
Children	John Eric Holmes

Wilfred J."Jasper"Holmes(April 4, 1900 – January 7, 1986) was a US Naval officer, one of theStation HYPOstaff, who had the idea of faking a water supply failure onMidway Islandin 1942. He suggested using an unencrypted emergency warning, in the hope of provoking a Japanese response, thus establishing whether Midway was a target.

Early years

Born inStockport, New York,Holmes was the son of Johan Erik Jonasson Holmes, a Finnish immigrant who worked as a fireman in a paper mill, and Esther F. Holmes.Wilfred Holmes graduated from theUS Naval Academy,Annapolis, 1922, and had a master's degree in engineering fromColumbia University.He served as a line officer in the Navy, in submarines. He wrote submarine adventure stories for theSaturday Evening Postand technical articles under the pen nameAlec Hudson.

One of the former, "Rendezvous", imagined an air raid in whichflying boatswere refueled by submarines at a Pacific atoll, allowing them to reach targets which would normally be well outside their range. This scenario later played out in real life in the form ofOperation K,a March 1942 attack by JapaneseH8Kson Pearl Harbor. Unlike the massivecarrier-based surprise attackthree months earlier, this only involved two aircraft and failed due to bad weather. Naval Intelligence chiefEdwin T. Laytonlater concluded that the Japanese had made use of the idea from "Rendezvous" when planning the operation.

Holmes retired from the Navy in 1936 because of arthritis of the spine, and joined the faculty of the University of Hawaii.

Intelligence officer

In 1941, Lieutenant Holmes was recalled to duty and assigned toStation HYPO,which was breaking Japanese codes, especially their naval cipherJN-25.He was promoted tolieutenant commanderon February 25, 1942.

By May 1942, US Naval Intelligence knew that the Japanese were planning an attack at a spot they called AF, but did not know what AF signified. Navy cryptanalystJoseph Rochefortthought AF was Midway Island. Holmes had the idea of faking a water supply failure on Midway. He suggested using an unencrypted emergency warning, in the hope of provoking a Japanese response, thus establishing whether AF was Midway. Holmes' ruse worked and led to the Japanese defeat at theBattle of Midway.Holmes was awarded theDistinguished Service Medal.

Continuing to work at Station HYPO, Holmes was promoted tocommanderon May 8, 1943,and then tocaptainon December 19, 1944.

Later years

Holmes became chairman of the department of engineering and mathematics at theUniversity of Hawaiiafter the war, then Dean of Engineering, Dean of Administration, and Vice President, retiring from the university in 1965. Holmes Hall is named in his honor.He was author of books on submarine warfare and naval intelligence.

Death

Holmes died on January 7, 1986, and is buried in theNational Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific,Honolulu.