Yukio Seki (関 行男, Seki Yukio; August 29, 1921 – October 25, 1944) was a Japanese naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese…
Yukio Seki (関 行男, Seki Yukio; August 29, 1921 – October 25, 1944) was a Japanese naval aviator of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As a kamikaze pilot, Lieutenant Seki led one of the three fighter groups of the second official kamikaze attack in World War II (the first official attack was an unsuccessful attempt led by Yoshiyasu Kunō on October 21, 1944). Seki's final action took place on October 25, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He led a unit of five bomb-armed Mitsubishi Zero fighters, crash-diving his plane deliberately into USS St. Lo's flight deck, being the first kamikazes to sink an enemy ship.
Famous Alumni of Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
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Kazuo Sakamaki (酒巻 和男, Sakamaki Kazuo; November 8, 1918 – November 29, 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who became…
Kazuo Sakamaki (酒巻 和男, Sakamaki Kazuo; November 8, 1918 – November 29, 1999) was a Japanese naval officer who became the first prisoner of war of World War II to be captured by U.S. forces.
Ayao Shirane (白根 斐夫, Shirane Ayao; August 7, 1916 – 24 November 1944) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Ayao Shirane (白根 斐夫, Shirane Ayao; August 7, 1916 – 24 November 1944) was a fighter ace in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He participated in various battles and campaigns throughout the Pacific War and was eventually shot down and killed over Leyte, Philippines on 24 November 1944. He was officially credited with destroying nine enemy aircraft.
Yoshio Shiga (志賀 淑雄, Shiga Yoshio; 1914 – November 25, 2005) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the…
Yoshio Shiga (志賀 淑雄, Shiga Yoshio; 1914 – November 25, 2005) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific theater of World War II. At the December 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, Shiga led one of the aircraft carrier Kaga's fighter divisions during the first strike on American forces on Oahu. The number of his Zero fighter was AII-105. Shiga continued as a fighter division commander on Kaga until April 1942. In May 1942, then Lieutenant Shiga took command of aircraft carrier Jun'yō's fighter group, a post he held until December 1942. During this time, Shiga led the carrier's fighters in the battles of Dutch Harbor and the Santa Cruz Islands. In the latter battle, he attacked the US carriers, USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6), in which the former was later sunk, while Enterprise was heavily damaged. He subsequently commanded the aircraft carrier Hiyō's fighter group from December 1942 through January 1943 while the carrier was in port in Japan. After promotion to Lieutenant Commander, Shiga was assigned as air officer to the 343rd Air Group which was engaged in homeland defence in Japan, based at Matsuyama Air Base, in December 1944. He was projected to be Air Group Commander aboard the carrier Shinano during her brief time in service, but was not aboard for her fatal delivery voyage; he instead awaited the ship in Kure with the carrier's planned air group. He is famous for his strong objection against the tactic of suicide attack (Kamikaze) and saved the lives of many young Japanese pilots. After the war, Shiga became president of police equipment manufacturer Nobel Kōgyō and made many devices, such as bullet resistant vests, and expandable police batons for Japanese police. He died on 25 November 2005.
Tadashi Kaneko (兼子 正, Kaneko Tadashi; 25 February 1912 – 14 November 1942) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and…
Tadashi Kaneko (兼子 正, Kaneko Tadashi; 25 February 1912 – 14 November 1942) was an officer, ace fighter pilot, and leader in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Before his death in combat, Kaneko was officially credited with destroying eight enemy aircraft.
Admiral Ryuichi Itaya (板谷 隆一, 20 August 1911 – 1 September 1991) was a Japanese naval officer who served in the…
Admiral Ryuichi Itaya (板谷 隆一, 20 August 1911 – 1 September 1991) was a Japanese naval officer who served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. After a brief stint in the post-war Japanese Coast Guard and Safety Security Force he joined the newly formed Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in 1954. During his service in the JMSDF Itaya held a variety of command and staff positions including serving as the seventh Maritime Chief of Staff from 1966 till his appointment as the fifth Chairman of the Joint Staff Council of the Japan Self-Defense Force, a position he held from 1969 till his retirement in 1971.
Masatake Okumiya (奥宮 正武, Okumiya Masatake; July 27, 1909 – February 22, 2007) was a historian and lieutenant general in…
Masatake Okumiya (奥宮 正武, Okumiya Masatake; July 27, 1909 – February 22, 2007) was a historian and lieutenant general in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Okumiya graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1930 as a midshipman. He was commissioned an ensign in April 1932, received his wings in November 1933 as a naval aviator, and was promoted to sub-lieutenant in the same month. He entered the Naval Air Corps at Ōmura, receiving promotion to lieutenant in December 1936. In 1937, he participated in the attack on the USS Panay. Promoted to lieutenant-commander in October 1941, Okumiya served throughout World War II, including on the aircraft carrier Ryūjō and with the 2nd Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During 1942–1943, he served as chief of staff of the 26th Naval Air Squadron, and was appointed to a staff post in August 1944. He was promoted to his final rank of commander in November 1944. At the end of the war, Okumiya was interrogated by Allied intelligence officers, after which he was demobilized. Following the occupation of Japan, he joined the nascent Japan Air Self-Defense Force in 1954. He returned to active duty in July 1957 with the rank of colonel, and was appointed commander of the air base at Utsunomiya. He was promoted to major general in February 1958 and served as deputy head of Personnel and Training from August 1959 to April 1960. He commanded the 3rd Air Wing from Komaki Air Base in 1961, followed by command of the Ichigaya Air Base in 1962. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1963 and ended his career as commander of the ATC and Meteorological Group. He retired the following year. Okumiya wrote extensively on Japan's role in World War II. He co-wrote with Mitsuo Fuchida Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan; the Japanese Navy's Story, published 1955. His remark that "I am firmly convinced that the Pacific War was started by men who did not understand the sea, and fought by men who did not understand the air." is often quoted. He also co-wrote, with Jiro Horikoshi and Martin Caidin, an historical account of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, titled Zero! The book was published in 1956.
Shigeharu Murata (村田 重治, Murata Shigeharu; 9 April 1909 - 26 October 1942) was a torpedo bomber pilot officer in the…
Shigeharu Murata (村田 重治, Murata Shigeharu; 9 April 1909 - 26 October 1942) was a torpedo bomber pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He was the commander of torpedo bombers in the Attack on Pearl Harbor that crippled several United States Navy (USN) battleships and during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands that resulted in the sinking of carrier Hornet, where he was killed in action.
Shigekazu Shimazaki (嶋崎 重和, Shimazaki Shigekazu; 9 September 1908 – 9 January 1945) was a Japanese career officer in…
Shigekazu Shimazaki (嶋崎 重和, Shimazaki Shigekazu; 9 September 1908 – 9 January 1945) was a Japanese career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during World War II.
Kakuichi Takahashi (高橋 赫一, Takahashi Kakuichi; 29 November 1906 – 9 May 1942) was a dive bomber pilot officer in the…
Kakuichi Takahashi (高橋 赫一, Takahashi Kakuichi; 29 November 1906 – 9 May 1942) was a dive bomber pilot officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. He is best known for leading several strikes against the United States Navy during the Battle of the Coral Sea, where they sank the carrier Lexington, the oiler Neosho and the destroyer Sims, and damaged Yorktown. He was killed in action during the final stages of the battle.
Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu (高松宮宣仁親王, Takamatsu-no-miya Nobuhito Shinnō; 3 January 1905 – 3 February 1987) was the third…
Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu (高松宮宣仁親王, Takamatsu-no-miya Nobuhito Shinnō; 3 January 1905 – 3 February 1987) was the third son of Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Empress Teimei (Sadako) and a younger brother of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). He became heir to the Takamatsu-no-miya (formerly Arisugawa-no-miya), one of the four shinnōke or branches of the imperial family entitled to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne in default of a direct heir. From the mid-1920s until the end of World War II, Prince Takamatsu pursued a career in the Japanese Imperial Navy, eventually rising to the rank of captain. Following the war, the prince became patron or honorary president of various organizations in the fields of international cultural exchange, the arts, sports, and medicine. He is mainly remembered for his philanthropic activities as a member of the Imperial House of Japan.
Vice Admiral Mitsugu Ihara (庵原貢, Iohara Mitsugu; 3 October 1903 – 31 March 1979) was a Japanese naval officer who…
Vice Admiral Mitsugu Ihara (庵原貢, Iohara Mitsugu; 3 October 1903 – 31 March 1979) was a Japanese naval officer who served in both the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1920 to 1945 and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) from 1954 to 1960. He was the third Chief of Staff of the JMSDF succeeding Yasumaro Kiguchi. In 1961, he was succeeded by Nobuo Fukuchi.
Mitsuo Fuchida (淵田 美津雄, Fuchida Mitsuo; 3 December 1902 – 30 May 1976) was a Japanese captain in the Imperial Japanese…
Mitsuo Fuchida (淵田 美津雄, Fuchida Mitsuo; 3 December 1902 – 30 May 1976) was a Japanese captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and a bomber observer in the Imperial Japanese Navy before and during World War II. He is perhaps best known for leading the first wave of air attacks on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Working under the fleet commander, Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, Fuchida was responsible for the coordination of the aerial attack. After the war ended, Fuchida became a Christian convert and evangelist, traveling in the United States and Europe to tell his story. He later settled in the U.S. (although never taking American citizenship). Some of Fuchida's wartime claims have been challenged as self-serving by historians, including his claimed advocacy for a third wave attack on Pearl Harbor.
Takakazu Kinashi (木梨 鷹一, Kinashi Takakazu; 7 March 1902 – 26 July 1944) was a Japanese naval officer during World War…
Takakazu Kinashi (木梨 鷹一, Kinashi Takakazu; 7 March 1902 – 26 July 1944) was a Japanese naval officer during World War II. As captain of submarine I-19, he sank the American aircraft carrier USS Wasp and destroyer USS O'Brien and severely damaged the battleship USS North Carolina with a single spread of six torpedoes in 1942. He was the most successful submarine commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, sinking five merchant ships, one carrier and one destroyer, for a total of 39,097 GRT, and damaging a further one battleship and four merchant ships, for 69,542 GRT.
Vice-Admiral Asaakira, Prince Kuni (久邇宮 朝融王, Kuni-no-miya Asaakira-ō; 2 February 1901 – 7 December 1959), was third…
Vice-Admiral Asaakira, Prince Kuni (久邇宮 朝融王, Kuni-no-miya Asaakira-ō; 2 February 1901 – 7 December 1959), was third head of the Kuni-no-miya, a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family and vice admiral in the Japanese Imperial Navy during World War II. He was the elder brother of Empress Kōjun (Nagako), the consort of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), and thus a maternal uncle to the Emperor Emeritus Akihito.
Tamotsu Oishi (大石 保, Ōishi Tamotsu; 28 January 1900 – 13 February 1946) was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese…
Tamotsu Oishi (大石 保, Ōishi Tamotsu; 28 January 1900 – 13 February 1946) was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Rear Admiral Chiaki Matsuda (松田千秋, Matsuda Chiaki; 29 September 1896 – 6 November 1995) was an admiral in the Imperial…
Rear Admiral Chiaki Matsuda (松田千秋, Matsuda Chiaki; 29 September 1896 – 6 November 1995) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the third captain of the Yamato.
Toshihira Inoguchi (猪口 敏平, Inoguchi Toshihira; 11 August 1896 – 24 October 1944) was a Japanese vice-admiral and served…
Toshihira Inoguchi (猪口 敏平, Inoguchi Toshihira; 11 August 1896 – 24 October 1944) was a Japanese vice-admiral and served as the commander of the Yamato-Class Battleship Musashi during World War II until his death.
Masafumi Arima (有馬 正文, Arima Masafumi; 25 September 1895 – 15 October 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Masafumi Arima (有馬 正文, Arima Masafumi; 25 September 1895 – 15 October 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. An experienced aviator, he is sometimes credited with being the first to use the kamikaze attack, although official accounts may have been invented for propaganda purposes. Arima personally led an air attack against United States Navy Task Force 38 in the Formosa Air Battle and was killed in action.
Sanji Iwabuchi (岩淵 三次, Iwabuchi Sanji; 2 March 1895 – 26 February 1945) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Sanji Iwabuchi (岩淵 三次, Iwabuchi Sanji; 2 March 1895 – 26 February 1945) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific War of World War II. He committed suicide after facing imminent defeat during the Battle of Manila. Units under his command committed the Manila massacre.
Jisaku Okada (岡田 次作, Okada Jisaku; 1893 – June 4, 1942) was an Imperial Japanese Navy captain. During his career he was…
Jisaku Okada (岡田 次作, Okada Jisaku; 1893 – June 4, 1942) was an Imperial Japanese Navy captain. During his career he was the commander of the seaplane tender Notoro and aircraft carrier Ryūjō. A couple of months before the start of the Second World War he was given the command of the Kaga. He was killed in action during the Battle of Midway when the ship was attacked by American dive bombers. Okada was posthumously promoted to rear admiral.
Tomiji Koyanagi (小柳 富次, Koyanagi Tomiji; 16 July 1893 – 6 August 1978), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Tomiji Koyanagi (小柳 富次, Koyanagi Tomiji; 16 July 1893 – 6 August 1978), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Baron Matsuji Ijuin (伊集院 松治, Ijūin Matsuji; 21 April 1893 – 24 May 1944) was a commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Baron Matsuji Ijuin (伊集院 松治, Ijūin Matsuji; 21 April 1893 – 24 May 1944) was a commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, who was promoted posthumously to vice admiral after being killed in action in combat off Saipan.
Sadayoshi Yamada (山田 定義, Yamada Sadayoshi; 26 November 1892 – 16 November 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial…
Sadayoshi Yamada (山田 定義, Yamada Sadayoshi; 26 November 1892 – 16 November 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Ryūnosuke Kusaka (草鹿 龍之介, Kusaka Ryūnosuke; 25 September 1893 – 23 November 1971) was an admiral in the Imperial…
Ryūnosuke Kusaka (草鹿 龍之介, Kusaka Ryūnosuke; 25 September 1893 – 23 November 1971) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II who served as Chief of Staff of the Combined Fleet. Fellow Admiral Jinichi Kusaka was his cousin. Kusaka was also the 4th Headmaster of Ittō Shōden Mutō-ryū Kenjutsu, a famous school of swordsmanship founded by Yamaoka Tesshū.
Tamon Yamaguchi (山口 多聞, Yamaguchi Tamon; 17 August 1892 – 5 June 1942) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Tamon Yamaguchi (山口 多聞, Yamaguchi Tamon; 17 August 1892 – 5 June 1942) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific War during World War II. Yamaguchi's carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently participated in the Battle of Midway, where he was killed in action, choosing to go down with the aircraft carrier Hiryū when she was scuttled after being crippled by aircraft from USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown.
Raizō Tanaka (田中 頼三, Tanaka Raizō; 27 April 1892 – 9 July 1969) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)…
Raizō Tanaka (田中 頼三, Tanaka Raizō; 27 April 1892 – 9 July 1969) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during most of World War II. A specialist in the heavy torpedoes that were carried by all the destroyers and cruisers of the IJN, Tanaka mainly commanded destroyer squadrons, with a cruiser or two attached, and he was the primary leader of the "Tokyo Express" reinforcement and resupply shipments during the long campaign for the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific Ocean. From the Americans, Tanaka acquired the nickname of "Tenacious Tanaka" for his stalwart opposition.
Takeo Takagi (高木 武雄, Takagi Takeo; 25 January 1892 – 8 July 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during…
Takeo Takagi (高木 武雄, Takagi Takeo; 25 January 1892 – 8 July 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the commander of the IJN 6th Fleet, which oversaw the deployment of all submarines.
Masatomi Kimura (木村 昌福, Kimura Masatomi; 6 December 1891 – 14 February 1960) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Masatomi Kimura (木村 昌福, Kimura Masatomi; 6 December 1891 – 14 February 1960) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Marquis Tadashige Daigo (醍醐 忠重, Daigo Tadashige; 15 October 1891 – 6 December 1947) was a vice admiral in the Imperial…
Marquis Tadashige Daigo (醍醐 忠重, Daigo Tadashige; 15 October 1891 – 6 December 1947) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Minoru Ōta (大田 実, Ōta Minoru; 7 April 1891 – 13 June 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World…
Minoru Ōta (大田 実, Ōta Minoru; 7 April 1891 – 13 June 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and the final commander of the Japanese naval forces defending the Oroku Peninsula during the Battle of Okinawa.
Zenshiro Hoshina (保科善四郎, Hoshina Zenshiro; 8 March 1891 – 25 December 1991) was a Japanese naval officer and…
Zenshiro Hoshina (保科善四郎, Hoshina Zenshiro; 8 March 1891 – 25 December 1991) was a Japanese naval officer and politician. The final rank is Vice Admiral of the Navy. After serving as a member of the House of Representatives for four terms, he became chairman of the Japan Defense Association.
Kakuji Kakuta (角田 覚治, Kakuta Kakuji; 23 September 1890 – 2 August 1944), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Kakuji Kakuta (角田 覚治, Kakuta Kakuji; 23 September 1890 – 2 August 1944), was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He is noted for his role in commanding Japanese naval aviation units in the Pacific War.
Seiichi Itō (伊藤 整一, Itō Seiichi; July 26, 1890 – April 7, 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the…
Seiichi Itō (伊藤 整一, Itō Seiichi; July 26, 1890 – April 7, 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the flag officer of the task force centered around the battleship Yamato on his final mission towards the end of World War II.
Sadatoshi Senda (千田 貞敏, Senda Sadatoshi; 1890 – December 25, 1944) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy.…
Sadatoshi Senda (千田 貞敏, Senda Sadatoshi; 1890 – December 25, 1944) was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Senda served as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy and was stationed on the island of Biak, near New Guinea. Though he was the highest-ranking officer on the island, he was placed under the command of Kuzume Naoyuki, who was only a colonel. He commanded 1,500 troops of the 28th Marine Department, yet only 125 had engaged in combat training. He aided in the defense of Biak against the United States Army, but was killed in the battle for the island after trying to fight off the US landings on 25 December, 1944.
Michitarō Tozuka (戸塚 道太郎, Tozuka Michitarō; April 21, 1890 – March 6, 1966) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Michitarō Tozuka (戸塚 道太郎, Tozuka Michitarō; April 21, 1890 – March 6, 1966) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
Kiyohide Shima (志摩 清英, Shima Kiyohide; 25 February 1890 – 7 November 1973) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Kiyohide Shima (志摩 清英, Shima Kiyohide; 25 February 1890 – 7 November 1973) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Matome Ugaki (宇垣 纏, Ugaki Matome; 15 February 1890 – 15 August 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Matome Ugaki (宇垣 纏, Ugaki Matome; 15 February 1890 – 15 August 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, remembered for his extensive and revealing war diary, role at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and participation in one of the final kamikaze attacks hours after the surrender of Japan was announced.
Shōji Nishimura (西村 祥治, Nishimura Shōji; 30 November 1889 – 25 October 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Shōji Nishimura (西村 祥治, Nishimura Shōji; 30 November 1889 – 25 October 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Ichirō Satō (佐藤 市郎, Satō Ichirō; August 28, 1889 – April 12, 1958) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Ichirō Satō (佐藤 市郎, Satō Ichirō; August 28, 1889 – April 12, 1958) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, educator, historian, and naval diplomat. As a member of the Satō–Kishi–Abe family, he was the older brother of two Japanese prime ministers, Nobusuke Kishi and Eisaku Satō.
Takeo Kurita (Japanese: 栗田 健男, Hepburn: Kurita Takeo; 28 April 1889 – 19 December 1977) was a vice admiral in the…
Takeo Kurita (Japanese: 栗田 健男, Hepburn: Kurita Takeo; 28 April 1889 – 19 December 1977) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Kurita commanded IJN 2nd Fleet, the main Japanese attack force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history.
Jinichi Kusaka (草鹿 任一, Kusaka Jin'ichi; 7 December 1888 – 24 August 1972) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Jinichi Kusaka (草鹿 任一, Kusaka Jin'ichi; 7 December 1888 – 24 August 1972) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Fellow Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka was his cousin.
Ibō Takahashi (高橋 伊望, Takahashi Ibō; April 20, 1888 – March 18, 1947) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Ibō Takahashi (高橋 伊望, Takahashi Ibō; April 20, 1888 – March 18, 1947) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Mitsumi Shimizu (清水 光美, Shimizu Mitsumi; March 16, 1888 – May 5, 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Mitsumi Shimizu (清水 光美, Shimizu Mitsumi; March 16, 1888 – May 5, 1971) was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
Chūichi Nagumo (南雲 忠一, Nagumo Chūichi; 25 March 1887 – 6 July 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)…
Chūichi Nagumo (南雲 忠一, Nagumo Chūichi; 25 March 1887 – 6 July 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Nagumo led Japan's main carrier battle group, the Kido Butai, in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and over the following months in successful raids on Darwin in Australia and in the Indian Ocean. In June 1942, he participated at the Battle of Midway, where his strike force suffered a crushing defeat. Nagumo was re-assigned to another fleet during the Guadalcanal campaign, and later stationed in the Japanese home islands. In 1944, he was deployed to a naval command in the Mariana Islands, where he committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.
Prince Shimazu Tadashige (島津 忠重; 20 October 1886 – 4 April 1968), was the son of Shimazu Tadayoshi and 30th head of the…
Prince Shimazu Tadashige (島津 忠重; 20 October 1886 – 4 April 1968), was the son of Shimazu Tadayoshi and 30th head of the Shimazu clan. He was a naval officer, and rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. His wife was the daughter of Tokudaiji Sanetsune.
Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa (小沢 治三郎, Ozawa Jisaburō; October 2, 1886 – November 9, 1966) was an admiral in the Imperial…
Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa (小沢 治三郎, Ozawa Jisaburō; October 2, 1886 – November 9, 1966) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Ozawa held several important commands at sea throughout the duration of the conflict (Southern Expeditionary Fleet, 3rd Fleet, 1st Mobile Fleet, and the Combined Fleet). Ozawa was noted for his innovative ideas in the employment of aircraft carriers. However, he could not, in his most important commands from 1943 onward, succeed in overcoming the superiority of American carrier aviation. In terms of quantity and quality of aircraft, as well as pilot training and experience, the Americans outmatched the Japanese carrier forces under Ozawa's command. Ozawa commanded Japanese carrier forces during some of the most significant naval battles that took place in the Pacific Theatre: the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. Ozawa has been noted for his unusual height for a Japanese man of his time period, measuring in at over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, although his exact height has not been reliably reported.
Nobutake Kondō (近藤 信竹; 25 September 1886 – 19 February 1953) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World…
Nobutake Kondō (近藤 信竹; 25 September 1886 – 19 February 1953) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. As commander of IJN 2nd Fleet, the Navy's principal detached force for independent operations, Kondō was regarded as second in importance only to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
Soemu Toyoda (豊田 副武, Toyoda Soemu; 22 May 1885 – 22 September 1957) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in…
Soemu Toyoda (豊田 副武, Toyoda Soemu; 22 May 1885 – 22 September 1957) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
Naokuni Nomura (野村 直邦, Nomura Naokuni; 15 May 1885 – 12 December 1973) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Naokuni Nomura (野村 直邦, Nomura Naokuni; 15 May 1885 – 12 December 1973) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and briefly served as Navy Minister in the 1940s.