Kamio Mitsuomi
Encyclopedia
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army
, who commanded the Allied land forces
during the Siege of Tsingtao in World War I
.
retainer of the Suwa clan
in Shinano province
(present-day Nagano prefecture
). He graduated from military academy in 1874, and served as a sergeant
in the Imperial infantry
during the Satsuma Rebellion
of 1877. He rose rapidly through the ranks, to sergeant-major and then was commissioned as a brevet
second lieutenant
by the end of the same year. His commission was confirmed as official by the end of the war, and in 1882 was promoted to full lieutenant
.
Kamio served in Qing dynasty
China
as a military attaché
from 1885–86, during which time he was promoted to captain. On his return to Japan, he was assigned to various staff positions, and became a major
in December 1891.
He returned to China again as a military attaché attached to the Japanese embassy in Beijing
from 1892–1894. With the outbreak of the 1894–95 First Sino-Japanese War
, he was a staff officer attached to Japanese Second Army
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel
at the end of the war, and then to full colonel
in 1897 when he assumed command of the 3rd Imperial Guard Regiment
.
Kamio was sent to Europe
from February 1899 to April 1900. Subsequently he was Chief of Staff of the IJA 1st Division in 1900, and of the IJA 10th Division the following year. In May 1902, he was promoted to major general
.
During the Russo-Japanese War
, Kamio held a series of further divisional commands: with 22nd Brigade, Japanese China Garrison Army
, IJA 9th Division and IJA 18th Division, but not within front-line combat units. In December 1908, he was further promoted to lieutenant general
. He was commander of the IJA 18th Division from 1912.
After the start of World War I
, Kamio, with a reputation for solid caution rather than brilliance, was selected to lead Allied
ground forces in the seizure of Tsingtao from Germany
. Kamio made lavish use of logistics and overwhelming firepower to spare bloodshed as much as possible.
In November 1914, Kamio's 18th Division of 23,000 men backed by 142 guns began a bombardment of the port on 2 September 1914. The port fell a little over two months later, Kamio's siege tactics
earning him praise for the skill with which he carefully deployed artillery
tactics to aid infantry advances.
Kamio served thereafter as Japanese governor of Tsingtao and was promoted to full general
in June 1916. A month later, he was honored with elevation to the rank of baron
(danshaku) under the kazoku
peerage system.
He entered the reserves in August 1917, and retired completely in 1925. He died in 1927 and is buried at Zōshigaya cemetery
.
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, who commanded the Allied land forces
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
during the Siege of Tsingtao in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Biography
Kamio was the younger son of Kamio Heizaburō, a samuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
retainer of the Suwa clan
Suwa clan
The was a Japanese clan which claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji. It was a powerful clan of Shinano Province, particularly during the Sengoku period, when it had frequent clashes with its neighbor in Kai, the Takeda clan. The Suwa served as Takeda retainers for some time, and after the fall of...
in Shinano province
Shinano Province
or is an old province of Japan that is now present day Nagano Prefecture.Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces...
(present-day Nagano prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
). He graduated from military academy in 1874, and served as a sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the Imperial infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
during the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
of 1877. He rose rapidly through the ranks, to sergeant-major and then was commissioned as a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
by the end of the same year. His commission was confirmed as official by the end of the war, and in 1882 was promoted to full lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
.
Kamio served in Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
as a military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
from 1885–86, during which time he was promoted to captain. On his return to Japan, he was assigned to various staff positions, and became a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in December 1891.
He returned to China again as a military attaché attached to the Japanese embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
from 1892–1894. With the outbreak of the 1894–95 First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
, he was a staff officer attached to Japanese Second Army
Japanese Second Army
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was raised and demobilized on four separate occasions.-History:The Japanese 2nd Army was initially raised during the First Sino-Japanese War from September 27, 1894 to May 14, 1895 under the command of General Ōyama Iwao.It was revived for the...
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
at the end of the war, and then to full colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1897 when he assumed command of the 3rd Imperial Guard Regiment
Imperial Guard of Japan
The Japanese is an organization which is dedicated to protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family, palaces and other imperial properties. Following the end of World War II the traditional Guard, which also served as a unit in the Imperial Japanese Army, was dissolved and in 1947 a civil...
.
Kamio was sent to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
from February 1899 to April 1900. Subsequently he was Chief of Staff of the IJA 1st Division in 1900, and of the IJA 10th Division the following year. In May 1902, he was promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
During the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, Kamio held a series of further divisional commands: with 22nd Brigade, Japanese China Garrison Army
Japanese China Garrison Army
The was formed 1 June 1901 as the , as part of Japan's contribution to the international coalition in China during the Boxer Rebellion. It was renamed the China Garrison Army on 14 April 1912.-History:...
, IJA 9th Division and IJA 18th Division, but not within front-line combat units. In December 1908, he was further promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. He was commander of the IJA 18th Division from 1912.
After the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Kamio, with a reputation for solid caution rather than brilliance, was selected to lead Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
ground forces in the seizure of Tsingtao from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Kamio made lavish use of logistics and overwhelming firepower to spare bloodshed as much as possible.
In November 1914, Kamio's 18th Division of 23,000 men backed by 142 guns began a bombardment of the port on 2 September 1914. The port fell a little over two months later, Kamio's siege tactics
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
earning him praise for the skill with which he carefully deployed artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
tactics to aid infantry advances.
Kamio served thereafter as Japanese governor of Tsingtao and was promoted to full general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in June 1916. A month later, he was honored with elevation to the rank of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
(danshaku) under the kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system.
He entered the reserves in August 1917, and retired completely in 1925. He died in 1927 and is buried at Zōshigaya cemetery
Zoshigaya cemetery
is a public cemetery in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan government.The cemetery welcomes people from any religion and contains the graves of many famous people in its 10 ha area...
.
Honors
- Order of the Sacred TreasureOrder of the Sacred TreasureThe is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
(1st class) May 24, 1912 - Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(Knight Grand Cross) 1915 - Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(1st class) Nov 7 1915 - Order of the Golden KiteOrder of the Golden KiteThe ' was an order of the Empire of Japan, established on 12 February 1890 by Emperor Meiji "in commemoration of Jimmu Tennō, the Romulus of Japan."-Background:...
(1st class), Nov 1 1920 - Order of the Sacred Kite (2nd class)
- Order of the Sacred Kite (4th class)