Shirō Takasu
Encyclopedia
Admiral
was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
.
), and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura
. He served his midshipman duty on the cruisers and , and as sublieutenant on the battleship , cruiser , and battlecruiser .
Takasu was commissioned as a lieutenant in December 1913, serving on the battleship
, followed by the cruiser . He attended the 17th class of the Naval Staff College
and was promoted to lieutenant commander upon graduation in December 1919. On June 23, he was assigned as a military attaché
to the United Kingdom
and was promoted to commander in December of the same year. After his return to Japan in 1924, he served as executive officer
on the cruiser . A year later, he was assigned as an instructor at the Naval War College and promoted to captain in December 1928, after which he received his first command, the cruiser in 1929.
Takasu returned to England again in December 1930 to serve as military advisor on the ambassador’s staff. He served on the court marshal of the perpetrators of the May 15 Incident
in 1932. He was promoted to rear admiral
on November 15, 1934 and reassigned to head the 3rd Bureau of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
, which was in charge of military intelligence
. An outspoken opponent to the Tripartite Alliance between Japan, Nazi Germany
and Fascist Italy
, he was a member of the naval faction led by Isoroku Yamamoto
and Mitsumasa Yonai
opposed to war with the western powers. From 1936-1937, he commanded the First Carrier Division
, which was active in combat in the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War
, and was a naval advisor to the fledgling state of Manchukuo
in 1937. Promoted to vice admiral
on November 15, 1938, he then became commandant of the Naval War College. He was assigned as commander of the IJN 5th Fleet
on September 29, 1939.
On April 29, 1940, Takasu was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
, 1st class.
On November 15, 1940, Takasu was assigned to command the IJN 4th Fleet
, and from August 11, 1941, the IJN 1st Fleet
. As the military position of Japan became precarious in the Solomon Islands
and other areas of the Southwest Pacific, Takasu was assigned to command the Southwest Area Fleet
from September 15, 1942. The IJN 13th Air Fleet also came under his command from September 20, 1943. He was recalled to Japan on March 1, 1944 to assume the position of military councilor, and was promoted to full admiral
on June 18, 1944. However, he died of sickness only two months later and his grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery
in Tokyo.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Takasu was a native of Sakuragawa Village, (currently part of Inashiki, IbarakiInashiki, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan.As of February 1, 2005 the city has an estimated population of 50,142 and a density of 282 persons per km². The total area is 178.12 km²....
), and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
The was a school established to train officers for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It originally located in Nagasaki, moved to Yokohama in 1866, and was relocated to Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1869. It moved to Etajima, Hiroshima in 1888...
, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura
Naokuni Nomura
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and briefly served as Navy Minister in the 1940s.-Biography:Nomura was born in Hioki, Kagoshima prefecture. He graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, ranked 43rd out of 172 cadets. He served his midshipman tour on the...
. He served his midshipman duty on the cruisers and , and as sublieutenant on the battleship , cruiser , and battlecruiser .
Takasu was commissioned as a lieutenant in December 1913, serving on the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, followed by the cruiser . He attended the 17th class of the Naval Staff College
Naval War College (Japan)
The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
and was promoted to lieutenant commander upon graduation in December 1919. On June 23, he was assigned 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...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and was promoted to commander in December of the same year. After his return to Japan in 1924, he served as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
on the cruiser . A year later, he was assigned as an instructor at the Naval War College and promoted to captain in December 1928, after which he received his first command, the cruiser in 1929.
Takasu returned to England again in December 1930 to serve as military advisor on the ambassador’s staff. He served on the court marshal of the perpetrators of the May 15 Incident
May 15 Incident
The ' was an attempted coup d'état in Japan, on May 15, 1932, launched by radical elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy, aided by cadets in the Imperial Japanese Army and civilian remnants of the League of Blood Incident. Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated by 11 young naval officers...
in 1932. He was promoted to rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
on November 15, 1934 and reassigned to head the 3rd Bureau of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...
, which was in charge of military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
. An outspoken opponent to the Tripartite Alliance between Japan, Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Fascist Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, he was a member of the naval faction led by Isoroku Yamamoto
Isoroku Yamamoto
was a Japanese Naval Marshal General and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and a student of Harvard University ....
and Mitsumasa Yonai
Mitsumasa Yonai
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and politician. He was the 37th Prime Minister of Japan from 16 January to 22 July 1940.-Early life & Naval career:...
opposed to war with the western powers. From 1936-1937, he commanded the First Carrier Division
First Carrier Division
was an aircraft carrier unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy's First Air Fleet. At the beginning of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, the First Carrier Division consisted of the fleet carriers Akagi and Kaga. The division participated in the Attack on Pearl Harbor and Indian Ocean Raid...
, which was active in combat in the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, and was a naval advisor to the fledgling state of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
in 1937. Promoted to vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
on November 15, 1938, he then became commandant of the Naval War College. He was assigned as commander of the IJN 5th Fleet
IJN 5th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, active during the early portions of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and again in World War II, primarily in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.-China Expeditionary Fleet:...
on September 29, 1939.
On April 29, 1940, Takasu was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The 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.
On November 15, 1940, Takasu was assigned to command the IJN 4th Fleet
IJN 4th Fleet
The was a fleet designation of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fourth Fleet designation was used during three separate periods. The initial designation was for a group of ships that were assigned to work together during the Russo-Japanese conflict and the period of its immediate aftermath...
, and from August 11, 1941, the IJN 1st Fleet
IJN 1st Fleet
The was the main battleship fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 1st Fleet was created during the Russo-Japanese War when the Imperial General Headquarters divided the Readiness Fleet into a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to...
. As the military position of Japan became precarious in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
and other areas of the Southwest Pacific, Takasu was assigned to command the Southwest Area Fleet
Southwest Area Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942 to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the...
from September 15, 1942. The IJN 13th Air Fleet also came under his command from September 20, 1943. He was recalled to Japan on March 1, 1944 to assume the position of military councilor, and was promoted to full admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
on June 18, 1944. However, he died of sickness only two months later and his grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery
Aoyama Cemetery
is a cemetery in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and at the season of hanami, many people visit.-History:...
in Tokyo.