Nishiz? Tsukahara
|
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Vice Admiral Tsukahara Nishiz? (1939-45)
|
Born
| April 3, 1887
Fukui Prefecture
,
Japan
|
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Died
| January 10, 1966
(1966-01-10)
(aged 78)
Tokyo
,
Japan
|
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Allegiance
|
Empire of Japan
|
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Service/
branch
|
Imperial Japanese Navy
|
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Years of service
| 1908?1945
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Rank
| Admiral
|
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Commands held
| ?i
,
Akagi
,
2nd Carrier Division
, 2nd Combined Air Group, 1st Combined Air Group,
Chinkai Guard District
,
11th Air Fleet
,
Naval Aviation Bureau
,
Senior Vice-chief of Navy General Staff
, Naval Councillor,
Yokosuka Naval District
|
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Battles/wars
| |
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Nishiz? Tsukahara
(
塚原 二四三
,
Tsukahara Nishiz?
, April 3, 1887 – January 10, 1966)
, was an admiral in the
Imperial Japanese Navy
during
World War II
.
Biography
[
edit
]
Tsukahara was born in
Fukui Prefecture
, but his official residence was
Kofu city
,
Yamanashi Prefecture
, where he was raised. Tsukahara graduated from the 36th class of the
Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
in 1908. He was ranked 20th out of 119 cadets, and noted Admiral
Chuichi Nagumo
was his classmate. He served his
midshipman
duty aboard the
cruisers
Soya
, and
Iwate
and
battleship
Okinoshima
. After he was commissioned as an
ensign
in 1910, he was assigned to the
Shikishima
, followed by
destroyer
Y?dachi
.
Tsukahara subsequently served on the
Yamashiro
and cruiser
Aso
. After his promotion to
lieutenant
in 1914, he was assigned to
Umikaze
, and was chief navigator on
Mogami
in 1916, followed by
Chitose
, repair ship
Kanto
, and
battlecruiser
Ibuki
.
Tsukahara graduated from the
Navy Staff College
in 1920, and was promoted to
lieutenant commander
. He held a number of staff positions within the
Yokosuka Naval District
, particularly pertaining to
naval aviation
. He was sent to the
United States
and
Europe
from 1925?1926, and on his return was assigned as
executive officer
to the
aircraft carrier
H?sh?
.
On November 29, 1929, Tsukahara was promoted to captain, and was also given command of
?i
. From 1931-1932, he was part of the Japanese delegation to the
Geneva Naval Disarmament Conference
. On October 20, 1933, he was given command of the aircraft carrier
Akagi
.
Tsukahara was promoted to
Rear admiral
on November 15, 1935. He commanded a number of fighter squadrons, and was promoted on to
Vice admiral
on November 15, 1939. In April 1940, he became commander of the
Chinkai Guard District
, and from September 10, 1941 until October 1, 1942, he was
Commander in Chief
of the
11th Air Fleet
.
[1]
Unlike western military services where most military aircraft were under Army control, the Japanese Imperial Navy maintained large land-based aerial forces. In addition to seaplanes and maritime patrol aircraft, each of these
Air Fleets
had several wings of land-based fighters, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and twin-engined medium bombers. The exact composition was tailored by the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
to the location and mission. They also included a number of support ships for resupply and destroyers for protection of supply lanes.
Based out of
Taiwan Island
when the war began, the 11th Air Fleet was involved in the
invasion of the Philippines
.
[1]
Later it moved forward in support of Japanese offensives in the
New Guinea campaign
, and fought some air
vs.
naval actions south of New Guinea on the eastern side of Indonesia during the
Dutch East Indies campaign
.
Afterwards the 11th Air Fleet with the help of its dedicated supporting ships moved forward and engaged in operations flying during the
Solomon Islands campaign
from
Rabaul
,
New Britain
and other locations. On August 8, 1942, after the
Allied landings
on
Guadalcanal
and
Tulagi
Tsukahara moved to Rabaul to more closely direct air attacks against Allied forces around Guadalcanal.
[2]
While at Rabaul, the scope of Vice admiral Tsukahara's command was expanded to include all naval forces in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands' area in addition to the 11th Air Fleet in what was renamed the
Southeast Area Command
.
[3]
Soon after this change he fell ill, was relieved and replaced in Rabaul by
Vice-Admiral Jin'ichi Kusaka
on October 1, 1942.
After recovering from illness, Tsukahara was appointed Director of
Naval Air Command
from December 1, 1942 to September 15, 1944. Subsequently, he was commander in chief of the Yokosuka Naval District to May 1, 1945.
[4]
Tsukahara was promoted to (full)
Admiral
on May 15, 1945, one of the last two officers promoted to this rank. He died in 1966, and his grave is at the Tama Reien Cemetery in
Fuch?, Tokyo
.
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
L, Klemen (1999?2000).
"Vice-Admiral Nishio Tsukahara"
.
Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942
.
- ^
Lundstrom,
Guadalcanal Campaign
, p. 74.
- ^
Lundstrom,
Guadalcanal Campaign
, p. 92.
- ^
Wendel,
Axis History
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
IJN Insignia
|
Rank
|
Date
|
|
海軍少?
Kaigun Sh?sh?
(
Rear-Admiral
)
|
15 November 1935
|
|
海軍中?
Kaigun Ch?j?
(
Vice-Admiral
)
|
15 November 1939
|
|
海軍大?
Kaigun Taish?
(
Admiral
)
|
15 May 1945
|
Career
|
---|
Military offices
|
Preceded by
|
Chinkai Naval Base
Commander
15 April 1940 - 1 September 1941
|
Succeeded by
|
Preceded by
|
11th Air Fleet
Commander-in-chief
10 September 1941 - 1 October 1942
|
Succeeded by
|
Preceded by
|
Naval Aviation Bureau
Director
1 December 1942 ? 15 September 1944
|
Succeeded by
|
Preceded by
|
Yokosuka Naval District
Commander-in-chief
15 September 1944 - 1 May 1945
|
Succeeded by
|
|