Boshiro Hosogaya
Encyclopedia
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
.
in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman
, he was assigned to the cruiser
s and . On receiving his commission as ensign
, he attended torpedo
school and naval artillery
school, and as a sub-lieutenant served on the destroyer
and battleship
.
He was promoted to lieutenant
in 1919, and served on the destroyer , and various staff positions. After graduating from the 18th class of Naval War College (Japan)
in 1918 and his promotion to lieutenant commander
in 1920, he served as a staff officer on the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
, and also on the martial law
headquarters for the Kantō region
after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.
In 1924, Hosogaya was promoted to commander
and became executive officer
on the cruiser . In 1927-1928, he visited the United States
and Europe
, and in 1928 became executive officer on the battleship .
After his promotion to captain
in 1929, he served as executive officer, and then as captain of the heavy cruiser
. In 1934, he assumed command of the battleship .
He was promoted to rear admiral
on 15 November 1935. He was Commandant of both the Communications and Torpedo Schools during 1935-1936. After his promotion to vice admiral
on 15 November 1939, he was assigned as Commander in Chief of the Ryojun Naval District.
On 15 November 1940, Hosogaya was given command of the 1st China Expeditionary Fleet and on 25 July 1941, he became CINC of the IJN 5th Fleet
, a largely administrative command based at Ōminato in command of the North Pacific forces, covering the Hokkaidō
-Karafuto-Kurile Islands defense area. The fleet had only light naval forces attached to it, including a couple of light cruiser
s and a seaplane tender
.
As part of the Battle of Midway
, Hosogaya directed the Battle of the Aleutian Islands
and in the invasion of Attu
and Kiska and the bombardment of Dutch Harbor.
On 26 March 1943, during an escort of two transport ships to reinforce the occupied Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands, Hosogaya's fleet, consisting of two heavy cruisers, two light cruiser
s, and four destroyers, was intercepted near the Komandorski Islands
by a U.S. Navy
fleet, led by Rear Admiral
Charles H. McMorris, and made up of one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser and four destroyers under. In the ensuing Battle of the Komandorski Islands
, Hosogaya mistook shell splashes from colored dye shells for bomb splashes, and wrongly concluded he was under aerial attack. Seeking to protect his transport ships, he abruptly broke off action and retreated from the scene of battle even though he had severely damaged McMorris's command ship, the heavy cruiser .
Hosogaya's retreat in the face of an inferior American force was viewed as evidence of cowardice and cost him his command. Later in 1943, he was assigned to the reserves. For the rest of war, Hosogaya was based in Truk, serving as governor of the South Seas Agency.
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
Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefectureNagano 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...
in 1888. He graduated from the 36th 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...
in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
, he was assigned to the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s and . On receiving his commission as ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, he attended torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
school and naval artillery
Naval artillery
Naval artillery, or naval riflery, is artillery mounted on a warship for use in naval warfare. Naval artillery has historically been used to engage either other ships, or targets on land; in the latter role it is currently termed naval gunfire fire support...
school, and as a sub-lieutenant served on the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
and 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...
.
He was promoted to 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...
in 1919, and served on the destroyer , and various staff positions. After graduating from the 18th class of Naval War College (Japan)
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....
in 1918 and his promotion to lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in 1920, he served as a staff officer on 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:...
, and also on the martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
headquarters for the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.
In 1924, Hosogaya was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
and became 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 . In 1927-1928, he visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 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...
, and in 1928 became executive officer on the battleship .
After his promotion to captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in 1929, he served as executive officer, and then as captain of the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
. In 1934, he assumed command of the battleship .
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 15 November 1935. He was Commandant of both the Communications and Torpedo Schools during 1935-1936. After his promotion 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 15 November 1939, he was assigned as Commander in Chief of the Ryojun Naval District.
On 15 November 1940, Hosogaya was given command of the 1st China Expeditionary Fleet and on 25 July 1941, he became CINC 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:...
, a largely administrative command based at Ōminato in command of the North Pacific forces, covering the Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
-Karafuto-Kurile Islands defense area. The fleet had only light naval forces attached to it, including a couple of light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s and a seaplane tender
Seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a ship that provides facilities for operating seaplanes. These ships were the first aircraft carriers and appeared just before the First World War.-History:...
.
As part of the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, Hosogaya directed the Battle of the Aleutian Islands
Battle of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. A small Japanese force occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska, but the remoteness of the islands and the difficulties of weather and terrain meant...
and in the invasion of Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
and Kiska and the bombardment of Dutch Harbor.
On 26 March 1943, during an escort of two transport ships to reinforce the occupied Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands, Hosogaya's fleet, consisting of two heavy cruisers, two light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s, and four destroyers, was intercepted near the Komandorski Islands
Komandorski Islands
Commander Islands or Komandorski Islands are a group of treeless Russian islands located east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, in the Bering Sea...
by a U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
fleet, led by Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Charles H. McMorris, and made up of one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser and four destroyers under. In the ensuing Battle of the Komandorski Islands
Battle of the Komandorski Islands
The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was one of the most unusual engagements of World War II. It was a naval battle which took place on 27 March 1943 in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, near the Soviet Komandorski Islands.-Background:...
, Hosogaya mistook shell splashes from colored dye shells for bomb splashes, and wrongly concluded he was under aerial attack. Seeking to protect his transport ships, he abruptly broke off action and retreated from the scene of battle even though he had severely damaged McMorris's command ship, the heavy cruiser .
Hosogaya's retreat in the face of an inferior American force was viewed as evidence of cowardice and cost him his command. Later in 1943, he was assigned to the reserves. For the rest of war, Hosogaya was based in Truk, serving as governor of the South Seas Agency.
See also
- Organization of the Imperial Japanese Navy Alaskan Strike GroupOrganization of the Imperial Japanese Navy Alaskan Strike Group-Commander in Chief, Navy Alaskan Strike Group:*Boshiro Hosogaya:-Commander-in-Chief, Navy Alaskan Strike Group, Aleutian Campaign-1st Support Group Commander:*Boshiro Hosogaya:-command Heavy Cruiser Nachi and two destroyers-2nd Carrier Squad Commander:...
- South Pacific MandateSouth Pacific MandateThe was the Japanese League of Nations mandate consisting of several groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean which came under the administration of Japan after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.-Early history:Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, after the start of World...