Kozo Sato
Encyclopedia
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy
during the World War I
.
, Iwate prefecture
. He was a graduate of the 18th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
in 1891, ranking 6th out of 61 cadets. His classmates included future admiral Abo Kiyokazu.
As a midshipman
, Satō served on , , , and , and after promotion to ensign, on the . In 1894, during the First Sino-Japanese War
, he was assistant navigator on the converted passenger liner Saikyō-Maru
, serving under the formidable Admiral Kabayama Sukenori during the Battle of the Yalu River.
After serving on and , Satō was promoted to lieutenant in 1897 and was appointed as chief gunnery officer on Chinen in 1898. In 1900, he served on the on its voyage to the United Kingdom
and back. He served in staff positions from 1901–1902, and was sent as a military attaché
to the United Kingdom in April 1903. While in the United Kingdom, he was promoted to lieutenant commander
.
After his return in February 1904, Satō was assigned as chief gunnery officer on , where he served during the Russo-Japanese War
at the Battle off Ulsan
. He was transferred to , where he was chief gunnery officer during the Battle of Tsushima
. After the end of the war, he served on the battleship on its 1905 voyage to the United Kingdom. Returning to Japan in August 1906, he was promoted to commander and served as an instructor at the Naval Gunnery School to from 1907 to the end of 1909.
In December 1910,Satō became executive officer
on the battleship . On December 1, 1911, he was promoted to captain and received his first command: the cruiser . He subsequently commanded (1913), (1913) and (1915). Satō was promoted to rear admiral
on Dec 1, 1916.
On February 7, 1917 Satō was assigned command of the 2nd Special Task Fleet, a task force of Japanese destroyer
s deployed to Malta
in the Mediterranean as part of Japan’s assistance to the Allied war effort under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
. Sato commanded two squadrons of 17 destroyers from aboard the flagship , patrolling the eastern Mediterranean from Alexandria
to Marseilles and from Alexandria to Taranto
against the Imperial German Navy and Austro-Hungarian Navy
. His forces escorted convoys of merchant vessels and troopships, and performed anti-submarine warfare
duties. Future admirals Tamon Yamaguchi and Raizō Tanaka
were members of his staff. These operations were under the overall command of Royal Navy
Admiral Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, and Rear Admiral George A Ballard, who highly praised Satō in dispatches to London
. The Japanese ships were at sea on combat duty on average 25 days or more each month. The Japanese Navy spent 72 percent of their time at sea compared with 60 percent by the British and about 45 percent by the French and Italian Navy.
After his return to Japan after the end of the war, Satō was commandant of the Naval Artillery School. He was promoted to vice admiral
in December 1920, and commanded the Ōminato Guard District
in 1921. He went into the reserves from 1923.
Satō died after the end of World War II
in 1948. Many of the overseas honors and decorations he was awarded by the Entente Powers
in World War I are displayed at the Hanamaki City Museum at his hometown of Hanamaki, Iwate. These include the following:
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 the 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
Satō was born in Hanamaki cityHanamaki, Iwate
is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2011, the city has an estimated total population of 102,455, with a household number of 35,831. Hanamaki is most famous as the birthplace of Kenji Miyazawa and for its onsen. The city recently celebrated the 50th anniversary since its...
, Iwate prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
. He was a graduate of the 18th 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 1891, ranking 6th out of 61 cadets. His classmates included future admiral Abo Kiyokazu.
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...
, Satō served on , , , and , and after promotion to ensign, on the . In 1894, during the 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 assistant navigator on the converted passenger liner Saikyō-Maru
Sei-Kyo Maru
The Sei-Kyo Maru was a Japanese cargo and transport ship involved in the Battle of Yalu River of the First Sino-Japanese War, carrying Viscount Admiral Kabeyama Sukenori, and commanded by John Wilson. See also Saikyo ....
, serving under the formidable Admiral Kabayama Sukenori during the Battle of the Yalu River.
After serving on and , Satō was promoted to lieutenant in 1897 and was appointed as chief gunnery officer on Chinen in 1898. In 1900, he served on the on its voyage 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 back. He served in staff positions from 1901–1902, and was sent 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 in April 1903. While in the United Kingdom, he was promoted 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...
.
After his return in February 1904, Satō was assigned as chief gunnery officer on , where he served 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...
at the Battle off Ulsan
Battle off Ulsan
The naval Battle off Ulsan , also known as the Battle of the Japanese Sea or Battle of the Korean Strait, took place on 14 August 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War, four days after the Battle of the Yellow Sea.-Background:The Vladivostok Cruiser Unit of the Russian fleet...
. He was transferred to , where he was chief gunnery officer during the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
. After the end of the war, he served on the battleship on its 1905 voyage to the United Kingdom. Returning to Japan in August 1906, he was promoted to commander and served as an instructor at the Naval Gunnery School to from 1907 to the end of 1909.
In December 1910,Satō 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 battleship . On December 1, 1911, he was promoted to captain and received his first command: the cruiser . He subsequently commanded (1913), (1913) and (1915). Satō 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 Dec 1, 1916.
On February 7, 1917 Satō was assigned command of the 2nd Special Task Fleet, a task force of Japanese 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...
s deployed to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in the Mediterranean as part of Japan’s assistance to the Allied war effort under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
The first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
. Sato commanded two squadrons of 17 destroyers from aboard the flagship , patrolling the eastern Mediterranean from Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
to Marseilles and from Alexandria to Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
against the Imperial German Navy and Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
. His forces escorted convoys of merchant vessels and troopships, and performed anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
duties. Future admirals Tamon Yamaguchi and Raizō Tanaka
Raizo Tanaka
was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy 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...
were members of his staff. These operations were under the overall command of Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Admiral Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, and Rear Admiral George A Ballard, who highly praised Satō in dispatches to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Japanese ships were at sea on combat duty on average 25 days or more each month. The Japanese Navy spent 72 percent of their time at sea compared with 60 percent by the British and about 45 percent by the French and Italian Navy.
After his return to Japan after the end of the war, Satō was commandant of the Naval Artillery School. He was 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...
in December 1920, and commanded the Ōminato Guard District
Ominato Guard District
The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in northern Honshu before and during World War II. Located in Mutsu Bay, The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in northern Honshu before and during World War II. Located in Mutsu Bay, The was the major navy base for...
in 1921. He went into the reserves from 1923.
Satō died after the end of 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...
in 1948. Many of the overseas honors and decorations he was awarded by the Entente Powers
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...
in World War I are displayed at the Hanamaki City Museum at his hometown of Hanamaki, Iwate. These include the following:
- 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....
(UK), Knight Commander - Order of the Crown (Belgium)Order of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
, Grand Officer - Order of the RedeemerOrder of the RedeemerThe Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
(Greece), Grand Commander - Legion of Honour (France), Commandeurs
- Order of the Crown of ItalyOrder of the Crown of ItalyThe Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
, Grand Officer