Masao Watanabe
Encyclopedia
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army
during World War II
.
retainer of the Kishiwada domain. His father was an elementary school teacher. Watanabe was a graduate of the 21st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1909, and of the 31st class of the Army Staff College
in 1919, with a specialty in artillery
.
From 1928 - 1933, Watanabe was an instructor of the Army Field Artillery School. He was assigned a commander of the IJA 10th Field Artillery Regiment from 1933–1936, after which he became Chief of Staff of the IJA 14th Division.
Before the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War
, Watanabe was promoted to major general
and was Chief of Staff of the Central Defense Army in Japan. He was reassigned to an administrative role when he became head of the Army Armaments Factory from 1938-1940. He was promoted to lieutenant general
in 1939.
With the Pacific War
, Watanabe was again given a field command as commander in chief of the IJA 56th Division from 1940-1942. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasures
, 1st class, in 1940.
Under Watanabe, the 56th Division participated in the invasion of Burma. After landing at Rangoon, the 56th Division raced north and engaged Kuomingtang Chinese forces at the battle of Toungoo
. After taking the city, the 56th Division flanked the Allied
line to the east, by advancing through the mountains to the Salween River
in the Karenni
States. The 56th Division then defeated the Chinese 6th Corps in a number of small engagements and forced their retreat eastward into Yunnan
. Advancing north through the Shan States
the 56th Division defeated the Chinese 65th Corps to take the city of Lashio
on the Burma Road
. The 56th Division then advanced into Yunnan in pursuit of the Chinese forces but halted at the Salween River.
Following this success in combat, Watanabe was recalled to Japan, and from 1942–1944, was Commandant of the Army School of Science. However, with the war situation rapidly deteriorating against Japan, he was sent to the field again in 1944 as the first commander in chief of the newly formed IJA 32nd Army, tasked with the defense of the Ryukyu Islands
.
Watanabe was recalled to Tokyo later the same year, and retired from military service. In the final stages of the war, he was recalled to duty, and assigned as commander of the Osaka region for the expected American invasion of the Japanese home islands
. He was awarded with the Order of the Rising Sun
, 1st class, just before the surrender of Japan
. He died in 1950. His son, Akio Watanabe (born August 13, 1932) is currently a scholar and a politician.
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...
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
Watanabe was the son of a former 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 Kishiwada domain. His father was an elementary school teacher. Watanabe was a graduate of the 21st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1909, and of the 31st class of the Army Staff College
Army War College (Japan)
The ; Short form: of the Empire of Japan was founded in 1882 in Minato, Tokyo to modernize and Westernize the Imperial Japanese Army. Much of the empire's elite including prime ministers during the period of Japanese militarism were graduates of the college....
in 1919, with a specialty in 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...
.
From 1928 - 1933, Watanabe was an instructor of the Army Field Artillery School. He was assigned a commander of the IJA 10th Field Artillery Regiment from 1933–1936, after which he became Chief of Staff of the IJA 14th Division.
Before the start 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...
, Watanabe 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...
and was Chief of Staff of the Central Defense Army in Japan. He was reassigned to an administrative role when he became head of the Army Armaments Factory from 1938-1940. He was 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....
in 1939.
With the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, Watanabe was again given a field command as commander in chief of the IJA 56th Division from 1940-1942. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasures
Order of the Sacred Treasures
The 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, in 1940.
Under Watanabe, the 56th Division participated in the invasion of Burma. After landing at Rangoon, the 56th Division raced north and engaged Kuomingtang Chinese forces at the battle of Toungoo
Battle of Toungoo
Battle of Toungoo, was one of the key battles in the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road in the Burma Campaign of World War II and Second Sino-Japanese War.- Prelude :...
. After taking the city, the 56th Division flanked the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
line to the east, by advancing through the mountains to the Salween River
Salween River
The Salween is a river, about long, that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. It drains a narrow and mountainous watershed of that extends into the countries China, Burma and Thailand. Steep canyon walls line the swift, powerful and undammed Salween, one of the...
in the Karenni
Karenni
Red Karen also known as Karenni, is a subgroup of the Karen people, a Sino-Tibetan people living mostly in Kayah State of Burma....
States. The 56th Division then defeated the Chinese 6th Corps in a number of small engagements and forced their retreat eastward into Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
. Advancing north through the Shan States
Shan States
The Shan States were the princely states that ruled large areas of today's Burma , Yunnan Province in China, Laos and Thailand from the late 13th century until mid-20th century...
the 56th Division defeated the Chinese 65th Corps to take the city of Lashio
Lashio
Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan State, Myanmar, about northeast of Mandalay. It is situated on a low mountain spur overlooking the valley of the Nam Yao river. The population grew from around 5000 in 1960 to 88,590 in 1983. It is currently estimated at around 130,000.Lashio is the...
on the Burma Road
Burma Road
The Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...
. The 56th Division then advanced into Yunnan in pursuit of the Chinese forces but halted at the Salween River.
Following this success in combat, Watanabe was recalled to Japan, and from 1942–1944, was Commandant of the Army School of Science. However, with the war situation rapidly deteriorating against Japan, he was sent to the field again in 1944 as the first commander in chief of the newly formed IJA 32nd Army, tasked with the defense of the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
.
Watanabe was recalled to Tokyo later the same year, and retired from military service. In the final stages of the war, he was recalled to duty, and assigned as commander of the Osaka region for the expected American invasion of the Japanese home islands
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
. He was awarded with 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, just before the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
. He died in 1950. His son, Akio Watanabe (born August 13, 1932) is currently a scholar and a politician.