Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi
Encyclopedia
{|align=right
|
was the eldest son of Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
, heir-apparent of the 25nd head of the Fushimi-no-miya
shinnōke
(collateral branch of the Imperial Family of Japan), and a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy
.
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
and his wife, the former Tokugawa Tsuneko. He graduated from the 45th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
in 1920, ranked first in a class of 89 cadets. His fellow classmates included Kosaku Ariga
, final captain of the battleship Yamato
.
tour on the cruiser
Iwate
, and as a sub-lieutenant on the battleship
s Fusō
and Kawachi
. After completing coursework in naval artillery
and torpedo
warfare, he served as a crewman on Kongō
, Hyūga
, Kirishima
and Hiei
. After completing advanced training in torpedo warfare, he was assigned as Chief Torpedo officer on the destroyer
s Shimakaze, Numakaze, and cruisers Izumo
and Naka
. On 10 December 1928, he received his first command, the destroyer Kaba. He was subsequently captain of the destroyers Yomogi, Kamikaze, and Amagiri.
In 1933, the Prince was promoted to commander
and became executive officer
on the cruiser Naka, followed by the minelayer
Itsukushima.
In 1936, Prince Fushimi became commander of the 3rd Destroyer Group, which was involved in combat in the Battle of Shanghai
between Japanese and Chinese Nationalist forces during the opening stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War
. On 25 September 1937, he was slightly injured in the Huangpu River
during a bombardment operation. After recovery, he served as commander of the 6th Destroyer Group, assigned to patrols in the Yangtze River
of China.
In April 1938, he was assigned back to Japan, where he became the instructor of a Naval War College
.
On 19 October 1938, Prince Fushimi, who suffered from chronic asthma, died of myocardial infarction
. It is said that the cause of his death was an unsuitable medicine which was injected by his doctor. His military rank was posthumously raised to captain
.
|
was the eldest son of Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
was a scion of the Japanese imperial family and was a career naval officer who served as chief of staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1932 to 1941.-Early life:...
, heir-apparent of the 25nd head of the Fushimi-no-miya
Fushimi-no-miya
The ' is the oldest of the four shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out....
shinnōke
Shinnoke
was the collective name for the four cadet branches of the Imperial Household of Japan, which were until 1947 entitled to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne if the main line failed to produce an heir...
(collateral branch of the Imperial Family of Japan), and a career 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...
.
Early life
Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi was the eldest son and heir of Admiral of the FleetAdmiral of the Fleet (Japan)
' was the highest rank in the prewar Imperial Japanese Navy. The term gensui was used for both the Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army, and was a largely honorific title awarded for extremely meritorious service to the Emperor. In the Meiji period, the title was awarded to 5 generals and 3 admirals...
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
was a scion of the Japanese imperial family and was a career naval officer who served as chief of staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1932 to 1941.-Early life:...
and his wife, the former Tokugawa Tsuneko. He graduated from the 45th 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 1920, ranked first in a class of 89 cadets. His fellow classmates included Kosaku Ariga
Kosaku Ariga
, was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He commanded the battleship during its final mission: Operation Ten-Go.-Biography:...
, final captain of the battleship Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
.
Military career
Prince Fushimi served his midshipmanMidshipman
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...
tour on 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...
Iwate
Japanese cruiser Iwate
was an armored cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was named after Iwate prefecture in northern Japan, and it was a sister ship of the .-Background:...
, and as a sub-lieutenant 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...
s Fusō
Japanese battleship Fuso
The Japanese battleship Fusō , was a part of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of the Fusō-class. She was laid down by the Kure Kaigun Koshō on 11 March 1912, launched on 28 March 1914 and completed on 18 November 1915...
and Kawachi
Japanese battleship Kawachi
The was the lead ship of the two-ship Kawachi-class of semi-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was built at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and launched in 1910...
. After completing coursework in 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...
and 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...
warfare, he served as a crewman on Kongō
Japanese battleship Kongo
Kongō was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. She was the first battlecruiser of the Kongō class, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Her designer was the British naval engineer George Thurston, and she was laid down in 1911 at...
, Hyūga
Japanese battleship Hyuga
Hyūga , named for Hyūga Province in Kyūshū, was an of the Imperial Japanese Navy laid down by Mitsubishi on 6 May 1915, launched on 27 January 1917 and completed on 30 April 1918. She was initially designed as the fourth ship of the , but was heavily redesigned to fix shortcomings...
, Kirishima
Japanese battleship Kirishima
was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the third launched of the four Kongō-class battlecruisers, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
and Hiei
Japanese battleship Hiei
was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval architect George Thurston, she was the second launched of four s, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Laid down in 1911 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Hiei was formally...
. After completing advanced training in torpedo warfare, he was assigned as Chief Torpedo officer 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...
s Shimakaze, Numakaze, and cruisers Izumo
Japanese cruiser Izumo
was an armored cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Although very similar to the s and , its differences are significant enough to classify it as the lead ship in the separate , which also included its sister ship, the...
and Naka
Japanese cruiser Naka
was a Sendai-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Naka River in the Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures of eastern Japan.-Background:...
. On 10 December 1928, he received his first command, the destroyer Kaba. He was subsequently captain of the destroyers Yomogi, Kamikaze, and Amagiri.
In 1933, the Prince 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 Naka, followed by the minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
Itsukushima.
In 1936, Prince Fushimi became commander of the 3rd Destroyer Group, which was involved in combat in the Battle of Shanghai
Battle of Shanghai
The Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
between Japanese and Chinese Nationalist forces during the opening 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...
. On 25 September 1937, he was slightly injured in the Huangpu River
Huangpu River
The Huangpu River is a -long river in China flowing through Shanghai...
during a bombardment operation. After recovery, he served as commander of the 6th Destroyer Group, assigned to patrols in the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
of China.
In April 1938, he was assigned back to Japan, where he became the instructor of a Naval War 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....
.
On 19 October 1938, Prince Fushimi, who suffered from chronic asthma, died of myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. It is said that the cause of his death was an unsuitable medicine which was injected by his doctor. His military rank was posthumously raised 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....
.