Yamashita Gentaro
Encyclopedia
Baron was an admiral in the early Imperial Japanese Navy
.
(present day Yamagata prefecture
), Yamashita graduated from the 10th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
in 1883, ranked 4th out of 27 cadets. After midshipman
service in the ironclad warship
Ryūjō
, and cruiser he was assigned to a number of ships in the early navy, including the corvette , ironclad warship , corvette , gunboat , cruiser . He then attended advanced naval artillery
training, and was assigned to the corvette Hiei
as chief gunnery officer in 1891, followed by assignments on Kaimon and corvette .
During the First Sino-Japanese War
, Yamashita served as chief gunnery officer on the corvette , followed by . At the end of the war, Yamashita had a number of administrative assignments on shore.
In 1896, Yamashita was assigned to England
to oversee ship construction. While based in London
, he was promoted to lieutenant commander
in 1897, and then to commander
in 1898. On his return to Japan in 1899, he was appointed executive officer
on the cruiser
s followed by the .
In July 1900, Yamashita was assigned command of Japanese marines during the Boxer Rebellion
at Tientsin
and, after serving special duty in Hong Kong
and Chefoo
, he was promoted to captain
in 1903.
During the Russo-Japanese War
, Yamashita served as an operations planner at the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
. Following the war, he was assigned command of the cruiser , which proved to be the only time he ever actually captained a ship. After holding various staff posts between 1906 and 1912, Yamashita was promoted to rear admiral
on 28 August 1908 and vice admiral
on 1 December 1912. From 1910-1914, he was Commandant of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy.
Following Japan's entry into World War I
, Yamashita served as vice chief of the Navy General Staff until 1915. From 1915-1917, he was Commander in Chief of the Sasebo Naval District
. On 1 December 1917, he was given command of the IJN 1st Fleet
. Promoted to admiral
on 2 July 1918, Yamashita served as commander of the Combined Fleet
, from 1 September 1918 until 28 October 1918, shortly before the war's end.
After serving as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
from 1 December 1920 until 15 April 1925, Yamashita held several honorary and ceremonial posts until being placed on the second reserve list on 1 July 1928. He was ennobled with the title of danshaku (baron
) under the kazoku
peerage system on 10 November 1928, and lived in retirement until his death in 1931. His grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery
in Tokyo.
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...
.
Biography
Born in the Yonezawa domain, Dewa ProvinceDewa Province
is an old province of Japan, comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. It was sometimes called .-Historical record:...
(present day Yamagata prefecture
Yamagata Prefecture
-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...
), Yamashita graduated from the 10th 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 1883, ranked 4th out of 27 cadets. After 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...
service in the ironclad warship
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
Ryūjō
Japanese battleship Ryujo (1864)
The or Jo Sho Maru, was a steam ironclad warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed by Thomas Blake Glover and built in Scotland for the private navy of the fief of Kumamoto, where it was called the Jo Sho Maru. It was delivered to the new Imperial Japanese Navy on 8 May 1870, and sailed...
, and cruiser he was assigned to a number of ships in the early navy, including the corvette , ironclad warship , corvette , gunboat , cruiser . He then attended advanced 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...
training, and was assigned to the corvette Hiei
Japanese corvette Hiei (1877)
was the second and last vessel in the of armored sail-and-steam corvettes of the early Imperial Japanese Navy. Hiei was named after the Mount Hiei, outside of Kyoto, and the name was subsequently used for the World War II battleship .-History:...
as chief gunnery officer in 1891, followed by assignments on Kaimon and corvette .
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...
, Yamashita served as chief gunnery officer on the corvette , followed by . At the end of the war, Yamashita had a number of administrative assignments on shore.
In 1896, Yamashita was assigned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to oversee ship construction. While based in 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...
, 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...
in 1897, and then 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...
in 1898. On his return to Japan in 1899, he was appointed 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
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 followed by the .
In July 1900, Yamashita was assigned command of Japanese marines during the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
at Tientsin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
and, after serving special duty in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Chefoo
Yantai
Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...
, he was promoted 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 1903.
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...
, Yamashita served as an operations planner at 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:...
. Following the war, he was assigned command of the cruiser , which proved to be the only time he ever actually captained a ship. After holding various staff posts between 1906 and 1912, Yamashita 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 28 August 1908 and 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 1 December 1912. From 1910-1914, he was Commandant of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy.
Following Japan's entry into 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...
, Yamashita served as vice chief of the Navy General Staff until 1915. From 1915-1917, he was Commander in Chief of the Sasebo Naval District
Sasebo Naval District
was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...
. On 1 December 1917, he was given command of the IJN 1st Fleet
IJN 1st Fleet
The was the main battleship fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 1st Fleet was created during the Russo-Japanese War when the Imperial General Headquarters divided the Readiness Fleet into a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to...
. Promoted to admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
on 2 July 1918, Yamashita served as commander of the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
, from 1 September 1918 until 28 October 1918, shortly before the war's end.
After serving as Chief of 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:...
from 1 December 1920 until 15 April 1925, Yamashita held several honorary and ceremonial posts until being placed on the second reserve list on 1 July 1928. He was ennobled with the title of danshaku (baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
) under the kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system on 10 November 1928, and lived in retirement until his death in 1931. His grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery
Aoyama Cemetery
is a cemetery in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The cemetery is also famous for its cherry blossoms, and at the season of hanami, many people visit.-History:...
in Tokyo.