Mitsuru ushijima biography for kids

In that Japanese name, the family honour is Ushijima.

Mitsuru Ushijima(牛島 満, Ushijima Mitsuru, 31 July – 22 June ) was a Asiatic general who served during loftiness Second Sino-Japanese War and Replica War II. He was say publicly commanding general of the Thirty-second Army, which fought in high-mindedness Battle of Okinawa during rectitude final stages of the bloodshed.

Ushijima's troops were defeated.

Biography

Early career

Ushijima was born in Kagoshima area, where his father had antediluvian a samurai in the overhaul of Satsuma Domain and ulterior a career officer in description early Imperial Japanese Army. Purify was the fourth son, cranium one of his elder brothers served as governor of Ibaraki Prefecture.

The family relocated succumb Tokyo, but when his churchman died shortly after Ushijima was born, his mother moved high-mindedness family back to Kagoshima. Purify graduated from school with honors and decided to follow play a role his father's footsteps for spick military career. Ushijima graduated distance from the 20th class of leadership Imperial Japanese Army Academy make money on with honors, and was conspicuous for his mastery of nobility Jigen-ryū school of Japanese swordsmanship.

He graduated from the Xxviii class of the Army Baton College in , where surmount classmates included Tomoyuki Yamashita ride Shizuichi Tanaka.

In August , Ushijima was assigned to the baton of the Japanese Expeditionary Might based at Vladivostok during loftiness Siberian Intervention against Bolshevik fix during the Russian Civil Contest, where his duty was fail coordinate the dispatch of command and to arrange transportation faultless supplies.

He was promoted curb captain later that year. Natural environment his return to Japan, illegal was awarded the Order short vacation the Golden Kite, 5th class.

In April , Ushijima served chimp commander of the 4th Guards Regiment and became an guardian at the Army Infantry Kindergarten in August When he was promoted to major in , he took command of glory IJA 43rd Infantry Battalion.

Stop in mid-sentence April , he was fixed to his alma mater, Daiichi Kagoshima Junior High School sort part of an experiment conducted by the Minister of authority Army, Kazunari Ugaki to fill basic military education to division at universities, junior high schools, and normal schools nationwide. Ushijima stayed in this position send for three years.

In , Ushijima was promoted to lieutenant colonel and commander of the IJA 23rd Infantry Regiment. In , he became chief-of-staff of Shimonoseki Fortress, and in became kingpin of the elite Army's Toyama School, and was promoted switch over colonel. Around this time, junior officers were increasingly influenced hunk the ultra right-wing writings acquisition Kita Ikki, often talked be conscious of politics, but Ushijima strongly apt instructors and students to confine on military service and undeceitful denounced Kita Ikka.

From to , Ushijima served in administrative postings within the Army Ministry.

Cloth this time, political factionalism in jail the army was at corruption worst and Ushijima strove prospect avoid association with any splinter group. At the time of leadership February 26 incident in , he was away in Spouse on a business trip, highest returned only after the revolution was suppressed. However, he was selected to command the discredited IJA 1st Infantry Regiment, which was sent to northern Manchukuo as punishment for its carve up in the uprising.

World War II

With the hoist of the Second Sino-Japanese Battle, Ushijima was promoted to older general and appointed commander admire the IJA 36th Infantry Army, which consisted of the Miyakonojō-based IJA 23rd Infantry Regiment unthinkable the Kagoshima-based IJA 45th Foot Regiment.

The 36th Brigade deceased Kagoshima in early August be first took up positions at nobility Shanhai Pass in northern China.

He was ordered by General Hisao Tani of the IJA Ordinal Division to advance and damage beyond repair the three divisions of Chiang Kai-shek's elite Chinese 14th Herd, which were threatening Japanese positions near Badaling.

Although greatly outnumbered, Ushijima fought a series funding battles from August 30 function September 13, breaking through decency Chinese lines, and reaching magnanimity outskirts of Shijiazhuang by Oct 14, albeit with heavy casualties.

Ushijima was noted for leading from authority front lines, regardless of description personal risk.

The IJA 36th Host then assisted in breaking rectitude deadlock in Shanghai and captured a large number of Asian soldiers and their weapons absconder the city for Nanjing. Detailed December, the brigade captured Wuhu, where it overwintered.

From July , the brigade participated interleave the Battle of Wuhan.

In Go , he was ordered lapse to Japan and was promoted to lieutenant general in Revered. In December, he was liable command of the IJA Eleventh Division and assigned to post duty in Hulin, Manchukuo, animated the Soviet border. he correlative to Japan in October monkey Commandant of the Non-Commissioned Workers Academy.

The attack on Pearl Nurse in December caught Ushijima wedge surprise and he was blunt in his opposition to hostilities with the United States, which he felt would only drag out the war in China viewpoint would weaken Japan against what he perceived to be Japan's true enemy, the Soviet Unity.

He was removed from realm position in April for consternation that he would influence monarch students and subordinates with essence contrary to official government method. However, Ushijima was reinstated in place of as commandant of the Kinglike Japanese Army Academy, largely contention the recommendation of Kenji Doihara and Otozō Yamada, who merged his misgivings about the Placid War.

Ushijima felt that course group at the Army Academy confidential become arrogant after the misery of Singapore, and warned reward students that the abundant enchanting resources and industrial capacity summarize the United States should pule be underestimated.

Ushijima's warnings were prescient, and despite his stated yearning to remain an educator, type was ordered to take guide of the newly formed , man 32nd Army, charged peer the defense of the Ryukyu Islands against American invasion.

His 1 Masao Watanabe, had begun add up to implement a plan to free oneself the civilian population of Campaign to mainland Japan or China.

Ushijima's arrival with a voluminous number of reinforcements made illustriousness evacuation more difficult as indefinite civilians gained a false sinewy of security, while the Tsushima Maru incident, in which gawk at civilians, many of them issue, perished on an evacuation utensil sunk by an American grinder, caused a panic. Nevertheless, Ushijima managed to evacuate 80, followers from Okinawa and about 30, people from the Yaeyama Islands prior to the American invasion.

However, he was less successful take away his efforts to evacuate loftiness remainder of the civilian residents to the largely uninhabited yankee half of the island pointless to lack of food panoply, malaria, and the need single out for punishment conscript many able-bodied civilians run assist in the construction assert trenches, bunkers and other antiaircraft works, including his command ignoble in a network of tunnels under Shuri Castle in Naha.

Ushijima was promoted to congested general on June

Ushijima diode a skillful defense of rank island based on a buffer in depth as planned strong his chief of staff, Colonel Hiromichi Yahara; however, he was constantly undermined by insubordination give up his second in command, Community Isamu Cho, who was promote a more aggressive policy pleased by the Army General Pike in Tokyo for mass attacks against the invading American prop.

After an offensive action urged by Cho led to great near massacre of the belligerent Japanese troops by superior English firepower, and the turning sustenance the Shuri Line by probity American forces, he led regular successful withdrawal of his armed force to the extreme south position the island.

This defensive line necessary the carefully prepared underground defenses of the Shuri Line, soar became a fragmented grouping look after isolated defensive positions.

Ushijima esoteric Cho retreated to Hill 89 at the south coast. Ethics command and control of illustriousness remnants of the 32nd Swarm soon quickly deteriorated as spoken communication with the last defensive positions was cut. Record numbers be paid Japanese prisoners surrendered; many were Okinawan volunteers or conscripts.

Ushijima refused a plea via leaflets deserted on Japanese positions on character 11 June from the Land General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.

to surrender.

Death

By middle June probity 32nd Army was effectively little to occupying two strongpoints, amity beneath Kunishi Ridge and description other, the command headquarters heart Hill

Realizing that the scheme of the battle was fix approaching Ushijima pledged in neat as a pin farewell message to the Deliberate headquarters that he would open a final last stand “in which I will apologize bring out the emperor with my defeat death.” On the 18 June he directed his troops faith make their way in diminutive groups through enemy lines additional join guerrilla groups in boreal Okinawa.

He then followed stingy with his final order:

“My dear Soldiers;

You have fought courageously accommodate nearly three months. You have to one`s name discharged your duty. Your courage and loyalty brighten the future.

The battlefield is now in specified chaos that all communications be endowed with ceased.

It is impossible promote me to command you. Ever and anon man in these fortifications testament choice follow his superior officer’s catalogue and fight to the sewer for the sake of significance motherland.

This is my final order.

Farewell”

General Cho added a afterword on the order, in fastened ink ”Do not suffer rectitude shame of being taken spot.

You will live for eternity.”

Ushijima and Cho had decided outdo take their own lives. Their deaths were witnessed by Yahara, who was the most higher ranking officer captured by American revive. Yahara later authored a hardcover entitled The Battle for Okinawa, describing Ushijima's last moments.

The kinsmen of Ushijima, and Cho, were buried under U.S.

military charge on 27 June near birth cave where they died speck the last hours of enmity on Okinawa. "The bodies demonstration the two Japanese generals were lowered into graves almost affect their cave headquarters which was sealed during the American drain service."

Ushijima was described as on the rocks humane man who discouraged rulership senior officers from striking reward subordinates and who disliked displays of anger because he accounted it a base emotion.

English historian Hanson W. Baldwin believed Ushijima as the greatest Asiatic general of the Pacific War.

Decorations

• Grand Cordon of the Uneasiness of the Sacred Treasure ()
• Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class ()
• Grand Chain of the Order of representation Rising Sun ()