Boshirō Hosogaya

Infobox Military Person
name= Boshirō Hosogaya
lived= 24 June 1888 - 8 February 1964 [Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy".]
placeofbirth=Nagano Prefecture, Japan
placeofdeath=


caption= Japanese Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=navy|Empire of Japan
serviceyears=1908-1945
rank=Vice Admiral
commands="Chōkai", "Mutsu"
Commandant of Communications and Torpedo Schools
Ryojun Naval District
1st China Expeditionary Fleet, IJN 5th Fleet
unit=
battles=World War II
oBattle of the Aleutian Islands
oBattle of the Komandorski Islands
awards=
family=
laterwork=Governor South Seas Agency |nihongo|Boshirō Hosogaya|細萱 戊子郎|Hosogaya Boshirō|extra= 24 June 1888 - 8 February 1964, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Biography

Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman, he was assigned to the cruisers "Soya" and "Kashima". On receiving his commission as ensign, he attended torpedo school and naval artillery school, and as a sub-lieutenant served on the destroyer "Asagiri" and battleship "Suwo".

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1919, and served on the destroyer "Kaba", and various staff positions. After graduating from the 18th class of Naval War College (Japan) in 1918 and his promotion to lieutenant commander in 1920, he served as a staff officer on the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, and also on the martial law headquarters for the Kantō region after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

In 1924, Hosogaya was promoted to commander and became executive officer on the cruiser "Yubari". From 1927-1928, he visited the United States and Europe, and in 1928 became executive officer on the battleship "Hyūga".

After his promotion to captain in 1929, he served as executive officer, and then as captain of the cruiser "Chōkai". In 1934, he assumed command of the battleship "Mutsu".

He was promoted to rear admiral on 15 November 1935. He was Commandant of both the Communications and Torpedo Schools during 1935-1936. After his promotion to vice admiral on 15 November 1939, he was assigned as Commander in Chief of the Ryojun Naval District.

On 15 November 1940, Hosogaya was given command of the 1st China Expeditionary Fleet and on 25 July 1941, he became CINC of the IJN 5th Fleet, a largely administrative command based at Ōminato in command of the North Pacific forces, covering the Hokkaidō-Karafuto-Kurile Islands defense area. The fleet had only light naval forces attached to it, including a couple of light cruisers and a seaplane tender.

As part of the Battle of Midway, Hosogaya directed the Battle of the Aleutian Islands and in the invasion of Attu and Kiska and the bombardment of Dutch Harbor.

On 26 March 1943 during an escort of two transport ships to reinforce the occupied Kiska Island in the Aleutian Islands his fleet, consisting of two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and four destroyers, was intercepted by a USN fleet of two light cruisers and four destroyers under Rear Admiral Charles H. McMorris near the Komandorski Islands. In the ensuing Battle of the Komandorski Islands, concerned with protecting his transport ships, Hosogaya was unable to defeat the smaller American force and abruptly broke off the action and fled after severely damaging the "USS Salt Lake City". Hosogaya had mistaken shell splashes from colored dye shells for bomb splashes and thought he was under aerial attack. His retreat in the face of an inferior American force was regarded as cowardice and cost him his command. He was forced into the reserves later that year. [Lorelli, The Battle of the Komandorski Islands]

Hosogaya was subsequently appointed as served as governor of the South Seas Agency based Truk for the remainder of the war.

See also

*Organization of the Imperial Japanese Navy Alaskan Strike Group
*South Pacific Mandate

References

Books

*cite book
last = D'Albas
first = Andrieu
year = 1965
title = Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II
publisher = Devin-Adair Pub
location =
id = ISBN 0-8159-5302-X
*cite book
last = Dull
first = Paul S.
year = 1978
chapter =
title = A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-87021-097-1
*cite book
last = Lacroix
first = Eric
year = 1997
chapter =
title = Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-87021-311-3
*cite book
last = Lorelli
first = John A.
year = 1984
title = The Battle of the Komandorski Islands, March 1943
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-87021-093-9
*cite book
last = Morison
first = Samuel Eliot
year = 1951 (Reprint 2001)
title = Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls, June 1942-April 1944, "vol. 7 of" History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
publisher = University of Illinois Press
location = Champaign, Illinois, USA
id = ISBN 0-316-58305-7

External links

*cite web
last = Nishida
first = Hiroshi
url = http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/px36.htm#v010
title = Imperial Japanese Navy
accessdate = 2007-08-25
accessyear =

Notes