Raizō Tanaka

Infobox Military Person
name=Raizō Tanaka
lived=27 April 1892 - 9 July 1969 [Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy"] )
placeofbirth= Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
placeofdeath=


caption=Japanese Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=navy|Empire of Japan
serviceyears=
rank=Vice Admiral
commands="Tachikaze", "Ushio", "Jintsu", Mako Guard District, "Kōngo"
DesRon2
unit=
battles=World War II
oBattle of the Java Sea
oBattle of Midway
oBattle of the Eastern Solomons
oBattle of Tassafaronga
awards=Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Sacred Treasures
family=
laterwork=nihongo|Raizō Tanaka|田中 頼三|Tanaka Raizō|extra= 27 April 1892 - 9 July 1969 was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. A torpedo specialist, he mainly commanded destroyer units and was a primary leader of the “Tokyo Express” reinforcement and resupply convoys during the Guadalcanal campaign. In this capacity he was the victor in the Battle of Tassafaronga in which he defeated a much larger force of United States Navy cruisers and destroyers.

Early career

Born in what is now part of Yamaguchi city, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Tanaka graduated from the 41st class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1913, ranked 34 out of 118 classmates.

As a midshipman, Tanaka served on the cruiser "Azuma", battleship "Aki", and cruiser "Nisshin". After promotion to sub-lieutenant, he served on the cruiser "Kasagi" and battleship "Kōngo".

He then attended the basic torpedo and naval artillery schools from December 1916 through December, 1917, after which he was assigned to the destroyers "Hatsushimo", "Kusunoki" and battleship "Katori". He returned to torpedo school, attending the advanced course from December 1919 to December 1920. Between 1921 and November 1923 Lieutenant Tanaka was assigned as the executive officer on the submarine tender "Karasaki", cruiser "Iwate", destroyer "Shiokaze", and cruiser "Yura". [Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy".] In December, 1925, Tanaka was appointed as executive officer as well as an instructor at the Japanese Navy's torpedo school. After one year at the school, he did two years of staff duty, including one year at Kure Naval District, the Navy's main base. [Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy".]

In 1930, Lieutenant commander Tanaka commanded the destroyer "Tachikaze" and in 1931, after promotion to commander, commanded the destroyer "Ushio". From December 1932 to December 1936, he worked on the staff for the Yokosuka Naval District.

From 1 December 1937 until 15 December 1938, Captain Tanaka commanded the cruiser "Jintsu". He then served as Chief of Staff of the Mako Guard District from 15 December 1938 to 15 November 1939. Subsequently, he commanded the battleship "Kōngo" from November 1939 to November 1940. [Wendel, Marcus, "Axis History Factbook", Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy", and [http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindies/tanaka.html] ]

World War II

On 26 September 1941, Captain Tanaka took command of Destroyer Squadron 2 (DesRon2) with his flag on "Jintsu". He was promoted to rear admiral on 15 October of the same year. DesRon2, under Tanaka, and initially comprising eight destroyers in addition to "Jintsu", participated in the Japanese invasions of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, including the Battle of the Java Sea, during the early months of the Pacific War between Japan and Allied forces. [Hackett, "HIJMS Jintsu", Combinedfleet.com and Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy".]

On 21 May 1942, Tanaka's DesRon2, consisting of "Jintsu" and 10 destroyers, sortied from Kure to support the Japanese assault on Midway Island by escorting the transports carrying the invasion troops. After the Japanese defeat in the Battle of Midway, the ships returned to Japan via Guam. [Hackett, "HIJMS Jintsu", Combinedfleet.com]

After the Allied landings on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942, Tanaka and DesRon2 departed Japan immediately for the main Japanese central Pacific base at Truk. DesRon2 departed Truk on 16 August, escorting a convoy carrying troops to counterattack the Allied forces on Guadalcanal. On 25 August, during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, Tanaka's ships were attacked by U.S. aircraft from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. One transport and one destroyer were sunk and "Jintsu" was heavily damaged, with Tanaka suffering injuries. Due to the damage to "Jintsu", Tanaka shifted his flag to destroyer "Kagero". [Hackett, "HIJMS Jintsu", Combinedfleet.com]

Stationing himself at the Japanese naval base in the Shortland Islands, over the next several months Tanaka organized reinforcement and resupply efforts to Japanese forces involved in the Guadalcanal campaign. Due to the threat of Allied air attack, Tanaka directed the use of warships to deliver men and material to Guadalcanal because the warships could make the run to Guadalcanal and back in a single night, reducing their exposure to Allied air attack. The Japanese called these supply runs "Rat Transportation" and the Allies called them the "Tokyo Express."

On 30 November 1942, late in the Guadalcanal campaign, Tanaka personally led a “Tokyo Express” run to Guadalcanal. Tanaka's force included eight destroyers which Tanaka led from his flagship "Naganami". That night, an American force of five cruisers and four destroyers, commanded by Carleton H. Wright, prepared to intercept Tanaka's ships in Ironbottom Sound near Guadalcanal. Using radar, the American ships surprised Tanaka's force and sank one Japanese destroyer with gunfire. Tanaka, however, quickly responded by issuing orders for his ships to maneuver, fire torpedoes, and vacate the area. The Japanese "Long Lance" torpedoes hit four of Wright's cruisers as Tanaka's ships escaped back up The Slot towards the Shortlands. One of the American cruisers sank and the other three hurt cruisers were so badly damaged that it was nine months before any of them returned to action. The Battle of Tassafaronga was one of the most severe defeats suffered by the United States Navy in World War II.

On 12 December 1942 on another “Tokyo Express” run, Tanaka's destroyer was hit and sunk by torpedoes fired from a USN PT boat near Guadalcanal and Tanaka was injured. On 29 December 1942 Tanaka was transferred to Singapore. In 1943, he was assigned to shore duty in Burma and remained on shore duty for the rest of the war. [http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindies/tanaka.html and Naval History via Flix.] He was promoted to vice admiral on 15 October 1944.

Postwar

Tanaka retired from the navy on 26 June 1946 and died on 9 July 1969 at 77 years of age. [Nishida, "Imperial Japanese Navy".]

References

Books

*cite book
last = Crenshaw
first = Russell S., Jr.
authorlink =
year = 1995
chapter =
title = The Battle of Tassafaronga
publisher = Nautical & Aviation Publishing Company of Ame
location =
id = ISBN 1-877853-37-2
*cite book
last = D'Albas
first = Andrieu
authorlink =
year = 1965
title = Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II
publisher = Devin-Adair Pub
location =
id = ISBN 081595302X
*cite book
last = Dull
first = Paul S.
authorlink =
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 = Frank
first = Richard B.
authorlink = Richard B. Frank
year = 1990
title = Guadalcanal : The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle
publisher = Penguin Group
location = New York
id = ISBN 0-14-016561-4
*cite book
last = Hara
first = Tameichi
authorlink = Tameichi Hara
coauthors =
year = 1961
chapter =
title = Japanese Destroyer Captain
publisher = Ballantine Books
location = New York & Toronto
id = ISBN 0-345-27894-1
*cite book
last = Kilpatrick
first = C. W.
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1987
chapter =
title = Naval Night Battles of the Solomons
publisher = Exposition Press
location =
id = ISBN 0682403334
*cite book
last = Lacroix
first = Eric
authorlink =
coauthors = Linton Wells
year = 1997
chapter =
title = Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0870213113
*cite book
last = Morison
first = Samuel Eliot
authorlink = Samuel Eliot Morison
coauthors =
year = 1958
chapter = Chapter 8
title = The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943", vol. 5 of "History of United States Naval Operations in World War II
publisher = Little, Brown and Company
location = Boston
id = ISBN 0-316-58305-7

External links

*cite web
last = Author unknown
first =
coauthors =
year =
url = http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindies/tanaka.html
title = Rear-Admiral Raizo Tanaka
work = Geocities
accessdate = 2006-12-14
*cite web
last = Naval History via Flix
first =
coauthors =
year =
url = http://navalhistory.flixco.info/G/143349x19846(a5557z1naZRaizo%20Tanaka)/259869/j0.htm
title = Tanaka Raizo
work =
accessdate = 2006-12-14
*cite web
last = Nishida
first = Hiroshi
coauthors =
year =
url = http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/px41.htm#v017
title = Tanaka, Raizo (Naval Academy 41st)
work = Imperial Japanese Navy
accessdate = 2006-06-14
*cite web
last = Parshall
first = Jon
coauthors = Bob Hackett & Sander Kingsepp
year =
url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/jintsu_t.htm
title = HIJMS JINTSU: Tabular Record of Movement
work = Combinedfleet.com
accessdate = 2006-06-14
*cite web
last = Wendel
first = Marcus
coauthors =
year =
url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7860
title = Japanese Navy: Mako Guard District
work = Axis History Factbook
accessdate = 2006-12-14

Notes