- Keiji Shibazaki
Infobox Military Person
name= Keiji Shibazaki
lived=9 April 1894 –25 November 1943 [Nishida, Imperial Japanese Navy]
caption=
nickname=
placeofbirth=Kasai, Hyōgo ,Japan
placeofdeath=Tawara
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=navy|Empire of Japan
serviceyears=1915 -1943
rank=Vice Admiral (posthumous)
unit=
commands=Tarawa Garrison
battles=World War II
oBattle of Tarawa
awards=
relations=
laterwork=nihongo|Keiji Shibazaki|柴崎 恵次|Shibazaki Keiji|extra=9 April 1894 –25 November 1943 was an admiral in theImperial Japanese Navy and the commander of the Japanese garrison on the island ofBetio of the Tarawaatoll during theWorld War II .Biography
Shibazaki was born in Kasai city,
Hyogo prefecture . He was a graduate of the 43rd class of theImperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1915, ranking 26th out of 95 cadets. He served asmidshipman on thecruiser "Azuma" andbattleship "Settsu". As an ensign, he was assigned to "Satsuma" and cruiser "Yakumo". As a sub-lieutenant, he served on the cruiser "Chikuma",destroyer "Kaba" andbattleship "Yamashiro".Shibazaki was promoted to
lieutenant in 1921, and after taking courses in navigation, was assigned as chief navigator to "Tachikaze", oiler "Kamoi" and survey ship "Musashi". After his promotion to lieutanentcommander in 1927, he was appointedaide-de-camp toPrince Kuni Asaakira from 1932-1933. In 1936, he received his first command, thegunboat "Ataka". Promoted to captain in 1937, he served in various staff positions, primarily in Kure and inShanghai .Shibazaki was promoted to
rear admiral on1 May 1943 . He arrived on Betio in Tarawa in September 1943 to take command of the Japanese garrison, including 1,122 Imperial Marines forming the 3rd Special Base Force (formerly the 6th Yokosuka SNLF), 1,497 Imperial Marines forming the 7th SaseboSpecial Naval Landing Force , and 1,427 (mostly Korean and Chinese) laborers forming the 111th Pioneers construction unit, and a detachment of 970 laborers from the 4th Fleet Construction Unit. [Stockman, Marines in World War II]Shibazaki was a veteran of amphibious landings in China during the late 1930s and was aware of the difficulties facing an amphibious landing force. He built extensive defenses on Betio to defend its strategically-important airfield, and famously boasted to his troops that "it would take one million men one hundred years" to conquer the island. [Wukovitz, One Square Mile of Hell]
Shibazaki is believed to have been
killed in action on the first day of theBattle of Tarawa sometime on mid-afternoon of20 November 1943 : reportedly, he and all his senior officers were killed by naval gunfire from USNdestroyer s while they were walking to a secondary command post away from the front lines on the beaches.Shibazaki was posthumously promoted to
vice admiral .References
Books
*cite book
last = Wukovitz
first = John
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 2007
title = One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa
publisher = NAL Trade
location =
id = ISBN 0451221389External links
*cite web
last = Nishida
first = Hiroshi
url = http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/px43.htm#v004
title = Imperial Japanese Navy
accessdate = 2007-08-25
*cite web
last = Stockman
first = James R.
url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Tarawa
title = Marines in World War II Historical Monograph:The Battle for Tarawa
accessdate = 2007-08-25Notes
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