Tadayoshi Sano
Tadayoshi Sano | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 佐野 忠義 |
| Born | 7 March 1889 38th Division, IJA 34th Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II
|
Tadayoshi Sano (佐野 忠義, Sano Tadayoshi, 7 March 1889 – 3 July 1945) was a lieutenant general and commander in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II.
Biography
Early career
Sano was born in Shizuoka Prefecture. He attended the 23rd class Imperial Japanese Army Academy and graduated in 1911. He served as a junior officer with the IJA 16 Field Artillery Regiment. In 1913, he attended the IJA's Artillery and Engineering school, graduating in 1914, and graduated from the 31st class of the Army Staff College in 1922. He was promoted to major in 1926, he was assigned as a military attaché to Great Britain from 1927 through 1928.[2]
From August 1931, Sano was assigned to the IJA 4th Field Artillery Regiment and from January 1933 was assigned to the staff of the Hiroshima-based IJA 5th Division, He was promoted to colonel and commanded the IJA 25th Field Artillery Regiment from March 1935. From December 1935 Sano was assigned to the staff of the Kokura-based IJA 12th Division. He once again commanded the IJA 25th Artillery from March 1936.
With the start of the
Pacific War
Hong Kong and Sumatra
In 1941, Sano assumed command of the
Guadalcanal
The 38th Division was then transferred to Rabaul, New Britain in the Southwest Pacific in September 1942 in order to participate in the Japanese attempts to retake Guadalcanal from Allied forces during the Guadalcanal campaign. Two battalions from Sano's division were delivered to Guadalcanal by Tokyo Express missions in October 1942 and participated in the Battle for Henderson Field, which resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese forces.[5]
In November 1942, Tokyo Express missions delivered the 38th Division's 228th Infantry Regiment to Guadalcanal along with Sano and his staff. The Japanese attempted to deliver the remaining 7,000 troops of the 38th Division by slow transport but the effort was defeated during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal from 12 November through 15 November 1942. Only about 3,000 of Sano's troops successfully reached the island and most of their supplies and heavy equipment were lost. After suffering losses during the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, Sano and the remainder of his troops on Guadalcanal, about 2,316 men, were evacuated during Operation Ke on 2 February 1943, giving control of the island completely to Allied forces.[6]
Japan, China, and death
After returning to Rabaul with his troops, Sano was reassigned to Japan and assigned as Chief of Staff of the
Sano returned to the China theatre of operations as commander of the
References
- ISBN 0-394-58875-4.
- Fuller, Richard (1992). Shokan: Hirohito's Samurai. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-151-4.
- Griffith, Samuel B. (1963). The Battle for Guadalcanal. Champaign, Illinois, US: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06891-2.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). Anderson, Duncan (ed.). Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43. Oxford and New York: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-870-7.
External links
- Ammentorp, Steen. "Sano, Tadayoshi, Lieutenant-General".
- Budge, Kent G. "Sano Tadayoshi (1889–1945)".
- Hough, Frank O.; Ludwig, Verle E.; Shaw, Henry I. Jr. "Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal". History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II.
- Miller, John Jr. (1995) [1949]. "Guadalcanal: The First Offensive". United States Army In World War II. United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2006.
- Shaw, Henry I. "First Offensive: The Marine Campaign For Guadalcanal". Marines in World War II Commemorative Series.
- World History Database (1999–2000). "Tadayoshi Sano".
- Zimmerman, John L. (1949). "The Guadalcanal Campaign". Marines in World War II Historical Monograph.