14 Facts About Mineichi Koga

Mineichi Koga was a Japanese Marshal Admiral and commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet.

Mineichi Koga served as midshipman on the cruiser Matsushima on its long-distance navigational training cruise to Honolulu, Hilo, Wellington, Brisbane, Palm Island, Queensland, Batavia, Singapore, Mako, Qingdao, Port Arthur, Dairen, Chemulpo, Chinkai, Busan and Kagoshima.

In 1920, having seen no action during World War I, Mineichi Koga became a resident officer in France.

Mineichi Koga returned in 1922 to become executive officer on the Kitakami.

On his promotion to captain on December 1,1926, Mineichi Koga was again posted to France, where he served as a naval attache in Paris until November 1,1928.

Mineichi Koga became Vice Chief of the Navy General Staff and was promoted to vice admiral on December 31,1936 shortly before the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.

Commander of the IJN 2nd Fleet in 1939, Mineichi Koga was placed in command of the China Area Fleet on September 1,1941.

Mineichi Koga shared Yamamoto's misgivings about war with the United States, but disagreed with Yamamoto regarding the use of naval aviation, remaining a firm battleship advocate until events later in the Pacific War proved his position outdated.

Mineichi Koga attempted to revitalize Japanese naval operations by reorganization of the Combined Fleet into task forces built around aircraft carriers in imitation of the United States Navy, and organized a land-based naval air fleet to work in coordination with the carriers.

Mineichi Koga gradually adopted a more conservative stance, attempting to conserve his remaining forces for a decisive battle to inflict maximum damage on the Americans when they closed toward the 'Inner Defense Lines' of the Marianas and Philippines.

Mineichi Koga was killed when his plane, a Kawanishi H8K flying boat, crashed during a typhoon between Palau and Davao while he was overseeing the withdrawal of the Combined Fleet from its Palau headquarters on March 31,1944.

Mineichi Koga's death was not announced until May 1944 when he was formally replaced by Admiral Soemu Toyoda.

Mineichi Koga was promoted to Marshal Admiral posthumously and he was accorded a state funeral.

Mineichi Koga's grave is at the Tama Cemetery, outside of Tokyo.