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20 Facts About Rinosuke Ichimaru

1.

Admiral Rinosuke Ichimaru, known as Toshinosuke Ichimaru, was a Japanese officer and aviator in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War.

2.

Rinosuke Ichimaru was an early pioneer, then a fighter pilot, with the Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Koku Hombu, the aeronautical service of the Japanese Imperial Navy.

3.

Rinosuke Ichimaru was born in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, on 20 September 1891.

4.

Rinosuke Ichimaru graduated high school on 31 March 1910 and entered the Etajima Naval Academy that same year.

5.

Rinosuke Ichimaru finished his studies on December 19,1913 ranking 46th out of 118 cadets, and earning the rank of Ensign.

6.

Rinosuke Ichimaru was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant on 1 December 1914.

7.

Passionate about the world of aviation, Rinosuke attended the course for pilots students of the Japanese Imperial Navy on 1 December 1917.

8.

On September 25,1919, Rinosuke Ichimaru was transferred to the boarded air group, operating from the new aircraft carrier Hosho.

9.

Rinosuke Ichimaru was later transferred to the Kasumigaura Aircraft Group on 7 January 1925.

10.

Rinosuke Ichimaru took a long time to recover; according to the testimony of his daughter, Haruko Ichimaru, he spent three years recovering from his surgery and rehabilitation.

11.

Rinosuke Ichimaru then returned to Yokosuka in November 1929, where on 1 December 1930 he was promoted to commander and became an official instructor.

12.

On 15 October 1935, Rinosuke Ichimaru was assigned to the Chinkai Guard District in Korea, where he later took command of the Air Group on October 1,1936.

13.

Rinosuke Ichimaru then participated in the war on the Asian continent, coordinating the bombing of the city of Wuhan.

14.

Rinosuke Ichimaru was then sent to the South Pacific theater, where he took part in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the subsequent fighting in the long and exhausting campaign of Guadalcanal, in command of the 1st Attack Force.

15.

Rinosuke Ichimaru did not share the defensive strategy of Kuribayashi, which included a defense in depth.

16.

The blade was broken but Rinosuke Ichimaru had it repaired by a specialized blacksmith.

17.

Rinosuke Ichimaru carried out further research to identify the sword, and discovered that it was indeed the sword of Ichimaru.

18.

Rinosuke Ichimaru donated the sword to Karatsu Castle museum for public exhibition.

19.

The weapon was identified as the sword of Rinosuke Ichimaru and was returned to the family, who still have custody of it today.

20.

Rinosuke Ichimaru is portrayed in Clint Eastwood's film Letters From Iwo Jima.