27 Facts About Shiro Kawase

Shiro Kawase was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Shiro Kawase was a torpedo expert and his extensive experience as a commander of destroyers and destroyer formations made him more knowledgeable about the escort of convoys than most Japanese commanders of his time.

Shiro Kawase is best known for his command of the 5th Fleet during the latter stages of the Aleutians campaign in the spring and summer of 1943.

Shiro Kawase graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy on 18 July 1910, ranked 22nd in a class of 149 cadets.

Shiro Kawase was aboard Chikuma when Japan entered World War I on the side of the Allies on 23 August 1914.

Shiro Kawase transferred to the new battleship Fuso, still fitting out, on 30 June 1915, and was aboard her for her commissioning on 8 November 1915.

Shiro Kawase entered service with the 1st Fleet in December 1915 and patrolled off the coast of China without seeing combat.

On 1 December 1916, Shiro Kawase was promoted to lieutenant and reported aboard the destroyer Hatsuharu.

On 2 July 1917, Shiro Kawase reported ashore for duty with the 2nd Naval District.

Shiro Kawase returned to sea duty on 1 December 1918, when he began an assignment aboard the destroyer Amatsukaze.

Shiro Kawase joined the staff of the 3rd Fleet on 26 June 1920, then returned for more duty aboard Amatsukaze on 1 October 1920.

Shiro Kawase began duty with the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in Tokyo on 20 May 1925 before taking command of the destroyer Kuwa.

Shiro Kawase became a member of the staff of the Naval Shipbuilding Command on 20 August 1927, and on 1 December 1927 received a promotion to commander.

On 10 March 1929, Shiro Kawase began duty in the United Kingdom.

Shiro Kawase took command of Destroyer Division 6 on 15 November 1932.

On 1 November 1934, Shiro Kawase returned to the Naval Shipbuilding Command for another tour of duty.

Shiro Kawase returned to sea duty on 15 November 1938 as commanding officer of Destroyer Squadron 5, and he took command of Destroyer Squadron 1 on 25 November 1939.

Shiro Kawase joined the staff of the 1st Fleet on 15 October 1940, and then took command of aircraft carriers, first as commander of Carrier Division 7 on 15 November 1940 and then as commander of Carrier Division 11 on 10 April 1941.

Shiro Kawase became schoolmaster at the Torpedo School on 1 September 1941 and received a promotion to vice admiral on 15 October 1941.

Shiro Kawase transferred to the Navy General Staff in Tokyo on 10 April 1942, then on 15 September 1942 became commander of the Ominato Guard District, the major Imperial Japanese Navy base in northern Honshu, responsible for control of Tsugaru Strait and patrols along the coasts of Hokkaido and Karafuto and in the Kurile Islands.

Meanwhile, Shiro Kawase ordered Yamasaki to hold Attu with the forces he already had.

The USAAF aircraft on Attu strengthened the blockade of Kiska and made it impossible for Shiro Kawase to send supplies or reinforcements to Kiska in surface ships; only his submarine force made resupply runs there, completing 20 such trips by 9 June 1943.

Shiro Kawase retained command of the naval surface component of Tozukas fleet, reduced to one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, two destroyer divisions, seven troopships, and a number of patrol vessels and other small craft.

Shiro Kawase became the commander of the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, responsible for operations in the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies, on 18 June 1944; during his time in command, US Navy submarines attacked Japanese shipping in the area, and aircraft from British aircraft carriers struck targets on Sumatra in July, August, and September 1944 and January 1945.

Shiro Kawase returned to the Navy General Staff on 29 January 1945.

Shiro Kawase retired from the Navy on 20 March 1945, five months before World War II ended on 15 August 1945.

Shiro Kawase died in Japan on 20 July 1946 at the age of 57.