27 Facts About Soemu Toyoda

Soemu Toyoda was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.

Soemu Toyoda graduated from the 33rd class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy in 1905, ranked 26th out of 176 cadets.

Soemu Toyoda served his midshipman duty aboard the cruisers Hashidate and Nisshin, and after being commissioned as an ensign on 20 December 1906, he was assigned to the destroyer Asatsuyu.

Soemu Toyoda was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 25 September 1908.

Soemu Toyoda returned to school, becoming a torpedo and naval artillery expert.

Soemu Toyoda graduated from the Naval War College with honors in 1915, and was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 April 1917.

Soemu Toyoda subsequently served in a number of staff positions, was promoted to captain on 1 December 1925, and received his first command: the cruiser Yura in 1926.

On 1 December 1931, Soemu Toyoda was promoted to rear admiral.

From December 1931 to February 1933, Soemu Toyoda was chief of the Second Section of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, and promoted to vice admiral on 15 November 1935.

From 1935 to 1937, Soemu Toyoda was Director of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, and on 20 October 1937, became Commander-in-Chief of the IJN 4th Fleet.

Soemu Toyoda subsequently became Commander in Chief of the IJN 2nd Fleet on 15 November 1938.

Soemu Toyoda was strongly opposed to the war with the United States, which he viewed from the start as "unwinnable".

On 10 November 1942, Soemu Toyoda became a member of the Supreme War Council, where he made a strong effort to increase funding and the capacity of Japan's industry toward naval aviation, over the opposition to the Army-dominated Imperial General Headquarters.

Soemu Toyoda followed with "Plan Sho-Go", which again resulted in another major defeat at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Soemu Toyoda was aware that both strategies had significant risks, but because the fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy was nearing the point of being unusable due to a lack of gasoline and other essential supplies, he believed that the possibility of profit outweighed the danger of losing the fleet.

Nonetheless, Soemu Toyoda continued with the same strategy, approving "Plan Ten-Go" to send the battleship Yamato on its one-way final mission to Okinawa.

Soemu Toyoda replaced Koshiro Oikawa as Chief of the Navy General Staff, after the latter resigned, and was the final supreme commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 29 May 1945 onward.

Soemu Toyoda participated in numerous Imperial Conferences concerning the surrender of Japan.

Soemu Toyoda was for termination of the war but insisted that the government push for more favorable terms.

Soemu Toyoda argued that the Japanese people should defend the Japanese home islands until the last man.

Soemu Toyoda was viewed as "highly intelligent and widely informed", and was observed to be a strong critic of the amount of political power the Army held in the Japanese government.

Soemu Toyoda expressed his opinion that the war with China should have been ended "even at some sacrifice" so that the men and resources could be redeployed to the Pacific theater.

Soemu Toyoda was arrested by SCAP occupation authorities and held in Sugamo Prison.

In 1948, Soemu Toyoda was charged with war crimes "for violating the laws and customs of war".

Soemu Toyoda pleaded 'not guilty' to all of the charges.

Soemu Toyoda was the only member of the Japanese armed forces charged with war crimes to be acquitted.

Soemu Toyoda published his memoirs in 1950, and died in 1957 of a heart attack at the age of 72.