25 Facts About Takeo Kurita

Takeo Kurita was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Takeo Kurita was born in Mito city, Ibaraki Prefecture, in 1889.

Takeo Kurita was sent off to Etajima in 1905 and graduated from the 38th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 28th out of a class of 149 cadets.

Takeo Kurita became a lieutenant on 1 December 1916, and served on a number of ships: protected cruiser Tone, destroyers Kaba and Minekaze.

Takeo Kurita served as either the chief torpedo officer or executive officer on Minekaze, Yakaze, and Hakaze.

Takeo Kurita became a rear admiral on November 15,1938, commanding the 1st Destroyer Flotilla then the 4th Destroyer Flotilla.

Takeo Kurita was in command of the 7th Cruiser Division at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Takeo Kurita was promoted to vice admiral on 1 May 1942, and was reassigned to the 3rd Battleship Division in July.

Takeo Kurita later commanded major naval forces during the Central Solomon Islands campaign and during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

In 1943, Takeo Kurita replaced Admiral Kondo as the commander of IJN 2nd Fleet.

Takeo Kurita was a dedicated officer, willing to die if necessary, but not wishing to die in vain.

When ordered by Admiral Soemu Toyoda to take his fleet through the San Bernardino Strait in the central Philippines and attack the American landings at Leyte, Takeo Kurita thought the effort a waste of ships and lives, especially since he could not get his fleet to Leyte Gulf until five days after the landings, leaving little more than empty transports for his huge battleships to attack.

Takeo Kurita bitterly resented his superiors, who, while safe in bunkers in Tokyo, ordered him to fight to the death against hopeless odds and without air cover.

Unfortunately for Halsey, after an hour and a half without further air attacks Takeo Kurita turned east again at 1715 towards San Bernardino Strait and the eventual encounter with Kinkaid's forces in Leyte Gulf.

Takeo Kurita then compounded his error by ordering his destroyers to the rear to prevent them from obstructing his battleships' line of fire, preventing them from racing ahead to cut off the slower American carriers.

Concern that his destroyers would burn too much fuel in a flank speed stern chase of what Takeo Kurita presumed were 30-knot fleet carriers played a part in Takeo Kurita's decision.

Takeo Kurita was intercepting messages that indicated Admiral Halsey had sunk all four carriers of the "Northern Force" and was racing back to Leyte with his battleships to confront the Japanese fleet, and that powerful elements of 7th Fleet were approaching from Leyte Gulf.

Takeo Kurita's retreat saved Yamato and the remainder of the IJN 2nd Fleet from certain destruction, but he had failed to complete his mission, attacking the amphibious forces in Leyte Gulf.

Takeo Kurita was criticized by some elements in the Japanese military for not fighting to the death.

Takeo Kurita was found by an American naval officer after the war where he was interviewed for the Analysis Division of the US Strategic Bombing Survey.

Less than a year before Takeo Kurita had been in command of the largest fleet that was ever put together, and there he was out there chopping potatoes.

Takeo Kurita never discussed politics or the war with his family or others, except to conduct a brief interview with a journalist, Masanori Ito, in 1954 when he stated that he had made a mistake at Leyte by turning away and not continuing with the battle, a statement he later retracted.

In retirement, Takeo Kurita made twice-yearly pilgrimages to Yasukuni Shrine to pray for his dead comrades-in-arms.

Takeo Kurita claimed privately to a former Naval Academy student, Jiro Ooka, that he withdrew the fleet from the battle because he did not believe in wasting the lives of his men in a futile effort, having long since believed that the war was lost.

Takeo Kurita died in 1977 at age 88, and his grave is at the Tama Cemetery in Fuchu, Tokyo.