15 Facts About Tameichi Hara

Tameichi Hara was an Imperial Japanese naval commander during the Pacific War and the author of the IJN manual on torpedo attack techniques, notable for his skill in torpedo warfare and night fighting.

Tameichi Hara was born on October 16,1900, in a suburb of Takamatsu City on the island of Shikoku.

In 1932 Tameichi Hara was assigned as a surface warfare instructor and wrote a torpedo attack manual that was accepted as official doctrine.

Tameichi Hara began the war as the captain of destroyer Amatsukaze.

Tameichi Hara commanded a Japanese destroyer or destroyer division in many significant Pacific sea battles.

Tameichi Hara wrote in his memoirs of having spotted Perch in the darkness of the night after detecting it when he saw a sailor topside on the vessel light a cigarette an estimated 4,000 meters away.

Tameichi Hara was relieved of his command and reassigned as senior torpedo instructor at the Naval Torpedo School at Oppama near Yokosuka to teach students in the Imperial Japanese Navy's belated Motor Torpedo Boat program.

Tameichi Hara was quickly frustrated with the lack of effective equipment as well as the lack of leadership in the navy and army.

Tameichi Hara hastily wrote a letter intended for emperor Hirohito, urging him to fire the heads of the army and navy and seek peace as the war was lost, and hand-delivered it to Hirohito's younger brother Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu, at the Navy Ministry.

Tameichi Hara survived the sinking of Yahagi, which saw the loss of Yamato and four escorting destroyers.

Tameichi Hara ended the war at Kawatana training Japanese sailors to operate Shinyo suicide boats, where he witnessed firsthand the effects of the second atomic bombing.

Tameichi Hara was the only IJN destroyer captain at the start of World War II who survived the war.

Tameichi Hara's doctrines were "Never ever do the same thing twice" and "If he hits you high, then hit him low; if he hits you low, then hit him high", the latter being a maxim of Douglas MacArthur's.

Tameichi Hara criticizes his superiors for using cavalry tactics to fight naval battles; never understanding the implications of air power; dividing their forces in the face of enemy forces of unknown strength; basing tactics on what they thought their enemy would do; failing to appreciate the speed with which the enemy could develop new weapons and accepting a war of attrition with a foe more capable of maintaining it.

Tameichi Hara had three children with his wife Chizu: two daughters Keiko and Yoko, and a son, Mikito, who was born shortly before the start of hostilities.