Yoshida Zengo

Admiral Yoshida Zengo (November 1940)

Yoshida Zengo ( Japanese. 吉田 善 吾 ; * February 14, 1885 in the Saga prefecture ; † November 14, 1966 ) was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Navy , who was Minister of the Navy between August 1939 and September 1940 .

Life

Training and uses as an officer

Yoshida Zengo began as a midshipman and participant in the 33rd course at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy (Kaigun Heigakkō) . After completing his training as the twelfth best of 192 participants, he was promoted to ensign at sea on November 14, 1904 and transferred to the submarine support ship Karasaki . Then he found from January 3, 1905 use on the armored cruiser Kasuga and was used in the Russo-Japanese War , in the course of which on August 31, 1905 was promoted to lieutenant at sea (Shōi) . As such, he became an officer in the 5th Torpedo Boat Group on May 10, 1906 and then on August 7, 1906 on board the transport ship Anegawa . Then he attended from November 26, 1906 training at the artillery training center and since April 15, 1907 at the torpedo training center. Subsequently, he was transferred to the destroyer Asatsuyu on August 5, 1907 and received there on September 28, 1907 his promotion to lieutenant at sea (Chūi) . He became an officer on October 28, 1907, on board the protected cruiser Hashidate and then on November 20, 1908 at the torpedo school and since April 23, 1909 in the training boat group.

On May 25, 1909, Yoshida Zengo was first acting section officer and after his promotion to lieutenant captain ( Daii ) on October 11, 1909 section officer in the Yokosuka Marine District . He attended from December 1, 1909 the B course of the naval college (Kaigun Daigakkō) and since May 23, 1910 the advanced course of the torpedo school. He then stayed between December 1, 1910 and December 1, 1913 as an instructor of the torpedo school and was also the commander of a torpedo boat of the 4th torpedo boats and, from April 1 to December 1, 1913, he was also the commander of a torpedo boat of the 2nd torpedo boat.

Uses as a staff officer

Sea captain Yoshida Zengo was in 1924 in command of the protected cruiser Hirado

Between 1928 and 1929, Yoshida was in command of the battleship Mutsu

Subsequently, Yoshida Zengo attended from December 1, 1913 to December 13, 1915 the A course of the naval college and was then promoted to Corvette Captain (Shōsa) on December 13, 1915 and an officer in the staff of the 3rd Fleet. After being used again from December 1, 1917 to April 25, 1918 as an officer in the Yokosuka Marine District, he was an instructor at the torpedo school between April 25, 1918 and November 20, 1919 and at the same time from April 25 to June 20, 1918 Instructor at the artillery school. Then he was from November 20, 1919 to June 3, 1920 officer in the staff of the 1st destroyer squadron and received there on December 1, 1919 his promotion to frigate captain (Chūsa) . In the following years he became an officer in the staff of the training fleet on June 3, 1920, on May 12, 1921 in the staff of the Naval Training Command (Kaigun Kyoiku Honbu) and on April 1, 1923 in the training department of the Navy Ministry.

Yoshida Zengo was between November 10, 1923 and March 25, 1924 chief of section 2 of the training department of the Ministry of the Navy and was promoted to sea captain (Daisa) on December 1, 1923 . On March 25, 1924 he was commander of the protected cruiser Hirado and then on December 1, 1924 Chief of Staff of the Maizuru Naval District , before he was transferred as an officer to the General Staff of the Navy and the Ministry of Navy on April 15, 1925. A month later, on May 15, 1925, he became head of Section 1 of the Department of Naval Affairs in the Navy Ministry and on December 1, 1927, commander of the battle cruiser Kongo , before taking over the post of commander of the battleship Mutsu on December 10, 1928 .

Promotion to admiral

After his promotion to Rear Admiral (Shōshō) on November 30, 1929, Yoshida Zengo became Chief of Department 2 (Gunreibu Daini-bu) of the General Staff of the Navy and subsequently on December 1, 1931, in personal union, Chief of the Combined Fleet (Rengō Kantai) and Chief of Staff of the 1st Fleet. On September 1, 1933, he was reassigned to the General Staff of the Navy and the Navy Ministry and served between September 15, 1933 and December 2, 1935 as Director of the Department of Navy Affairs (Gunmu-kyoku) in the Navy Ministry. As such, he was also a member of the Admiralty Committee and received on November 15, 1934 his promotion to Vice Admiral (Chūjō) . After a recent transfer to the General Staff of the Navy and the Navy Ministry, he took over the post of commander of the training fleet on February 1, 1936. He was then between December 1, 1936 and December 1, 1937 commander in chief of the 2nd Fleet.

As the successor to Admiral Nagano Osami , he became Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet on December 1, 1937 and held this position until he was replaced by Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku on August 30, 1939. He also served between December 1, 1937 and August 30, 1939 as commander in chief of the 1st Fleet.

Naval Minister

On August 30, 1939, Yoshida Zengo took over from Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa as Minister of the Navy in the cabinet of Prime Minister Abe Nobuyuki . He also held this ministerial office in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yonai Mitsumasa and in the third cabinet of Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro until his replacement by Admiral Oikawa Koshirō on September 5, 1940.

After leaving the Cabinet, Yoshida Zengo was transferred to the General Staff of the Navy on September 5 and, after his promotion to Admiral (Taisho) on November 15, 1940, a member of the Navy Council . He then took over between November 10, 1942 and December 1, 1943 the post of commander-in-chief of the China fleet (Shina Homen Kantai) . Then he belonged from December 1, 1943 to May 3, 1944 again as a member of the Navy Council and was during this time between December 14, 1943 and March 15, 1944 also director of the Naval College (Kaigun Daigakkō) . He was then from May 3 to August 2, 1944 commander-in-chief of the Yokosuka Marine District and also again a member of the Admiralty Committee. Most recently he was from August 2, 1944 until his transfer to the reserve on June 1, 1945 again a member of the Navy Council.

Web links

• Entry on Imperial Japanese Navy

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . So Yoshida is the family name, Zengo the first name.