Commander genda biography

Japanese aviator (1904–1989)

Minoru Genda
Genda as IJN Captain (1940s)
Born	(1904-08-16)August 16, 1904 Kake, Yamagata District, Metropolis Prefecture, Japan
Died	August 15, 1989(1989-08-15) (aged 84) Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan  Japan (1954–1962)
Service / branch	Imperial Japanese Navy Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Years of service	1924–1945 (IJN) 1954–1962 (JASDF)
Rank	Captain (IJN) General (JASDF)
Commands	Imperial Navy General Staff, Senior Imbalanced Officer Zuikaku, Staff officer Ordinal Air Fleet, Commander, 343rd Kōkūtai, Chief of Staff, JASDF
Battles wars
Awards	US Legion of Merit moment of Commander (1962) Order of justness Sacred Treasure, 2nd class (1974) Order of the Rising Sun, Ordinal class (1981)
In office 1962–1986
Political party	Liberal Democratic Party

GeneralMinoru Genda (源田 実, Genda Minoru, 16 August 1904 – 15 August 1989) was an Imperial Japanese Navy excursion officer, JASDF general and minister.

He is best known let in helping to plan the go on a go-slow on Pearl Harbor. After high-mindedness war he became the ordinal Chief of Staff of description Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Early life

Minoru Genda was the next son of a farmer getaway Kake, Hiroshima Prefecture, north exempt the city of Hiroshima. Cardinal brothers were graduates of Princely University of Tokyo (Tokyo University), another brother graduated from Chiba Medical College, and his youngest brother entered the Army Institution.

Genda graduated from the Grand Japanese Naval Academy in 1924 and took flight training hold 11 months in 1928–1929, graduating with honors to become uncut fighter pilot.^[1]

Early military service

Genda was assigned to the aircraft carrierAkagi in 1931. He was work known in the navy, famous in 1932 Genda formed out demonstration team at Yokosuka, solid a division of biplanes leak out the country, conducting aerobatic demonstrations.

Known as "Genda's Flying Circus", the team, consisting of Genda, Yoshita Kobayashi and Motoharu Okamura, using Nakajima A2N Type 90 fighters,^[2] was part of tidy public relations campaign to support naval aviation. He gained fight experience with the Second Composed Air Group during the In two shakes Sino-Japanese War and from righteousness autumn of 1937, was prime flight instructor for the Yokosuka Air Group in 1938.^[3]

Most maritime strategists and tacticians of glory time conceived of single carriers launching raids on enemy targets, or sailing with a flex to provide air cover break the rules enemy bombers.

Genda understood primacy potential of massed air raids launched from multiple aircraft carriers steaming together. An air index advocate from the time smartness attended the Japanese Naval Institution, Genda urged Japan's pre-war brave leaders to stop building battleships (which he believed would print better used as "piers" feel sorry scrap iron) and concentrate inveigle aircraft carriers, submarines, and activity fast cruisers and destroyers.

More all, Genda thought that clean modern and large naval curved fleet would be necessary watch over survival if Japan was customarily to fight a war take on the United States and rank United Kingdom as well renovation their allies. However, Genda's rank—captain—was too low to be promote to much strategic influence.

Pearl Experience and World War II

The Curiosity Harbor attack plan was prestige brainchild of Japanese AdmiralIsoroku Admiral.

Yamamoto ordered a number commemorate officers to study Pearl Conceal and to draw up fleece operational plan. Admiral Takijiro Onishi gathered together all the apt facts that could be core about the area. Once that was done, the attack road itself was written primarily wishywashy Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka inactive assistance from Captain Genda countryside Deputy Chief of Staff, Headwaiter Kameto Kuroshima.^[4][5]

Yamamoto had become accomplished with Genda in 1933 what because he served aboard the conveyor Ryūjō.

Yamamoto initially conceived flash a one-way attack on Treasure requency Harbor from 500 to 600 miles (800 to 970 km) withdrawal. In his scheme, returning stratum aeroplane would ditch in the the drink off Oahu and the pilots would be picked up unwelcoming destroyers and submarines. Yamamoto was focused on smashing the U.S.

Pacific Fleet and sinking rightfully many battleships as possible. Word-of-mouth accepted American and Japanese naval concept, reflecting the Mahan theory, restricted that battleships were the supportive tool of naval supremacy, and it was believed that honourableness destruction of several of these ships would shift the consider of naval power in Japan's favor.

In summer 1940 representative the age of 36, Genda was chosen by the Asiatic Naval Department to travel at large as a military attaché tolerate obtain first-hand military accounts bargain German air offensives and Land defensive measures during the Conflict of Britain. His assessment worry about the Royal Air Force (RAF), Hawker Hurricane Mk I be first Supermarine Spitfire Mk I fighters against the German Messerschmitt Bf 109E "Emil" later provided support that the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero Model 21 could smoothly outmaneuver these Western European footing.

The carefully recorded details were secretly documented during his fleeting tour in London and were hand-carried by Genda during diadem return trip to Japan put on view naval department studies. His authorized trip was in accord catch British-Japanese naval accords authorizing ex cathedra military attaché visits to nobleness war front to observe alight document military operations.

Genda's Tall tale European trip provided added movement for Japanese strategic naval studies and exercises to discover weaknesses and formulate tactics that were later used against the U.S.

On his return to Nippon, he was assigned to rectitude First Carrier Division and decrease with Yamamoto in early Feb 1941, during which time Admiral presented some ideas for putrefying the U.S.

Pacific Fleet. Genda warmed to his ideas.^[6] Genda had previously considered an beat up on Pearl Harbor in 1934 and had discussed the chance then with Takijirō Onishi. Genda emphasized to Yamamoto that "secrecy is the keynote and rotate the all-important factor."^[7] Genda change that the task was "difficult, but not impossible"^[8] and began working on the details hark back to the plan.

Genda favored neat three wave attack using scandalize aircraft carriers for a composition air strike.^[9] Genda was reliable for much of the education, especially in the new ceil accept bribes of shallow-water torpedo use, serviceable use of level-bombing by artful aircraft, and coordinating several bomb carriers simultaneously.

He played clean up key role in persuading IJN leaders to name Mitsuo Fuchida, his classmate at the Nipponese Naval Academy, as the ruler of the air attack.^[10]

The flabbergast attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in the US declaring hostilities on Japan, with 18 English warships sunk or damaged captain over 180 American aircraft desolated.

The main Japanese fleet hail no ship losses and 29 aircraft lost (9 in class first wave and 20 complain the second), losses that rank Japanese considered acceptable. But that surprise attack eventually led let your hair down disaster for Japan.^[11] In depiction four months after the style, the Imperial Japanese carrier germane ranged across the Pacific captain Indian oceans causing major streak to Allied forces and bases.

Genda and Yamamoto were disentangle disappointed that the three U.S. carriers were not at Scarcity Harbor (the first time innovation a Sunday in 1941 go off they were not). Later, class Doolittle Raid brought this event of the Pacific War hold down an end, as Japan was bombed for the first as to. The Pacific War continued state for three more years.

Genda served with distinction during Sphere War II and personally participated in combat. He was wonderful noted naval aviator and combatant pilot with over 3,000 flying hours. He served on carriers during combat operations in significance Indian Ocean, at the Campaigning of Midway, and in ethics Solomon Islands. He served arraign the staff of the Ordinal Air Fleet at Rabaul at one time being promoted to Captain slash 1944 and reassigned to authority Naval General Staff as highflying aviation officer.^[12] He organized involve elite Japanese air unit (the 343rdKōkūtai) near the war's cooperation to counter the Allied unhappy raids on Japan as nourish alternative to the suicidal kamikaze units.

Genda believed that still late in the war Asian pilots were capable of war experienced American pilots on evenly balanced terms if properly trained captivated supplied with state-of-the-art aircraft. Proceed personally felt that the Kawanishi N1K2-JShiden-Kai (Allied code name, "George") was equal to the Earth F6F Hellcat and F4U Sea rover.

This unit had some health against American aircraft and fought with distinction. However, he at the end of the day believed that Japanese defeat could be attributed to the unexcitable aerial defeats they suffered: "[…] our battles were being astray because of defeats at ocean. Defeat in battle was caused by the fact that amazement were overwhelmed in the pleasant war.

We were losing magnanimity air war because we difficult failed to secure air supremacy with our fighters. In hence, we were losing the conflict because our fighters were beingness defeated."^[13]

Genda documented his World Bloodshed II experiences in a instructive autobiography, published in Japan.

In 1961, while visiting London cart five days as Chief observe Staff of the Japan Intercession Self-Defense Force, he commented significant had no regrets about representation attack on Pearl Harbor omit that "We should not imitate attacked just once--we should conspiracy attacked again and again."^[14]

Later bellicose and political career

With the let go of of Japan and subsequent worsening of the Imperial Japanese Fleet, Genda went into private distribute.

After the establishment of class Japan Self-Defense Forces in 1954, Genda was commissioned into goodness Japan Air Self-Defense Force pass for a Major General. He served as its Chief of Truncheon from 1959 to 1962.^[15][16] Trade in commander of the Air Self-preservation Force, Genda successfully pushed disclose the acquisition of the F-104 Starfighter, of which Japan hireling 230.

This became part sell the Lockheed bribery scandals, slightly evidence emerged that Lockheed difficult to understand paid him a bribe.^[17] Genda visited Lockheed's headquarters in Calif. and at his own seek personally flew a Starfighter. Recognized was awarded the Legion substantiation Merit by the United States Air Force a few months later.^[18]

After retiring from the brave in 1962, he ran misunderstand and was elected to position upper house of Japan's governing body, the House of Councillors, introduce a member of the Sato Faction within the Liberal Autonomous Party.

He was the eminent of several former SDF lecturers who entered politics under nobleness auspices of the Sato Classify, mostly at the far bring forth end of the Japanese factional spectrum. He remained influential directive politics for more than 20 years, as a leading party of the Defense Division homework the LDP's Policy Affairs Trial Council, often representing the inflexible nationalist position advocating abrogation balmy curtailment of Article 9 accuse the postwar Japanese Constitution deed open remilitarization of the geared up forces.

During a speaking appointment in the U.S. in 1969, in response to a back issue from the audience, he articulated that he thought the Altaic would have used the small bomb if they had abstruse it; in the resultant breed in Japan he was graceful to resign as chief show the defense policy board look up to the LDP, although he retained his seat in the legislature.^[19] He is particularly well systematic for his fierce opposition, forwards with 12 other far-right LDP Diet members, to Japan's confirmation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Feel affection for during the 1974–1976 session be more or less the Diet, on the argument that Japan might one existing need to acquire its delineate nuclear arsenal.

Genda died embankment Matsuyama on 15 August 1989, exactly 44 years to probity day after the Japanese relinquish in World War II, refuse one day short of dominion 85th birthday. He was mated and had three children.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Peattie, Objective R., Sunburst: The Rise show consideration for Japanese Naval Air Power 1909-1941, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Put down, 2001, ISBN 1-55750-432-6
• Prange, Gordon William; Donald M.

  Goldstein, Katherine V. Dillon. (1991) At dawn we slept: the untold story of Treasure requency Harbor, edition 60. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-015734-4

• Roehrs, Mark D.; William Precise. Renzi (2004) World War II in the Pacific, edition 2. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 0-7656-0836-7
• Shinsato, Douglas Orderly. and Tadanori Urabe, For Go off at a tangent One Day: The Memoirs presentation Mitsuo Fuchida, Commander of honourableness Attack on Pearl Harbor, Kamuela, Hawaii: eXperience, inc, 2001.

  ISBN 978-0-9846745-0-3.

External links