Naokuni Nomura
Encyclopedia
was an admiral
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
, and briefly served as Navy Minister
in the 1940s.
, Kagoshima prefecture
. He graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
, ranked 43rd out of 172 cadets. He served his midshipman
tour on the cruiser
s and . After commissioning to ensign
, he was assigned to the destroyer
s and . After completing naval artillery
and basic torpedo
training, he was assigned to the battleship
.
Nomura subsequently served on a large number of vessels in the early Japanese navy, including the gunboat Tatsuta, cruiser , the gunboat Manshu and cruiser .
Promoted to lieutenant
in December 1913, he was assigned to the destroyer Yayoi, followed by the destroyers , and his first command, the destroyer . Nomura was promoted to lieutenant commander
in December 1919. He graduated from the Naval Staff College
with honors in 1920. He subsequently served in a number of staff positions, including that of naval attaché to Germany from August 1922 to September 1924. After his return to Japan, he was promoted to commander
in December 1924.
In April 1927, Nomura was part of the Japanese delegation to the Geneva Naval Conference
. He became a captain in December 1927, and assumed command of the submarine tender Chogei in December 1928. Nomura visited Germany again during most of 1929, and was part of the Japanese delegation to the London Naval Treaty
talks. After his return to Japan, he assumed command of the cruiser , followed by the aircraft carrier
from February 1932-October 1933. In 1934, he was Commandant of the Submarine School.
Nomura was promoted to rear admiral
on 15 November 1934. As rear admiral, he served in numerous staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
, including head of Naval Intelligence in 1937. He was promoted to vice admiral
on 15 November 1938. He served as commander in chief of the IJN 3rd Fleet
from November 1939-September 1940.
Nomura was sent as naval liaison to Europe as part of Japan's participation in the Tripartite Pact
from November 1940 to August 1943, and was stationed as naval attaché
in Berlin. During his time in Germany
, he was active in attempting to procure the latest in military technology for Japan, especially with regards to developments pertaining to submarines
and aircraft. He returned to Japan on the U-boat U-511, which was presented to Japan by Adolf Hitler
and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the Japanese submarine Ro-500
.
After his return to Japan, Nomura was briefly commander in chief of the Kure Naval District
. On 1 March 1944, he was promoted to admiral
.
He served as Naval Minister
in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Hideki Tōjō
for only five days, from 17–22 July 1944.
In the final stages of the Pacific War
, he served as commander in chief of the Yokosuka Naval District
and of the Maritime Escort Fleet. He entered the reserves on 15 October 1945 and died at the age of 88 in 1973.
Nomura was the center of a controversy in 1971, when he headed a group of Japanese war veterans in an attempt to recover the destroyer after it had been sold for scrap by the Republic of China Navy
. He only managed to recover the steering wheel.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, and briefly served as Navy Minister
Ministry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
in the 1940s.
Biography
Nomura was born in HiokiHioki, Kagoshima
is a city located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of May 1, 2010, the city had a population of 51,819 and a density of 205 persons per km². The total area is 253.06 km²....
, Kagoshima prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
. He graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
The was a school established to train officers for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It originally located in Nagasaki, moved to Yokohama in 1866, and was relocated to Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1869. It moved to Etajima, Hiroshima in 1888...
, ranked 43rd out of 172 cadets. He served his midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
tour on the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s and . After commissioning to ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, he was assigned to the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and . After completing naval artillery
Naval artillery
Naval artillery, or naval riflery, is artillery mounted on a warship for use in naval warfare. Naval artillery has historically been used to engage either other ships, or targets on land; in the latter role it is currently termed naval gunfire fire support...
and basic torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
training, he was assigned to the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
.
Nomura subsequently served on a large number of vessels in the early Japanese navy, including the gunboat Tatsuta, cruiser , the gunboat Manshu and cruiser .
Promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in December 1913, he was assigned to the destroyer Yayoi, followed by the destroyers , and his first command, the destroyer . Nomura was promoted to lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in December 1919. He graduated from the Naval Staff College
Naval War College (Japan)
The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
with honors in 1920. He subsequently served in a number of staff positions, including that of naval attaché to Germany from August 1922 to September 1924. After his return to Japan, he was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in December 1924.
In April 1927, Nomura was part of the Japanese delegation to the Geneva Naval Conference
Geneva Naval Conference
The Geneva Naval Conference was a conference held to discuss naval arms limitation, held in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1927. This is a separate conference from the later general disarmament conference, the Geneva Conference ....
. He became a captain in December 1927, and assumed command of the submarine tender Chogei in December 1928. Nomura visited Germany again during most of 1929, and was part of the Japanese delegation to the London Naval Treaty
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
talks. After his return to Japan, he assumed command of the cruiser , followed by the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
from February 1932-October 1933. In 1934, he was Commandant of the Submarine School.
Nomura was promoted to rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
on 15 November 1934. As rear admiral, he served in numerous staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff
The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...
, including head of Naval Intelligence in 1937. He was promoted to vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
on 15 November 1938. He served as commander in chief of the IJN 3rd Fleet
IJN 3rd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was created on six separate occasions.-Russo-Japanese War:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for...
from November 1939-September 1940.
Nomura was sent as naval liaison to Europe as part of Japan's participation in the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
from November 1940 to August 1943, and was stationed as naval attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
in Berlin. During his time in Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, he was active in attempting to procure the latest in military technology for Japan, especially with regards to developments pertaining to submarines
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
and aircraft. He returned to Japan on the U-boat U-511, which was presented to Japan by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the Japanese submarine Ro-500
Unterseeboot 511
German submarine U-511 was a Type IXC U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 21 February 1941 at the Deutsche Werft yard at Hamburg, launched on 22 September 1941, and commissioned on 8 December 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Friedrich...
.
After his return to Japan, Nomura was briefly commander in chief of the Kure Naval District
Kure Naval District
was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern Kyūshū and Shikoku....
. On 1 March 1944, he was promoted to admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
.
He served as Naval Minister
Ministry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
in the cabinet of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō
Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...
for only five days, from 17–22 July 1944.
In the final stages of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, he served as commander in chief of the Yokosuka Naval District
Yokosuka Naval District
was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula.-History:...
and of the Maritime Escort Fleet. He entered the reserves on 15 October 1945 and died at the age of 88 in 1973.
Nomura was the center of a controversy in 1971, when he headed a group of Japanese war veterans in an attempt to recover the destroyer after it had been sold for scrap by the Republic of China Navy
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy is the maritime branch of the Armed forces of the Republic of China . The ROC Navy's primary mission is to defend ROC territories and the sea lanes that surround Taiwan against a blockade, attack, or possible invasion by forces of the People's Republic of China...
. He only managed to recover the steering wheel.
External links
- Bio Entry on Naval History.com
- Combined Fleet.com on RO-500
- "World Battlefronts: Admirals' Week" TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine, July 24, 1944