Hiroaki Abe
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| Hiroaki Abe | |
|---|---|
| March 15, 1889 – February 6, 1949 | |
| Place of birth | Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Unit | Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Commands | Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II oAttack on Pearl Harbor oBattle of Wake Island oBattle of Midway oBattle of the Eastern Solomons oBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands oNaval Battle of Guadalcanal |
Hiroaki Abe (阿部弘毅 Abe Hiroaki; March 15, 1889 – February 6, 1949. Japanese Admiral. Born in Aichi prefecture, he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1911 and the Naval Staff College in 1925. He saw extensive sea duty in command of destroyers, cruisers, and battleships (1925-1938); in 1938 he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral; was commander of the 8th Cruiser Division in the Pearl Harbour Strike Force (November-December 1941), commander of the support force in the assault on Wake Island (December 11-23); commander of Combat Division 11 (Battleship division 3 and Cruiser division 8) in the Guadalcanal campaign; led his ships as the vanguard group at the carrier battles of the eastern Solomons (August 23-25, 1942) and Santa Cruz (October 26-28); commander of the Raiding Force (battleships Hiei and Kirishima, a light cruiser, and fourteen destroyers) in an effort to bombard Henderson Field on Guadalcanal; encountered rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan's Task Force 67.4 in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, and broke off without bombarding Henderson Field after a stiff night action (November 12-13), in which he lost two destroyers and the Hiei; relieved by Admiral Yamamoto, and resigned from the Navy soon after (March 1943). He died in 1949.
Promotions
Midshipman - 18 July 1911
Ensign - 1 December 1912
Sublieutenant - 1 December 1914
Lieutenant - 1 December 1917
Lieutenant Commander - 1 December 1923
Commander - 10 December 1928
Captain - 1 December 1932
Rear Admiral - 15 November 1938
Vice Admiral - 1 November 1942
