Minoru Sasaki

Minoru Sasaki

General Minoru (Noboru) Sasaki
Born January 1, 1893 - April 27, 1961 (aged 68)
Allegiance  Empire of Japan
Service/branch  Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service 1914 - 1946
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held 4th Cavalry Brigade,
Nanto (Southeast) Detachment
Battles/wars World War II
o Solomon Islands
o Battle of New Georgia
In this Japanese name, the family name is "Sasaki".

Minoru Sasaki (佐佐木 登 Sasaki Minoru, 1 January 1893 27 April 1961) sometimes referred to as Noburo Sasaki, was a commander in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

Biography

Sasaki graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1914 as a cavalry officer. He was sent as a military attaché to Russia and Poland in the 1920s, and served in a number of staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff.

From 1939-1940, Sasaki was commander of the IJA 4th Cavalry Brigade. He became Chief of Staff of the IJA 6th Army in China in 1940. From 1942-1943, he was attached to the Armored Warfare Department within the Ministry of War, and promoted the development of tanks and armored warfare within the Japanese military.[1]

However, as the war situation continued to deteriorate for the Japanese military in the Solomon Islands, Sasaki was reassigned to command the Southern Detachment in 1943. He led the Japanese forces during the Battle of New Georgia from June 1943 to August 1943. After fighting an effective, but ultimately unsuccessful delaying campaign, his forces retreated to Kolombangara, only to be bypassed and left to starve, with little chance of reinforcement or resupply. He and his surviving forces managed to successfully escape by barge to Choiseul and Bougainville and then to Rabaul. Sasaki was promoted to lieutenant general in October 1944.[2]

He was later attached to the IJA 8th Area Army Headquarters at Rabaul until the end of the war.

References

Books

External links

Notes

  1. Ammenthorp, The Generals of World War II
  2. Budge, Pacific War Online Encyclopedia