Biography Minoru Ōta



japanese commanders on okinawa prior battle of okinawa


Ōta had experience japanese special naval landing forces (snlf, japanese equivalent of royal marines), had been assigned command of battalion of snlf forces in 1932 first shanghai incident. promoted commander in 1934. in 1936, named executive officer of battleship yamashiro, , given first command, of oiler tsurumi in 1937. promoted captain in december same year.


world war ii

in 1938, start of second sino-japanese war, Ōta assigned command kure 6th snlf. in 1941, assigned command of snlf under japanese china area fleet @ wuhan in china. returned japan following year, , assigned command 2nd combined special naval landing force earmarked seizure of midway in event of japanese victory on united states navy @ battle of midway. although never came pass, promoted rear admiral , commanded 8th combined special naval landing force @ new georgia against american first raider battalion. served in various administrative capacities until january 1945, when reassigned okinawa command japanese navy s forces part of japanese reinforcement effort prior anticipated invasion allied forces.


in okinawa, Ōta commanded force nominal strength of 10,000 men. however, half civilian laborers conscripted service minimal training, , remainder gunners various naval vessels little experience in fighting on land. allied sources contradictory on role commander of naval elements in okinawa. cite Ōta able organize , lead them effective force, fought aggressively against allied forces, withdrawing fortified oroku peninsula. naval elements, except outlying islands headquartered on oroku peninsula beginning of battle. operations planning colonel hiromichi yahara of japanese 32nd army describes miscommunication occurring in order ota s naval elements withdraw oroku peninsula support army further south. happen clear: Ōta began preparations on or around 24 may, withdrawal of naval elements south in support of army. destroyed heavy equipment, stocks of ammunition , personal weapons. while in mid-march south, 32nd army hq ordered Ōta oroku peninsula citing mistake had been made in timing (explanations vary). naval elements returned former positions no heavy weapons , half troops had no rifles. americans, had not noticed initial withdrawal attacked , cut off peninsula attacks north on land, , 1 last seaborne landing behind navy s positions. naval elements committed suicide whatever weapons possible, leading last charge out of cave entrances. according museum underground naval headquarters in okinawa, many soldiers committed suicide inside command bunker, including Ōta.



the commander s room of underground naval headquarters.

Ōta committed suicide here.


on june 6, commanding officer ota sent out telegram navy vice admiral. on 11 june 1945, u.s. 6th marine division encircled Ōta’s positions, , Ōta sent farewell telegram ija 32nd army headquarters @ 16:00 on 12 june. on 13 june, Ōta committed suicide handgun. posthumously promoted vice admiral.








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