After Kusaka's promotion to captain on 1 December 1930, he was sent overseas to the United States and Europe for one year. After his return, he received his first command, the cruiser Kitakami. He was subsequently captain of the battleship Fusō. On 1 December 1936, Kusaka was promoted to rear admiral, and became commandant of the Naval Gunnery School. On 15 November 1940, he was promoted to vice admiral.
Kusaka (center) with Combined Fleet Commander Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (left) at Rabaul in April 1943 during Operation I-Go shortly before Yamamoto's death.
On 24 December 1942, all naval forces in New Guinea and Solomon Islands area were combined into the newly designated Southeast Area Fleet with Kusaka in command. As commander, Kusaka directed the employment of naval ships and combat personnel involved in the fighting against Allied forces advancing up the Solomon Islands chain and New Guinea and New Britain towards Rabaul.[3]
On 6 September 1945, Kusaka, acting as the senior officer for Japanese naval forces in the Rabaul area, along with General Hitoshi Imamura, the senior Imperial Japanese Army commander for the area, surrendered Rabaul to Allied forces.[4]
Gailey, Harry A. (1991). Bougainville, 1943-1945: The Forgotten Campaign. Lexington, Kentucky, USA: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN0-8131-9047-9. - neutral review of this book here:[1]
Miller, Thomas G. (1969). Cactus Air Force. Admiral Nimitz Foundation. ISBN0-934841-17-9.
Sakaida, Henry (1996). The Siege of Rabaul. St. Paul, MN, USA: Phalanx. ISBN1-883809-09-6.
External linksedit
Naval History via Flix. "Kusaka Jinichi". Retrieved 2006-12-08.
Nishida, Hiroshi. "Imperial Japanese Navy". Archived from the original on 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
Rentz, John (1952). "Marines in the Central Solomons". Historical Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved May 30, 2006.
Military offices
Preceded by
None Fleet created
Commander-in-chief of the Southeast Area Fleet 24 December 1942 - 6 September 1945
Succeeded by
None Fleet dissolved
January 01, 1970
jinichi, kusaka, 草鹿, 任一, kusaka, ichi, december, 1888, august, 1972, admiral, imperial, japanese, navy, during, world, fellow, admiral, ryūnosuke, kusaka, cousin, vice, admiral, kusaka, jinichi, 1940, native, name草鹿, 任一borndecember, 1888ishikawa, prefecture, j. Jinichi Kusaka 草鹿 任一 Kusaka Jin ichi 7 December 1888 24 August 1972 was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II Fellow Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka was his cousin Jinichi KusakaVice Admiral Kusaka Jinichi 1940 45 Native name草鹿 任一BornDecember 7 1888Ishikawa Prefecture JapanDiedAugust 24 1972 1972 08 24 aged 83 1 Allegiance Empire of JapanService wbr branch Imperial Japanese NavyYears of service1909 1947RankVice AdmiralCommands heldKitakami Fusō Naval Gunnery School 1st Carrier Division Naval Education Bureau Naval Academy 11th Air Fleet Southeast Area FleetBattles warsWorld War II Pacific War New Guinea campaign Guadalcanal campaign Solomon Islands campaign Contents 1 Biography 2 References 2 1 Books 3 External linksBiography editA native of Ishikawa Prefecture Kusaka graduated from the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy ranked 21st in a class of 179 cadets He served as midshipman on the cruisers Soya and Chiyoda and after being commissioned as ensign was assigned to the cruiser Tokiwa and battleship Aki As a lieutenant during World War I he served on the cruiser Asama followed by the battleship Kashima and destroyer Hamakaze but was not on any combat missions After the end of the war he attended the Naval Staff College emerging in 1921 as a lieutenant commander He was assigned to the battleship Hiei as Vice Chief Gunnery Officer and to the battleships Yamashiro and Nagato as Chief Gunnery Officer After Kusaka s promotion to captain on 1 December 1930 he was sent overseas to the United States and Europe for one year After his return he received his first command the cruiser Kitakami He was subsequently captain of the battleship Fusō On 1 December 1936 Kusaka was promoted to rear admiral and became commandant of the Naval Gunnery School On 15 November 1940 he was promoted to vice admiral At the beginning of the Pacific War Kusaka commanded the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy On 28 September 1942 he took command of the 11th Air Fleet located at the major Japanese base of Rabaul on New Britain in the South Pacific 2 Throughout the Guadalcanal campaign Kusaka s air units battled the Allied Cactus Air Force for control of the air around Guadalcanal a battle that the Allied air forces eventually won The 11th Air Fleet also supported Japanese military operations in the New Guinea Campaign nbsp Kusaka center with Combined Fleet Commander Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto left at Rabaul in April 1943 during Operation I Go shortly before Yamamoto s death On 24 December 1942 all naval forces in New Guinea and Solomon Islands area were combined into the newly designated Southeast Area Fleet with Kusaka in command As commander Kusaka directed the employment of naval ships and combat personnel involved in the fighting against Allied forces advancing up the Solomon Islands chain and New Guinea and New Britain towards Rabaul 3 On 6 September 1945 Kusaka acting as the senior officer for Japanese naval forces in the Rabaul area along with General Hitoshi Imamura the senior Imperial Japanese Army commander for the area surrendered Rabaul to Allied forces 4 References edit Nishida Hiroshi Imperial Japanese Navy Frank Guadalcanal p 288 Frank p 498 Sakaida Siege of Rabaul p 87 88 Books edit Altobello Brian 2000 Into the Shadows Furious Presidio Press ISBN 0 89141 717 6 Bergerud Eric M 2000 Fire in the Sky The Air War in the South Pacific Boulder CO USA Westview Press ISBN 0 8133 3869 7 D Albas Andrieu 1965 Death of a Navy Japanese Naval Action in World War II Devin Adair Pub ISBN 0 8159 5302 X Frank Richard B 1990 Guadalcanal The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle New York Penguin Group ISBN 0 14 016561 4 Gailey Harry A 1991 Bougainville 1943 1945 The Forgotten Campaign Lexington Kentucky USA University Press of Kentucky ISBN 0 8131 9047 9 neutral review of this book here 1 Miller Thomas G 1969 Cactus Air Force Admiral Nimitz Foundation ISBN 0 934841 17 9 Morison Samuel Eliot 1958 The Struggle for Guadalcanal August 1942 February 1943 vol 5 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II Boston Little Brown and Company ISBN 0 316 58305 7 Online views of selections of the book 2 Morison Samuel Eliot 1958 Breaking the Bismarcks Barrier vol 6 of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II Castle Books ISBN 0 7858 1307 1 Sakaida Henry 1996 The Siege of Rabaul St Paul MN USA Phalanx ISBN 1 883809 09 6 External links editNaval History via Flix Kusaka Jinichi Retrieved 2006 12 08 Nishida Hiroshi Imperial Japanese Navy Archived from the original on 2013 01 30 Retrieved 2006 12 08 Rentz John 1952 Marines in the Central Solomons Historical Branch Headquarters U S Marine Corps Retrieved May 30 2006 Military offices Preceded byNoneFleet created Commander in chief of the Southeast Area Fleet24 December 1942 6 September 1945 Succeeded byNoneFleet dissolved Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jinichi Kusaka amp oldid 1165714565, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
