50
years ago on this date, February 24, 1965, IJA War Criminal General Takeo Ito passed
away. I will post information about him from Wikipedia.
Takeo Itō
|
Native name
|
伊東 武夫
|
Born
|
July 6, 1889
Fukuoka prefecture, Japan |
Died
|
February 24, 1965 (aged 75)
Rabaul, New Britain |
Allegiance
|
Empire of Japan
|
Service/branch
|
Imperial Japanese Army
|
Rank
|
Lieutenant General
|
Commands held
|
IJA 38th Division
|
Battles/wars
|
|
Takeo Itō
(伊東 武夫 Itō Takeo?, 6 July 1889 – 24 February 1965) was
a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Biography
Takeo
Itō was born in the city of Fukuoka in the Fukuoka prefecture
The commanding officer of the IJA 228th Infantry Regiment at the start of the Second
Sino-Japanese War, he assumed command of 114th Infantry Regiment on
September 1, 1941. Upon attaining the rank of major general on August 25, 1941, Itō was
given command of the IJA 38th Division's infantry group, which was the primary
Japanese division in the invasion of Hong Kong.
In
early 1942, Itō was reassigned to an independent command in his own name, the
"Itō Detachment", consisted mainly of 228th Infantry Regiment, 38th
Infantry Division and the 1st Kure SNLF, which took part in the Battle of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies (30 January–3 February
1942), and in the occupation of Timor. All of these
campaigns were characterized by extreme ruthlessness and the massacre of
prisoners.
In
November, Itō, along with one regiment of the 38th Division, was shipped to Guadalcanal. On 11 November, during the
pivotal Battle of
Guadalcanal, Itō was positioned by Lieutenant-General Harukichi Hyakutake
to attack Marines
under the command of United States General Alexander
Archer Vandegrift who were involved in the Matanikau offensive
against Japanese positions. However, Vandegrift called off his offensive that
day after receiving intelligence reports of Hyakutake's plans. Itō later helped
command 38th Division troops during the Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping
Horse, and the Sea Horse. He and the 38th's survivors on Guadalcanal were
evacuated by the Japanese navy during the first week of February 1943. Itō
became commander of the 40th Independent Mixed Brigade, stationed at New
Ireland on 8 July 1944. He was promoted to lieutenant-general on November 26 of
that year.
At
the end of the war, Itō was taken into custody by Australian forces, and was
tried as a war criminal in a military tribunal for the murder of Chinese
civilians. He was sentenced to death at Rabaul, New Britain on 24 May 1946.
However, Ito was released on 28 October, and repatriated to Japan. He died on
24 February 1965.
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