World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseNobutake Kondo was born in Osaka, Japan and had attended the Osaka Prefectural Tennoji High School. He graduated from the Imperial Navy Academy in 1907, ahead of schedule. As a midshipman he served on the cruiser Itsukushima and battleship Mikasa. Upon commissioned an ensign, he was assigned to the cruiser Aso, destroyer Kisaragi, and battleship Kongo. Between 1912 and 1913, he served as a naval attaché to the United Kingdom. Between 1913 and 1919, he served aboard battleship Fuso, aboard Akitsushima as chief gunnery officer, and at various staff positions. After WW1, he attended the Naval War College, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander on 1 Dec 1919. Between 1920 and 1923, he was a member of the Japanese delegation sent to Germany to confirm German adherence to the provision of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1923, after his return from Germany, he served aboard battleship Mutsu. He was promoted to the rank of commander on 1 Dec 1923. Between 1924 and 1925, he was an aide to Crown Prince Hirohito, the future Emperor Showa. In the mid-1920s, he was an instructor at the Japanese Navy Academy. Between 1929 and 1930, he served as the captain of the heavy cruiser Kako. Between 1932 and 1933, he was the captain of the battleship Kongo. On 15 Nov 1933, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. In 1935, he was given the role of the chief of staff of the Combined Fleet.

ww2dbaseOn 15 Nov 1937, amidst the Second Sino-Japanese War, Kondo was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. As the commanding officer of the 5th Fleet, he provided naval support for the Japanese conquest of the island of Hainan and coastal regions of Guangdong Province, China. At the start of the Pacific War, he was the commanding officer of the 2nd Fleet, which participated in the invasion of British Malaya, the Philippine Islands, and the Dutch East Indies, as well as the Indian Ocean Raid. During the Battle of Midway, Vice Admiral Kondo commanded the Midway Occupation Force and Covering Group. Subsequently, he played a leading role in the actions in the Solomon Islands, commanding Japanese naval forces present in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons between 23 and 25 Aug 1942, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands between 26 and 27 Oct, and the naval actions off Guadalcanal in Nov 1942.

ww2dbaseAfter Kondo's series of defeats during the Guadalcanal campaign, he was removed by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto from positions of real authority, though receiving no reprimands. In Oct 1942, he was named Deputy Commander of the Combined Fleet. On 29 Apr 1943, he was promoted to the rank of admiral. He became Commander in Chief of the China Area Fleet in Dec 1943, and held this role until May 1945 when he was appointed to the Supreme War Council.

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