World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseHideyoshi Obata became a junior cavalry officer in Dec 1911 and graduated from war college eight years later. After various staff and field positions, including time abroad in Britain and India, he became an air officer, holding positions such as the commandant of the Akeno Army Air School in Aug 1938 as well as becoming the commander of the Fifth Air Group in Dec 1940. He was the army commander of the Japanese garrison consisted of the 29th and 52nd Divisions at Saipan and Guam of the Marianas Islands during the American offensive. At Guam, he gave the order that the Japanese forces must fight until death, and he himself committed ritual suicide some time during the battle. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of full general.

Hideyoshi Obata Timeline