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Gunichi Mikawa
Japanese admiral / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gunichi Mikawa (三川 軍一, Mikawa Gun'ichi, 29 August 1888 – 25 February 1981) was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that defeated the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of 8–9 August 1942.
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Gunichi Mikawa | |
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![]() Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi (1940–45) | |
Native name | 三川 軍一 |
Born | (1888-08-29)29 August 1888 Hiroshima Prefecture, Empire of Japan |
Died | 25 February 1981(1981-02-25) (aged 92) |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1910–1945 |
Rank | ![]() |
Commands held | Hayatomo, Aoba, Chōkai, Kirishima, Weapons and Mobilization Bureau, 7th Squadron, 5th Squadron, 3rd Squadron, 8th Fleet, Naval Navigation School, 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, Southwest Area Fleet, 13th Air Fleet, 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet[1] |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Order of the Rising Sun (3rd class) Order of the Rising Sun (4th class) Order of the Sacred Treasure (2nd class)[2] |
In this battle, his squadron of cruisers, plus one destroyer, sank three USN cruisers, plus the RAN heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra; Mikawa's force suffered no losses in the actual battle, although heavy cruiser Kako was sunk by the undetected American submarine S-44 on the return to their base near Rabaul in the Bismarck Archipelago. However, his later career was of mixed success, and he was reassigned to lesser posts after the loss of a troop convoy destined for New Guinea. After the war Mikawa retired back to Japan, where he died in 1981 at the age of 92.