The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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Watanabe was organizing 56 Division when war broke out in the Pacific. He commanded 32 Army under 10 Area Army at Okinawa from its activation in March 1944. He was replaced by Ushijima in August 194, ostensibly because of ill health, but possibly because he was too realistic about the likelihood and probable outcome of an American invasion of the island (quoted in Feifer 1992):
Death for you, death for me, death for all of us. Have you seen the tanks and antiaircraft guns we've got on this rock pile? Just so much junk.
| 1888
|
Born | |
| 1928 |
Colonel
|
Instructor, Army Field Artillery School |
| 1933 |
Commander, 10 Field Artillery
Regiment |
|
| 1936 |
Chief of staff, 14 Division |
|
| 1937 |
Chief of staff, Central
District Army |
|
| 1938 |
Head, General Affairs Bureau,
Army Armaments Factory |
|
| 1939 |
Head, Main Army Armaments Factory |
|
| 1940 |
Army Aeronautical Research
Institute |
|
| 1940 |
Lieutenant
general |
Commander, 56
Division |
| 1942 |
Commandant, Army School of
Science |
|
| 1944-4-1
|
Commander, 32 Army, Ryukyu Islands |
|
| 1944-8-8 |
General
Staff |
|
| 1944 |
Retires |
|
| 1945 |
Recalled to active duty.
Commander, Osaka Divisional District |
|
| 1950 |
Dies |
References
Generals.dk (accessed 2008-4-8)
Huber (1990; accessed 2011-7-29)
Nichols and Shaw (1955; accessed 2011-7-29)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2008, 2011, 2014 by Kent G. Budge. Index
