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Yamamoto Seiei (Yamamoto Kiyoe) was chief of staff
of 33 Army in Burma in late 1944. He was given
command of 15 Division under 15 Army in January 1945, as part of the shakeup of the Japanese command in Burma following the collapse of U-Go. Yamamoto
established his headquarters in Fort Dufferin, Mandalay, during the British siege in March 1945.
The division was initially ordered to fight to the death, then ordered
to withdraw on 18 March 1945, reaching Toungoo
on 19 April 1945.
Ironically, Yamamoto was a critic of "hold at all costs" tactics: "Fighting to the last man is, from the point of view of command, the very worst option" (Allen 1984). However, he accepted his orders and even wrote a poem to inspire his troops:
For our sovereign
Our warriors will fall
Defending to the end
This town of Mandalay ...
| 1938 |
Colonel |
Chief, 8 Section (Transport), 3 Bureau,
General Staff |
| 1939 |
Chief, 9 Section (Railroad
Transport), 3 Bureau, General Staff |
|
| 1940 |
Commander, 27 Mountain Artillery Regiment |
|
| 1941 |
Major general | Chief of staff, 3
Division |
| 1943-1 |
Commander, 5 Special Railroad
Command, Burma |
|
| 1943 |
Inspector, 2 Railroad Command |
|
| 1944-6-19 |
Chief of staff, 33 Army |
|
| 1945-2-2 |
Lieutenant
general |
Commander, 15 Division, Burma |
| 1945 |
Shikoku
Army District |
References
Generals.dk (accessed 2008-7-19)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2008, 2011 by Kent G. Budge. Index
