Raizo Tanaka

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Rear Adm. Raizo Tanaka Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka was one of the most outspoken Japanese admirals about how the Imperial Japanese Navy conducted the war in the Pacific. He wrote two papers for the United States Naval Institute in July and August 1956 in which he frankly described his duties during the battles for Guadalcanal. He did not hesitate to criticize the Japanese and Army for their failures. For these reasons, he must never have been a popular figure among his contemporaries and superiors. However, he told his story and, as the expression goes, “Let the chips fall where they may.”

Nonetheless, Tanaka proved to be a highly respected opponent to the American sailors who fought against him. He was part of every major naval battle during the Guadalcanal campaign when he led destroyers that either escorted ships bringing men and materiel to Guadalcanal or carried the cargos on their decks. After doing the research for my book, it almost became a cliché that the Tokyo Express could have been named “Tanaka’s Express.”

However, almost every one of Tanaka’s attempts either marginally succeeded or failed with the exception of the Battle of Tassafaronga when his destroyers either sank or heavily damaged several American heavy cruisers. In that battle, the ships under his command demonstrated the full power of the Japanese “Long Lance” torpedo and its superior nighttime naval tactics. This time, his ships did manage to land supplies for the Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal.

As the repeated Japanese attempts to land men and supplies on Guadalcanal failed, Tanaka despaired over his country’s chances to win at Guadalcanal. These opinions undoubtedly reached his superiors and most likely led to his assignments after Guadalcanal that had fewer responsibilities. After sustaining wounds in December 1942, his now known “defeatist” attitudes resulted in being removed from his command, ordered to return to Japan, and sent to command the 13^th Special Naval Base Force in October 1943. He moved to Japanese Headquarters in Rangoon, Burma in November 1944 and later reported to the Japanese Army in February 1945.

Tanaka finished his service stationed in Southeast Asia. Despite his reputation as a “defeatist,” he received his third star as a Vice Admiral just before Japan surrendered in September 1954. He retired from the Japanese Navy on June 26, 1945 and died at the age of 77 on July 9, 1969.