Everything about Aritomo Got totally explained
was an admiral in the
Imperial Japanese Navy during
World War II.
Biography
Early career
Gotō was born in
Ibaraki prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 38th class of the
Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1910, ranked 30th out of a class of 149 cadets. As a
midshipman he served on the
cruiser Kasagi and
battleship Satsuma. On being commissioned as
ensign in 1911, he was assigned to
Iwami, followed by the submarine tender
Toyohashi.
After his promotion to sub-lieutenant in 1913, Gotō served on the
destroyer Murakumo. During
World War 1, he was sent to the
South Pacific to man a radio outpost, and later as a crewman on the cruiser
Chikuma. After his promotion to
lieutenant in 1917, he served on the battleship
Kongō, destroyer
Tanikaze and cuiser
Yakumo.
As a
lieutenant commander from 1923, Gotō captained the destroyers
Tsuta,
Urakaze,
Numakaze,
Nokaze,
Uzuki, and
Nadakaze. After his promotion to
commander in 1928, he commanded the
Uranami,
Matsukaze, Destroyer Group 27, and Destroyer Group 5.
Gotō was promoted to captain on
15 November 1933. He was assigned as commander of Destroyer Group 10, followed by captain of the cruisers
Naka,
Atago,
Chōkai, and battleships
Mutsu and
Yamashiro.
Gotō became a
rear admiral on
15 November 1939 and was made commander of Cruiser Division 2. On
10 September 1941 he was placed in command of Cruiser Division 6 (CruDiv6), consisting of the four heavy cruisers
Aoba (Goto's
flagship),
Furutaka,
Kinugasa, and
Kako.
World War II
On
December 23,
1941, CruDiv6 supported the second assault on
Wake Island in which Japanese troops were able to capture the island after the intense
Battle of Wake Island. In May 1942, from CruDiv6, Gotō commanded an element of the "Main Body Support Force," providing cover, along with the light aircraft carrier
Shōhō, for the
Operation Mo offensive, including
landings on Tulagi and an attempted assault on
Port Moresby,
New Guinea that resulted in the
Battle of the Coral Sea. During the battle, U.S. aircraft attacked and sank
Shōhō, with Gotō's cruisers located too far away to provide anti-aircraft protection for the carrier.
Operating from
Kavieng,
New Ireland, and
Rabaul,
New Britain, Gotō's CruDiv6 supported Japanese naval operations during the first several months of the
Guadalcanal campaign. CruDiv6, with other Japanese warships and under the overall command of
Gunichi Mikawa, participated in the
Battle of Savo Island on
8 August 1942 resulting in the sinking of four
Allied cruisers. On the return trip to Kavieng, however,
Kako was
torpedoed and sunk. On
11 October 1942, the remaining three cruisers of CruDiv6 approached
Guadalcanal at night to bombard the Allied airbase at
Henderson Field as well as to support a large “
Tokyo Express” run occurring the same evening. Gotō's force was surprised by a force of American cruisers and destroyers under the command of U.S.
Rear Admiral Norman Scott. In the resulting
Battle of Cape Esperance, Gotō was mortally wounded onboard
Aoba and died later on
12 October 1942.
Further Information
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