Tanaka file photo

Raizo Tanaka

NationalityJapan
CategorySea

This guy was a bonafide genius, probably one of the finest squadron commanders of the entire war to serve on either side. He routinely defeated superior Allied forces in the Solomons, or escaped with the bulk of his forces from traps that should have meant his annihilation, the Battle of Tassafaronga, November 30, 1942, being a prime example. His primary working assets were often no more inspiring than a handful of overloaded, overworked destroyer transports. Fortunately for the U.S., he was removed from surface command shortly after the final evacuation from Guadalcanal, presumably a casualty of the Navy's finger-pointing as to who was to blame for the debacle.




If you have enjoyed this biography,
you may also be intererested in:

Shizuichi Tanaka

Share this article with your friends:

 Delicious
 Digg
 Facebook
 Reddit
 StumbleUpon
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 Subscribe to RSS Feeds






Advertise on ww2db.com


Visitor Submitted Comments

  1. Jeffrey McMeans says:
    11 Jul 2009 11:26:49 PM

    One of the great unknown people here. He was certainly the spunkiest man with a brain. Some of his plans seemed a little whacky, like floating supplies ashore after being dumped into the ocean offshore Guadalcanal, but able to turn on the offense and make great getaways!
  2. Sean B says:
    14 Sep 2009 09:41:31 AM

    He pops up again and again in every history recounting the battles in the South Pacific in WW2 and is highly regarded in all of them.

    It's a shame he was relegated to shore duty as punishment for the Guadalcanal debacle...but fortunate for the Allies.

    So little else seems to be known of him. I wish there was a definitive history of his exploits or that he left a memoir.
  3. rascal says:
    11 Jan 2010 06:55:05 AM

    He was a superb commander of torpedo squadron in WWII. JIN assaigned high rank officers according to their age and score
    in the naval academy not to the talent. This didn't work,of course.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Your Comments
Security Code for system use only
 

Note: Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment.

Search WW2DB & Partner Sites
More on Tanaka
Event(s) Participated:
» Guadalcanal Campaign
» Solomon Islands Campaign


Random Photograph
Tiger I heavy tanks being built in a factory in Germany, 1944, photo 04 of 16
Tiger I heavy tanks being built in a factory in Germany, 1944, photo 04 of 16



Site Sponsors


Advertise on ww2db.com


Current Site Statistics

Famous WW2 Quote
"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."

Winston Churchill