Daigo file photo [7220]

Tadashige Daigo

SurnameDaigo
Given NameTadashige
Born15 Oct 1891
Died6 Dec 1947
CountryJapan
CategoryMilitary-Sea
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseTadashige Daigo was born in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan into a noble family related to the Fujiwara aristocracy, thus giving him the title of Marquis. After graduating from the Gakushuin Peers' school, he attended the Imperial japanese Naval Academy, graduating in 1912. As a midshipman, he served aboard cruiser Azuma and battleship Shikishima. As an ensign, he served aboard cruiser Tokiwa. On 13 Dec 1915, he was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant and served aboard battleship Kongo and destroyer Urakaze. In the same year, he took some time off to attend a session of the House of Peers as an obligation for members of his social class. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 Dec 1918. After taking courses in torpedo warfare, he was assigned to submarine SS-26, and later given command of SS-27. In 1924, he served aboard cruiser Aso before being promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander on 1 Dec 1924. Between 1 Dec 1925 and 1 Mar 1926, he was assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District as a staff officer. Later in 1926, he first served as commanding officer of Ro-64, and then served as the chief torpedo officer aboard battleship Yamashiro. He was promoted to the rank of commander on 30 Nov 1929. In the 1930s, he commanded a number of warships. He was promoted to the rank of captain on 15 Nov 1934. On 15 Nov 1940, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral.

ww2dbaseAt the start of the Pacific War, Daigo was the commanding officer of Submarine Squadron 5 with flagship light cruiser Yura. His force covered the first wave of the Malaya Invasion Force south of the Cape of Camau in French Indochina; during that campaign, his submarines were dispatched to pursue the British Royal Navy Force Z that included Prince of Wales and Repulse, but they were unable to attack due to weather before the British were sunk by aircraft. Between 13 and 26 Dec 1941, his submarines were assigned to cover the invasion of Sarawak in northern Borneo. In Jun 1942, Submarine Squadron 5 participated in the Battle of Midway as a part of the advance screening force. Between 31 Aug 1942 and 1 Apr 1943, he was the acting commanding officer of the Kure Submarine Squadron. On 1 Nov 1943, he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral and was placed in command of Submarine Squadron 11; in this role, he oversaw midget submarine attacks and merchant shipping raids on the eastern coast of Australia. Between 23 Aug 1944 and Apr 1945, he served as the Commandant of the Naval Submarine School. Between 1 May 1945 and the end of the war, he was the commanding officer of the 6th Fleet; in this role, he worked in the development of the kaiten manned-torpedo program.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Daigo was arrested by American occupation forces at the request of the Dutch government and was extradited to Batavia, Dutch East Indies. He was found guilty by a closed military tribunal for war crimes in connection of the Pontianak Incident in which civilians were massacred. He was executed by a rifle shot to the stomach in Dec 1947.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Mar 2009

Photographs

Japanese Navy Vice Admiral Tadashige Daigo with crew of kaiten submarine I-36, 1944

Tadashige Daigo Timeline

15 Oct 1891 Tadashige Daigo was born.
6 Dec 1947 Tadashige Daigo passed away.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Gregg Heilman says:
13 Dec 2009 10:32:38 AM

The Japanese left murder, rape, torture and death every where they went.

A movie has come out about John Rabe who was a Nazis. During the Rape of Nanjing he saved thousands and thousands of Chinese men women and children.

The movie is called "The Good Nazis" and John Rabe was such a person.

I doubt anyone will be saying or making any movies about any Japanese occupational forces, Commanders or POW camp guards.

Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesia province of West Kalimantan.

It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo. It occupies an area of 107.82 kmĀ² in the delta of the Kapuas River, at approximately 1143 km, the longest river in Indonesia and the 133rd-longest river in the World by length. It is located precisely on the equator.

The city was formerly the capital of the independent sultanate of Pontianak and was founded in 1772 around an old trading station on the Borneo coast. It is built on swampy ground that is subjected to regular flooding by the river, requiring buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them off the ground. It has its name due to the story that the founder had seen appearance of pontianak ghost at the place to be built for the palace, which he fought to save the people.

During the Japanese occupation of 1942 to 1945, more than 21,000 people in Pontianak (including women and children) were kidnapped, tortured and massacred by Japanese troops. Japanese intelligence had become concerned ethnic Chinese were planning to start a rebellion, and were worried that people in the city had received guns and ammunition from the Chinese government.

After the end of war, the Japanese officers in Pontianak were arrested by allied troops and brought in front of an international military tribune. During the trial, it was revealed that the plan to start the rebellion did not exist and instead was only an imaginary plan created by Japanese officers who wanted to get promoted.

The massacre occurred from April 23, 1943 to June 28, 1944 and most of the victims were buried in several giant wells in Mandor (88 km from Pontianak). Allied forces occupying the area after the war found several thousand bones, and more than 60 years after the massacre, several secret graves of the victims were found in Mandor and the surrounding areas.

A monument called Makam Juang Mandor was created to commemorate this tragic event.

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Search WW2DB
More on Tadashige Daigo
Event(s) Participated:
» Invasion of Malaya and Singapore
» Dutch East Indies Campaign, Borneo
» Battle of Midway and the Aleutian Islands

Ship(s) Served:
» Ashigara
» Iwate
» Kongo
» Kuma
» Naka
» Takao
» Yamashiro
» Yubari
» Yura

Tadashige Daigo Photo Gallery
Japanese Navy Vice Admiral Tadashige Daigo with crew of kaiten submarine I-36, 1944


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