Nobutake Kondo file photo [801]

Nobutake Kondo

SurnameKondo
Given NameNobutake
Born25 Sep 1886
Died19 Feb 1953
CountryJapan
CategoryMilitary-Sea
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseNobutake Kondo was born in Osaka, Japan and had attended the Osaka Prefectural Tennoji High School. He graduated from the Imperial Navy Academy in 1907, ahead of schedule. As a midshipman he served on the cruiser Itsukushima and battleship Mikasa. Upon commissioned an ensign, he was assigned to the cruiser Aso, destroyer Kisaragi, and battleship Kongo. Between 1912 and 1913, he served as a naval attaché to the United Kingdom. Between 1913 and 1919, he served aboard battleship Fuso, aboard Akitsushima as chief gunnery officer, and at various staff positions. After WW1, he attended the Naval War College, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander on 1 Dec 1919. Between 1920 and 1923, he was a member of the Japanese delegation sent to Germany to confirm German adherence to the provision of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1923, after his return from Germany, he served aboard battleship Mutsu. He was promoted to the rank of commander on 1 Dec 1923. Between 1924 and 1925, he was an aide to Crown Prince Hirohito, the future Emperor Showa. In the mid-1920s, he was an instructor at the Japanese Navy Academy. Between 1929 and 1930, he served as the captain of the heavy cruiser Kako. Between 1932 and 1933, he was the captain of the battleship Kongo. On 15 Nov 1933, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. In 1935, he was given the role of the chief of staff of the Combined Fleet.

ww2dbaseOn 15 Nov 1937, amidst the Second Sino-Japanese War, Kondo was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. As the commanding officer of the 5th Fleet, he provided naval support for the Japanese conquest of the island of Hainan and coastal regions of Guangdong Province, China. At the start of the Pacific War, he was the commanding officer of the 2nd Fleet, which participated in the invasion of British Malaya, the Philippine Islands, and the Dutch East Indies, as well as the Indian Ocean Raid. During the Battle of Midway, Vice Admiral Kondo commanded the Midway Occupation Force and Covering Group. Subsequently, he played a leading role in the actions in the Solomon Islands, commanding Japanese naval forces present in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons between 23 and 25 Aug 1942, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands between 26 and 27 Oct, and the naval actions off Guadalcanal in Nov 1942.

ww2dbaseAfter Kondo's series of defeats during the Guadalcanal campaign, he was removed by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto from positions of real authority, though receiving no reprimands. In Oct 1942, he was named Deputy Commander of the Combined Fleet. On 29 Apr 1943, he was promoted to the rank of admiral. He became Commander in Chief of the China Area Fleet in Dec 1943, and held this role until May 1945 when he was appointed to the Supreme War Council.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Oct 2012

Nobutake Kondo Interactive Map

Photographs

Portrait of Nobutake Kondo, circa 1930sPortrait of Nobutake Kondo, circa 1930sKondo at a luncheon at the Tokyo Naval Club on 6 May 1940, front 3rd (Nagano, front center)Portrait of Nobutake Kondo, date unknown, photo 1 of 2
See all 5 photographs of Nobutake Kondo

Maps

Map depicting Japanese and US Naval movements during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal the night of Nov 14, 1942.

Nobutake Kondo Timeline

25 Sep 1886 Nobutake Kondo was born in Osaka, Japan.
20 Nov 1907 Nobutake Kondo graduated from the Japanese Navy Academy.
25 Dec 1908 Nobutake Kondo was promoted to the rank of ensign.
27 Nov 1914 Nobutake Kondo graduated from the Japanese Navy gunnery school.
1 Dec 1917 Nobutake Kondo enrolled at the Japanese Naval War College.
1 Dec 1919 Nobutake Kondo, having just graduated from the Japanese Naval War College, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander.
7 Dec 1920 Nobutake Kondo arrived at Germany.
1 Dec 1923 Nobutake Kondo was promoted to the rank of commander.
5 Feb 1924 Nobutake Kondo was named an aide to Crown Prince Hirohito at Tokyo, Japan.
1 Dec 1926 Nobutake Kondo was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.
1 Dec 1927 Nobutake Kondo was promoted to the rank of captain and was named an instructor at the Japanese Naval War College.
30 Nov 1929 Nobutake Kondo was named the commanding officer of heavy cruiser Kako.
18 Jun 1930 Nobutake Kondo was attached to the Navy General Staff.
1 Dec 1932 Nobutake Kongo was named the commanding officer of battleship Kongo.
15 Nov 1933 Nobutake Kondo was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and was named the chief instructor of the Japanese Naval War College.
15 Mar 1935 Nobutake Kondo was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.
2 Dec 1935 Nobutake Kondo was attached to the Navy General Staff.
15 Nov 1937 Nobutake Kondo was promoted to the rank of vice admiral.
15 Dec 1938 Nobutake Kondo was named the commanding officer of the Japanese 5th Fleet.
21 Oct 1939 Nobutake Kondo was named the deputy commander of the Navy General Staff.
1 Sep 1941 Nobutake Kondo was named the commanding officer of the Japanese 2nd Fleet.
29 Apr 1943 Nobutake Kondo was promoted to the rank of admiral.
9 Aug 1943 Nobutake Kondo was appointed to the Japanese Supreme War Council.
1 Dec 1943 Nobutake Kondo was named the commanding officer of the Japanese China Area Fleet.
15 May 1945 Nobutake Kondo was appointed to the Japanese Supreme War Council.
5 Sep 1945 Nobutake Kondo was transferred to the Japanese Navy Reserve.
19 Feb 1953 Nobutake Kondo passed away.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
5 Apr 2006 08:09:16 AM

you people need to get a life!
2. Guthrie Rajang says:
23 Feb 2010 02:38:35 AM

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I remember he was against Yamamoto's plan of invasion of Midway as it was actually conceived, splitting the fleet in two, and he won the battle of Santa Cruz. I think the only responsible of all Japanese defeats from Midway to the end of Gudalcanal is Yamamoto himself, whose fame is fully unjustified.
In fact, he lost when he had a crushing superiority and went on with the same mistakes during the Gudalcanal campaign, a total disaster as strategist and tactician.

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Search WW2DB
More on Nobutake Kondo
Event(s) Participated:
» Battle of Hainan
» Winter Offensive
» Invasion of Malaya and Singapore
» Raids into the Indian Ocean
» Battle of Midway and the Aleutian Islands
» Guadalcanal Campaign
» Solomon Islands Campaign

Ship(s) Served:
» Atago
» Fuso
» Kako
» Kongo
» Mutsu

Nobutake Kondo Photo Gallery
Portrait of Nobutake Kondo, circa 1930s
See all 5 photographs of Nobutake Kondo


Famous WW2 Quote
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General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


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