World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseKiyoto Kagawa was born in Hiroshima, Japan. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy on 21 Nov 1918, ranked 53 out of the 124 cadets of the academy's 46th class. He served aboard Azuma as a midshipman and Ariake and Susuki as an ensign, and Fuso and Natori as a lieutenant. After attending navigational courses at the Naval War College, he became chief navigator of a number of ships, including Yubari, Takao, and Fuso, at the rank of lieutenant commander. On 16 Nov 1936, he was assigned as the commanding officer of the destroyer Fubuki, his first command. Subsequently, he was the captain of Shionome and executive officer of Oi. On 15 Oct 1941, he was promoted to the rank of captain. On 12 Feb 1943, he was promoted the commanding officer of the 31st Destroyer Group with his headquarters aboard destroyer Onami.

ww2dbaseDuring the night of 26 Nov 1943, Kagawa's five destroyers departed Rabaul on a "Tokyo Express" run for Buka; three of the ships were laden with troops. Kagawa's force successfully dropped off their loads at Buka, but on the return trip they came across six American destroyers. Aided by radar, the American ships closed in silently and fired torpedoes without Japanese detection, sinking Onami and crippling Makinami. Kagawa was killed as Onami went below the waves. No realized it at the time, but this destroyer-transport run made by Kagawa's force was to be the last "Tokyo Express" run to be made in the Pacific War.

ww2dbaseKagawa was posthumously promoted to the rank of rear admiral.

Kiyoto Kagawa Timeline