World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseShigeyoshi Miwa was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan in 1892. He graduated from the Japanese Navy Academy in Jul 1911 and served aboard cruiser Aso and battleship Mikawa as a midshipman. In Dec 1912, he was promoted to the rank of ensign. He subsequently saw duty aboard protected cruiser Chikuma, battleship Iwami, and armored cruiser Azuma. In 1917, he attended the Navy Staff College, studying submarines and torpedo warfare. In 1918, at the rank of lieutenant, he was transferred to submarines. Between 1920 and 1922, he was an instructor at the Submarine Warfare School. Between May and Dec 1922, he was the acting commanding officer of submarine S-22 (Ro-14). He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in 1923. In Nov 1924, he completed studies at the Naval War College. In 1924, he was given command of the submarine S-45 (Ro-26). In 1925, he was named the commanding officer of S-59 (Ro-60). Between 1925 and 1932, he served in various positions at the Navy General Staff and the Navy Staff College. In 1932, he was promoted to the rank of captain and was named the commanding officer of the 30th Submarine Group. Between 1935 and 1936, he served as the commanding officer of light cruiser Kinu. Between 1936 and 1938, he was the chief of staff of the Mako naval port in the Pescadores Islands. In Nov 1938, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. In 1939, he was named the commanding officer of the 3rd Submarine Squadron. In that role, he commanded the submarine screening force in the Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands area during the Dec 1941 raid. In Apr 1942, he was assigned to the Navy General Staff. At the rank of vice admiral, he was placed in charge of the Shipbuilding Command. In Jul 1944, he was named the commanding officer of the 6th Fleet, thus making him the top submarine commander of the Japanese Navy. He was a proponent of the Kaiten special attack suicide weapon as the Pacific War neared its end. In May 1945, he was relieved of his 6th Fleet command position and was attached to the General Staff. He retired from military service in Sep 1945 and passed away in 1959.

Shigeyoshi Miwa Interactive Map

Shigeyoshi Miwa Timeline