Katō Kanji | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Katō Kanji in 1935 | |
| Native name | 加藤寛治 |
| Born | (1870-12-23)23 December 1870[1]: p.83 Fukui Domain, Japan |
| Died | 9 February 1939(1939-02-09) (aged 68) |
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan |
| Branch |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Years of service | 1891–1935 |
| Rank |  Admiral |
| Commands | Tsukuba,Ibuki,Hiei, Naval Gunnery School, 5th Squadron,Naval War College,Vice-chief of Navy General Staff,2nd Fleet,Yokosuka Naval District,Combined Fleet,1st Fleet,Chief of Navy General Staff |
| Battles / wars | Russo-Japanese War World War I |
| Awards | Order of the Crown of Italy |
Katō Hiroharu, alternatively namedKatō Kanji (23 December 1870 – 9 February 1939), was a Japanese naval officer during theRusso-Japanese War andWorld War I. The first name 'Kanji' was used in his later life after he became famous, likely just before he was promoted to rear-admiral.[a] He served as the Chief ofNavy General Staff from 22 January 1929 to 11 June 1930.
Katō Hiroharu was born inFukui City inFukui on 2 November in the 3rd year ofMeiji[2] (23 December 1870) as the eldest son of one of the first navy officers, Katō Naokata, ofFukui Domain in Imperial Japan before theabolition of thehan system.[1]: p:83 On 17 July 1891, he graduated top of the class fromImperial Japanese Naval Academy, 18th class. He was assigned to cruiserNaniwa as a cadet as of 20 May 1892 and experienced two tours toKingdom of Hawaii. While atHonolulu on the second tour, he was promoted to ensign on 1 March 1894. He was assigned as a navigator on cruiserHashidate. After returning toYokosuka Naval Base, he completed the Gunnery training program on corvetteRyūjō on 1 March 1896, which later became the Gunnery School ofNaval War College. At the same time, he was assigned as a navigator on cruiserChiyoda.
In February 1896, he married Murata Chiyoko from theFukui Domain, and on 24 October 1896, he was appointed as a member of the receiving commission sent to London for battleshipFuji.[1]: pp.308–309 He was promoted to squad leader onFuji, Chief Navigation Officer of IJNTatsuta, and then assigned toConsulate General of Japan inSaint Petersburg.
He entered into theRusso-Japanese War in 1904 as the Chief Gunnery Officer of IJNAsahi and experimented with a salvo-firing central control of main guns during theBattle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904, contributing to the killing of AdmiralWilgelm Vitgeft and his staff onboard Russian flagshipTsesarevich after the Japanese fleet flagshipMikasa handed over the leading battle position toAsahi. His primitive voice-command control system was adopted by the entireCombined Fleet, and he was promoted to the Chief Gunnery Officer of flagshipMikasa in March 1905.
He was a naval attaché at theEmbassy of Japan in London in 1909. He had opposed the signing of the 1930Treaty of London, which established limitations on arms between Japan, the United States and Great Britain. In 1930 he resigned rather than attend a dinner in honour of US AmbassadorWilliam Richards Castle Jr., in protest against the naval restrictions negotiated with him.[3] Kato fought against the treaty limitations, and the treaty of 1936, finally dying after writing his memoirs, widely regarded[citation needed] as a treatise on why Japan was disadvantaged by the treaties. His actions prevented him from advancing in rank and probably cost him a seat in the government. He had an active antagonistic relationship withYamamoto, who used his influence to prevent Kato from advancing.[4]
