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Kunio Nakagawa | |
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 Lt. Colonel Nakagawa (1939-43) | |
| Native name | 中川 州男 |
| Born | (1898-01-23)23 January 1898 |
| Died | 24 November 1944(1944-11-24) (aged 46) |
| Allegiance |  Japan |
| Branch |  Imperial Japanese Army |
| Service years | 1918–1944 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general (posthumous) |
| Conflicts | |
Kunio Nakagawa (中川 州男,Nakagawa Kunio; 23 January 1898 – 24 November 1944) was the commander of Japanese forces which defended the island ofPeleliu in theBattle of Peleliu which took place from the 15th of September to the 27th of November,1944. He inflicted heavy losses on attacking U.S. Marines and held Peleliu Island for almost three months. On the evening of the 24th of November, after the battle was lost, he performedseppuku (ritual suicide) in the tradition of Japanese samurai warriors. He was posthumously promoted tolieutenant general.
Nakagawa was a native ofKumamoto Prefecture, and was the third son of an elementary school principal. He graduated from the 30th class of theImperial Japanese Army Academy in December 1918 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry of the IJA 48th Regiment.
He subsequently served with the 2nd Regiment of theTaiwan Army of Japan, with the HQ of theIJA 12th Division, and as a battalion commander with the IJA 79th Infantry Regiment. He experienced combat for the first time during theMarco Polo Bridge Incident, and subsequently served with distinction during theSecond Sino-Japanese War inShanxi Province. In March 1939, he was sent to theArmy Staff College at the recommendation of his regimental commander, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1939. In April 1941, he was awarded the prestigiousOrder of the Golden Kite, 4th class. In March 1943, Nakagawa was promoted to colonel and was made commander of the IJA 2nd Infantry Regiment, which was under the command of theIJA 14th Division inManchukuo.
As the situation in thePacific War increasingly deteriorated for Japan, the 14th Division was redeployed to bolster the defenses of the Japanese territory ofPalau, and the IJA 2nd Infantry Regiment was assigned to the small island ofPeleliu south of the main islands in the archipelago[citation needed][when?]. When he left Japan, Nakagawa told his wife that he would not be coming back[citation needed]. Nakagawa made use of the natural geography of the island to construct numerous fortifications connected by a tunnel system, in order to defend the island in depth, and to inflict the most possible casualties on the invading forces. On 15 September 1944, US forces landed on Peleliu and the battle lasted over two months.[1] In the United States, it was a controversial battle because of the island's questionable strategic value and the high casualty rate, which was the highest for U.S. military personnel of any battle in the Pacific War.[2] TheNational Museum of the Marine Corps called it "the bitterest battle of the war for the Marines".[3]
On 24 November, Nakagawa proclaimed "Our sword is broken and we have run out of spears". He then burnt his regimental colors and performedritual suicide.[4] He was posthumously promoted tolieutenant general for his valor displayed on Peleliu.
Nakagawa's remains were discovered in 1993.[5]
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