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Masaki Honda | |
|---|---|
 Masaki Honda (right) in British captivity | |
| Born | May 17, 1889 |
| Died | July 17, 1964(1964-07-17) (aged 75) |
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan |
| Branch |  Imperial Japanese Army |
| Years of service | 1910–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | 8th Division 20th Army 33rd Army |
| Battles / wars | |
Masaki Honda (本多政材,Masaki Honda; May 17, 1889 – July 17, 1964) was alieutenant general in theImperial Japanese Army inWorld War II.
Masaki Honda was born inNagano prefecture and graduated from theImperial Japanese Army Academy in 1910 and theArmy War College in 1917. He was an instructor and in 1939 Commandant of the Army Infantry School.
After his promotion toLieutenant-General in October 1939, he became deputy chief of staff of theChina Expeditionary Army until October 1940, when he received command of theIJA 8th Division which was active inManchuria.In June 1942, he was recalled to Japan to become Head of Army Armor Headquarters, until March 1943 when he returned to Manchuria to lead the20th Army.
On April 7, 1944, a new33rd Army was raised in Burma in anticipation of Allied attempts to retake northern Burma, and Masaki Honda became its commander. With this outnumbered and ill-equipped Army he fought in theBurma Campaign 1944–45, where he performed very creditable defensive actions against the enemy, including a brilliant evacuation of theIJA 56th Division from under the noses of the advancing Chinese on 4 February 1945.But finally, his scattered and broken army had to withdraw to Southern Burma, where he surrendered in August 1945.
Honda retired from the Army in 1947 and died in 1964.
