Okajima Satoshi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Imperial Japanese ArmyOkajima Satoshi | |
|---|---|
岡島 哲 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 24, 1920 |
| Died | August 20, 1945 (aged 25) Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank |  Major (少佐, shōsa) |
| Battles/wars | |
Okajima Satoshi (Japanese: 岡島 哲; 1920–1945) was a Japanese Army officer.[1]
He is known for leading a dissident faction of Japanese troops in the chaotic period after Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast in August 1945. His final actions ended in suicide following the abortive attempt to resist Japan's surrender.
Okajima was born on July 24, 1920 in Kagoshima Prefecture. He was the second son of a schoolteacher, Okajima Kiyoshi (岡島 清). His family later moved to Niigata Prefecture. Okajima entered the Imperial Japanese Army Academy and graduated in 1940.[1]
During World War II, Okajima served as commander of an infantry regiment and saw combat at the Battle of Guadalcanal. His conduct there earned him a reputation for tenacity, and troops reportedly nicknamed him the "demon captain (鬼隊長, oni-taichō)".[2]
Later in the war he was assigned as an instructor at the Army Aviation Signal School in Mito, part of the Army's training command.