United States Strategic Bombing Survey
[PACIFIC]
NAVAL ANALYSIS DIVISION
Interrogations of Japanese Officials
OPNAV-P-03-100
| See also a First-hand account of the interrogation process. --HyperWar |
| See also a First-hand account of the interrogation process. --HyperWar |
Volume I: Page Foreword III List of Interrogations arranged numerically VI List of Interrogations arranged according to subject matter IX Index of Major Battles and Operations and Japanese Officials XV Interrogations 1-70 1 Volume II: Interrogations 71-118 287 Japanese Notes of Battles 541 Biographies of Interrogated Japanese Officials 548
List of Interrogations
(Arranged Numerically)
List of Interrogations
(Arranged by Subject Matter)
Subject Page THE ALEUTIAN CAMPAIGN: Attu and Kiska, Japanese Army Garrisons on
Nav No. 84--USSBS No. 408.365 Dutch Harbor, Carrier Aircraft Attack on
Nav No. 20--USSBS No. 97.92 First Destroyer Squadron, Japanese, Operations of
Nav No. 73--USSBS No. 367.299 Flying Boat Operations, Japanese, in the Aleutians
Nav No. 23--USSBS No. 100.106 Japanese Second Mobile Force and the Kiska Garrison from U.S. Prisoners of War, Information on
Nav No. 118--USSBS No. 606.536 Japanese Twelfth Air Fleet in the Kuriles and North Pacific
Nav No. 67--USSBS No. 311.272 Kiska Garrison, Japanese Occupation of; Kuriles Operations
Nav No. 22--USSBS No. 99.102 Komandorskis, Transports at the Battle of, 26 March 1943
Nav No. 51--USSBS No. 205.207 Komandorski Islands, Battle of, Seaplane Operations; Kurile Defense
Nav No. 21--USSBS No. 98.97 Komandorski Islands, Japanese Historical Account of, March 1943
Nav No. 93--USSBS No. 438.399 Kuriles, Deployment of Japanese Army Forces in the
Nav No. 103--USSBS No. 461.443 Planning and Operations through November 1942
Nav No. 24--USSBS No. 101.108 Planning and Operations and Defense of the Kuriles, November 1942-August 1945
Nav No. 25--USSBS No. 102.110 ATTRITION, TRAINING, KAMIKAZE: Aircraft Availability and Loss Reports
Nav No. 50--USSBS No. 202.204 Aircraft Ferrying & Pilot Attrition, JNAF
Nav No. 31--USSBS No. 129.135 Kamikaze Corps
Nav No. 12--USSBS No. 62.60 Kamikaze Corps, Philippines and Okinawa. Pearl Harbor, Attack on
Nav No. 6--USSBS No. 40.23 Non-Combat Losses of Aircraft
Nav No. 40--USSBS No. 169.170 Production, Wastage and Strength, IJNAF
Nav No. 86--USSBS No. 414.374 Training, IJNAF
Nav No. 117--USSBS No. 602.535 CENTRAL PACIFIC, MARSHALLS, GILBERTS, WAKASLAND: Central Pacific, Japanese plans for Defense of
Nav No. 38--USSBS No. 160.165 Central Pacific, Movements of Japanese Second Fleet in
Nav No. 82--USSBS No. 396.359 Gilbert-Marshall Islands Operations
Nav No. 18--USSBS No. 93.86 Gilberts-Marshalls Operations
Nav No. 96--USSBS No. 45.411 Gilbert-Marshall-Marianas, Air Defense of
Nav No. 30--USSBS No. 123.132 Gilberts-Marshalls Operation Naval Strategic Planning
Nav No. 34--USSBS No. 139.143 Wake Island, Japanese Capture of
Nav No. 85--USSBS No. 413.370 CONVOY PROTECTION--ESCORT SHIPPING: Convoys, Aircraft Escort of. Anti-=Submarine Operations.
Nav No. 56--USSBS No. 228.228 Convoy Escort and Protection of Shipping--South China Sea Area
Nav No. 47--USSBS No. 199.194 Convoy Protection of Shipping--Netherlands East Indies-New Guinea Area
Nav No. 49--USSBS No. 201.201 Escort and Protection of Shipping
Nav No. 45--USSBS No. 194.184 Escort and Protection of Shipping
Nav No. 53--USSBS No. 225.212 Escort and Defense of Shipping
Nav No. 57--USSBS No. 229.230 Escort of Shipping
Nav No. 105--USSBS No. 463.455 Escort of Shipping
Nav No. 110--USSBS No. 468.487 Escort of Shipping
Nav No. 111--USSBS No. 469.491 Japanese Convoy Escort, Organization and Development of
Nav No. 102--USSBS No. 460.440 Japanese Naval Escort of Shipping. Shipping Losses.
Nav No. 11--USSBS No. 61.56 Japanese Shipping, Attacks on
Nav No. 37--USSBS No. 159.161 MARIANAS, PALAU, FORMOSA, OKINAWA, IWO JIMA: Marianas Campaign, Shore-based Aircraft in
Nav No. 91--USSBS No. 434.396 Marianas, Shore-based Air in the
Nav No. 99--USSBS No. 448.428 Palau Strikes--Marianas
Nav No. 100--USSBS No. 454.432 Philippine Sea, Battle of, 19-20 June 1944
Nav No. 3--USSBS No. 32.7 Philippine Sea, Battle of; Battle for Leyte Gulf
Nav No. 9--USSBS No. 47.32 Philippine Sea, Battle of--Pearl Harbor--Leyte Gulf, Battle for
Nav No. 29--USSBS No. 113.122 Saigon and Formosa, Carrier Aircraft Strikes on
Nav No. 89--USSBS No. 427.383 Yamato group, The Attack on, 7 April 1945
Nav No. 32--USSBS No. 133.136 MIDWAY: Hiryu (CV) At the Battle of Midway
Nav No. 2--USSBS No. 11.4 Midway, Battle of
Nav No. 1--USSBS No. 6.1 Midway, Battle of
Nav No. 4--USSBS No. 23.13 Midway, Battle of--Damage to Aircraft Carrier Soryu
Nav No. 39--USSBS No. 165.167 Midway and Eastern Solomons, Transports at; Battle of Tassafaronga
Nav No. 60--USSBS No. 252.249 Midway--Eastern Solomons--Philippines
Nav No. 66--USSBS No. 295.269 Midway--Savo Island--Solomons--Leyte Gulf
Nav No. 83--USSBS No. 407.361 Midway and Santa Cruz, Battles of; Cape Esperance and Coral Sea, Battles of
Nav No. 106--USSBS No. 464.456 Midway, Solomons, Pearl Harbor
Nav No. 13--USSBS No. 65.65 MINE WARFARE AND COUNTERMEASURES: Allied Offensive Mining Campaigns
Nav No. 5--USSBS No. 34.16 Mine Counter-measures
Nav No. 54--USSBS No. 226.217 Mine Counter-measures and Shipping Losses--Osaka and Soerabaja Areas
Nav No. 59--USSBS No. 251.245 Mine Warfare
Nav No. 26--USSBS No. 103.116 Mine Warfare in Shimonoseki Straits and Formosa Areas
Nav No. 62--USSBS No. 256.257 M Warfare
Nav No. 65--USSBS No. 285.267 PEARL HARBOR, ATTACK ON: Pearl Harbor--Battle of Philippine Sea--Battle for Leyte Gulf
Nav No. 29--USSBS No. 113.122 Pearl Harbor--Midway--Solomons
Nav No. 13--USSBS No. 65.65 Pearl Harbor, Attack on; Kamikaze operations in Philippines, Okinawa
Nav No. 6--USSBS No. 40.23 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF: Philippines and Dutch East Indies, Operations of Japanese Naval Aircraft during Invasion of
Nav No. 15--USSBS No. 74.74 Philippines and Dutch East Indies, Occupation of
Nav No. 7--USSBS No. 33.25 Philippines and Dutch East Indies, Occupation of
Nav No. 14--USSBS No. 67.71 Philippines and Dutch East Indies, Occupation of
Nav No. 81--USSBS No. 395.357 Philippines and Dutch East Indies, Invasion of
Nav No. 17--USSBS No. 90.83 Philippines, Invasion of
Nav No. 68--USSBS No. 331.275 Second Fleet, Operation of Main Body of
Nav No. 19--USSBS No. 94.90 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, UNITED STATES REOCCUPATION OF: Cape Engano, Battle off, 24-25 October 1944
Nav No. 36--USSBS No. 150.153 Cape Engano, Battle off
Nav No. 69--USSBS No. 345.277 First Air Fleet--Spring 1944
Nav No. 87--USSBS No. 420.376 Leyte Gulf, Battle for, October 1944
Nav No. 55--USSBS No. 227.219 Leyte Gulf, Battle for; Battle of Philippine Sea
Nav No. 9--USSBS No. 47.32 Leyte Gulf, Battle for--Battle of Philippine Sea--Pearl Harbor
Nav No. 29--USSBS No. 113.122 Leyte Gulf--Savo Island--Midway--Solomons
Nav No. 83--USSBS No. 407.361 Philippines, Defense of, 1944
Nav No. 44--USSBS No. 193.178 Philippines, First Transportation Corps in Defense of--USS Houston and HMAS Perth, Sinking of, 1 March 1942
Nav No. 101--USSBS No. 459.436 Philippines, Midway, Eastern Solomons
Nav No. 66--USSBS No. 295.269 Samar, Battle off, 25 October 1944
Nav No. 35--USSBS No. 149.147 Samar, Battle off, 23-26 October 1944
Nav No. 41--USSBS No. 170.171 Surigao Strait, Battle of
Nav No. 58--USSBS No. 233.235 Surigao Strait, Battle of
Nav No. 79--USSBS No. 390.341 PLANNING AND POLICIES, JAPANESE: The Air War--General Observations
Nav No. 112--USSBS No. 473.497 Japanese Naval Planning
Nav No. 43--USSBS No. 192.176 Japanese Naval Planning After Midway
Nav No. 64--USSBS No. 258.262 Japanese Naval Plans
Nav No. 80--USSBS No. 392.352 Japanese War Plans and peace moves
Nav No. 75--USSBS No. 378.313 Japanese War Planning
Nav No. 76--USSBS No. 379.327 The Naval War in the Pacific
Nav No. 115--USSBS No. 503.502 Observations on the Course of the War
Nav No. 70--USSBS No. 359.284 Observations on Japan at War
Nav No. 90--USSBS No. 429.384 Overall Planning and Policies
Nav No. 98--USSBS No. 447.422 Tokyo Air Defense
Nav No. 28--USSBS No. 112.118 RABAUL, NEW GUINEA, MALAYA> AREAS: Bismark Sea Convoy--3 March 1943
Nav No. 113--USSBS No. 484.500 Celebes and rabaul Area, Japanese Land-Based Air Operations in
Nav No. 116--USSBS No. 601.533 Guadalcanal--Midway--Munda and Rabaul
Nav No. 46--USSBS No. 195.191 KON Operation for Reinforcement of Biak
Nav No. 104--USSBS No. 462.450 Malaya, Operation of 22d Air Flotilla in
Nav No. 77--USSBS No. 38.333 New Guinea, Western, Japanese Naval Land-Based Air Operations in
Nav No. 71--USSBS No. 360.287 New Guinea Area, Japanese Naval Operations in
Nav No. 95--USSBS No. 441.409 New Guinea Area, Japanese Army Air Force in
Nav No. 94--USSBS No. 440.404 Rabaul
Nav No. 52--USSBS No. 224.209 Rabaul Area, Ship Operations in
Nav No. 2--USSBS No. 435.397 Rabaul, Air Operations by Japanese Naval Air Forces Based at
Nav No. 97--USSBS No. 446.413 21st Air Flotilla
Nav No. 88--USSBS No. 424.379 SOLOMON ISLANDS: Coral Sea Battle, 7-8 May 1942; Battle of Eastern Solomons
Nav No. 8--USSBS No. 46.29 Coral Sea, Battle of, and Solomon Islands Operations
Nav No. 10--USSBS No. 52.53 Coral Sea and Cape Esperance Battles; Midway and Santa Cruz Battles
Nav No. 106--USSBS No. 464.456 Empress Augusta Bay--2 November 1943
Nav No. 78--USSBS No. 389.337 Guadalcanal--Midway--Villa
Nav No. 33--USSBS No. 138.141 Guadalcanal--Midway--Munda-Rabaul
Nav No. 46--USSBS No. 195.191 Midway--Eastern Solomons--Philippines
Nav No. 66--USSBS No. 295.269 Savo Island, Battle of, 9 August 1942
Nav No. 61--USSBS No. 255.255 S Island--Midway--Solomons--Leyte Gulf
Nav No. 83--USSBS No. 407.361 Solomons Campaign, 1942-43; Battle of Eastern Solomons, 23-25 August 1942; Battle of Santa Cruz, 26 October 1942
Nav No. 16--USSBS No. 75.77 Solomons, Midway, Pearl Harbor
Nav No. 13--USSBS No. 65.65 Solomon Islands Actions 1942-43
Nav No. 109--USSBS No. 46.470 Solomons, Transports at Eastern; Battle of Tassafaronga, 30 November 1942; Transports at Midway
Nav No. 60--USSBS No. 252.249 Solomons Campaign, Japanese Army Air Forces in
Nav No. 114--USSBS No. 485.501 SUBMARINE AND ANTI-SUBMARINE OPERATIONS: Anti-Submarine Operations, Aircraft Escort of Convoys and
Nav No. 56--USSBS No. 228.228 Anti-Submarine Equipment and Training
Nav No. 63--USSBS No. 257.259 Anti-Submarine Warfare
Nav No. 74--USSBS No. 371.309 Submarine Attacks on Japanese Convoys
Nav No. 107--USSBS No. 465.465 Japanese Submarine Operations
Nav No. 108--USSBS No. 466.467 Submarine Warfare
Nav No. 72--USSBS No. 336.291 Japanese Airborne Magnetic Detector
Nav No. 48--USSBS No. 200.197
NOTE.--Plates for illustrations are numbered according to the Nav No. of the interrogation in which they appear; i.e. Annexes A, B, and C for Nav No. 9 are numbered Plate 9-1, 9-2, and 9-3. List of Illustrations
Plate Title Page 9-1 Command Organization--Battle for Leyte Gulf 35 9-2 Submarine Attack on Second Fleet, 23 October 1944 37 9-3 Disposition of Second Fleet on Contact with U.S. Forces, 25 October 1944 40 10-1 Track Chart, Battle of Coral Sea, 4-8 May 1942 [facing p.] 54 13-1 Track Chart, Battle of Midway, 4-6 June 1942 [facing p.] 68 13-2 Action of the Battle of Midway, 5 June 1942 69 16-1 Track Chart Japanese Forces, Battle of Santa Cruz, 25-26 October 1944 78 29-1 Attack on Pearl Harbor 123 29-2 Retirement Plans after Pearl Harbor 125 29-3 Command Organization, Defense of the Philippines, 1 October 1944 129 32-1 Track Chart of Yamato 137 32-2 Bomb and Torpedo Hits on Yamato 138 35-1 First Diversion Attack Force at Time of Submarine Attack, 23 October 1944 148 36-1 Cruising Disposition of Third Fleet Striking Force, Battle of Leyte Gulf 155 45-1 Submarine Attack on Convoy 7 miles off Lingayen Gulf, 10 April 1944 185 45-2 Submarine Attacks on Convoys off Borneo and Indo-China Coast, 4 or 5 and 10 November 1944 187 45-3 Bombing and Strafing Attack on Japanese Convoy 20 miles South of Formosa, 30 January 1945 188 45-4 Standard Disposition for Convoy Escorts 189 48-1 USE of MAF Equipped Planes in Convoy Escort 198 48-2 Track Flown by MAD Equipped Plane after Initial Submarine Contact 199 50-1 Japanese Naval Aircraft Production and Wastage, December 1941-August 1945 206 50-2 Japanese Naval Aircraft Losses, December 1941 to August 1945 [facing p.] 206 53-1 Approximate Track of South Bound Convoy to Saipan, June 1944 213 53-2 Carrier Aircraft Attack on Convoy North of Quinhon Bay, 12 January 1944 215 57-1 Submarine Attack on Convoy between Kasho-To and Formosa, June 1944 231 57-2 Submarine Attack on Convoy between Formosa and Manila, September 1944 232 58-1 Fifth Fleet Disposition and Command Relationship, Battle of Surigao Strait 239 58-2 Track of Fifth Fleet--Surigao Strait 241 60-1 B-17 Attack on Midway Transports, 3 June 1942; PBY Torpedo Attack on Midway Transports, 4 June 1942 151 60-2 Track Chart of Japanese Forces, Battle of Eastern Solomons, 23-25 August 1942 253 69-1 Air Defense Formation, Battle for Leyte Gulf 280 73-1 Rough Sketch of Komandorski Action, 27 March 1943 308 78-1 Battle of Empress August Bay, 2 November 1943 339 79-1 "C" Force Dispositions, Battle of Surigao Strait 343 79-2 Track of "C" Force Enroute Leyte 345 79-3 Track of "C" Force, Battle of Surigao Strait 348 85-1 Japanese Invasion of Wake Island, 10-23 December 1941 373 86-1 Strength of Japanese Naval Air Force, 1 December 1941 375 86-2 Japanese Naval Air Strength, Production and Wastage [facing p.] 374 87-1 Diagrams of Night Torpedo Attacks employed by Japanese Naval Aircraft, February 1944 378 93-1 Diagram of Bomb Hits on Nachi and Tama, Aleutian Campaign 403 93-2 Track Chart of Komandorski Engagement, 27 March 1943 [facing p.] 402 94-1 Japanese Army Air Force--Fourth Air Army 405 97-1 Effective Air Strength--Eleventh Air Fleet--Rabaul 415 97-2 Combat Losses--Japanese Naval Aircraft--Solomon Campaign 421 101-1 Track of Forces, Banten Bay, Java 438 103-1 Deployment of Troops (Kuriles), First Half 1943 444 103-2 Deployment of Troops (Kuriles), about November 1943 445 103-3 Deployment of Troops (Kuriles), Mid 1944 446 103-4 Deployment of Troops (Kuriles), about November 1944 447 103-5 Deployment of Troops (Kuriles), August 1945 448 103-6 Army Shipping Losses in the Kuriles 449 104-1 "KON" Operation Track Chart, 2-11 June 1944 453 106-1 Track of Japanese Force, Battle of Cape Esperance 457 106-2 Track Chart of Shoho (CV), "MO" Operations (Port Moresby) 458 106-3 Torpedo and Bomb Hits on Shoho (CV), Battle of Coral Sea 459 107-1 Submarine Attack on Convoy North and West of Luzon, June-July 1944 466 108-1 Track of Japanese Submarines--Battle of Midway 468 109-1 Battle of Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942 477 109-2 Battle of Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942 478 109-3 Battle of Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942 479 109-4 Battle of Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942 480 109-5 Battle of Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942 481 109-6 Battle of Guadalcanal, 14 November 1942 482 109-7 Battle of Guadalcanal, 14 November 1942 483 109-8 Battle of Guadalcanal, 14 November 1942 484 109-9 Battle of Guadalcanal, 14 November 1942 485 109-10 Battle of Savo Island, 8-9 August 1942 486 110-1 Submarine Torpedo Attacks on Convoy off Padarang, 18 February 1945 489 111-1 Carrier Aircraft Attacks on Convoys, 4 August 1944 493 111-2 Submarine Torpedo Attacks on Convoy Northeast of Palau, 1-2 May 1944 494 111-3 U.S. Submarine Attack on Convoy, January 1945 495
The interrogations in this volume were conducted in TOKYO during the months of October, November, and December 1945 by officers of the Naval Analysis Division of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. While the original purpose of the interrogations was to gain evidence for an assessment of the role of airpower in the war with JAPAN, in the absence of any other body concerned with the conduct of this naval war, this purpose was broadened to include as wide a survey of wartime events as time and other restrictions would permit. The specific purpose of individual interrogations varied between that of obtaining comment and opinion from those very senior officers who were in a position to view the war as a whole, the discussion of specific operations and engagements with responsible commanders or other eyewitnesses, and the elaboration and clarification of documentary material. Foreword
Although the Imperial Japanese Navy was abolished shortly after the surrender, and its personnel retired and dispersed, permission was obtained from General MacArthur to retain a nucleus of experienced officers at the Naval War College at HIYOSHI. In addition to being interrogated on their particular specialties and experiences, these officers performed research at the direction of the Naval Analysis Division and, together with the Japanese Naval Liaison Officer, gave useful assistance in identifying and procuring other officers for interrogation.
Despite the cooperation of the Japanese, a number of unavoidable difficulties hindered the investigation. It was often a considerable problem to identify the proper individual for interrogation on a given subject, in many instances the most desirable candidates were dead, and in almost every case the selected officers had to be brought especially to TOKYO from all parts of JAPAN and even, in one case, from as far as SINGAPORE. All work was conducted by a small staff under pressure of time, without an adequate library, and in the face of an almost complete lack of original Japanese documents which had been either burned in air raids, or destroyed or hidden on surrender. Towards the end of the stay in JAPAN a quantity of hidden records were discovered; these have been returned to the United States and are now in process of translation, a work which will require a period of years to complete. In many instances, therefore, questions had to be explored entirely by interrogation with only partial or inaccurate war-time information as the starting point, with resultant delay and repetition.
So far as the question of veracity is concerned, it should be stated that almost without exception the Japanese naval officers interrogated were cooperative to the highest degree, and that no important attempt consciously to mislead the interrogator was ever noted. Accuracy on fine points was inevitably affected by the language problem which necessitated in most cases translation of both question and answer, by the specialized nature of the naval vocabulary which in some instances troubled the interpreters, and by the somewhat imprecise nature of the Japanese language itself. Allowance must also be made for the normal fallibility of human memory and in particular the memory of events months or years in the past which were witnessed under the intense strain of combat. Despite all these considerations it is felt that the interrogations provide an accurate picture of the war from the Japanese viewpoint, subject only to the qualifications that on important or disputed points documentary confirmation should where possible be obtained.
The planned use of this material was, as has been noted above, as evidence for an evaluation of the role of airpower in the Pacific war. These interrogations, together with other material accumulated by the Naval Analysis Division, form the basis of reports to be submitted to the chairman of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. In view, however, of the wide range of subject matter covered, the important and in some cases unique qualifications of the Japanese officers interrogated, and the improbability that such an investigation will ever or could ever be repeated, it is believed that these interrogations form a body of source material indispensable to any future study of the war with JAPAN.
/signed/
R.A. Ofstie Rear Admiral, USN,
Senior Navy Member,
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey.