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Masatane KandaLieutenant General of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Date of Birth: 24.04.1890
Country:  Japan |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Masatane Kandawas born in Aichi Prefecture. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1911 and was assigned to the Kwantung Army. In 1934, he graduated from the Army War College and served as a military attaché in Turkey from 1934 to 1936.
Military Career
Upon his return to Japan, Kanda worked as an instructor at the Army War College and later became head of the 4th Section of the 2nd Bureau of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. Despite his fluency in Russian, he was assigned to analyze intelligence from Europe and North America.
After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Kanda briefly commanded the 45th Infantry Regiment but soon returned to the General Staff, where he became the head of the 1st Section (later Bureau) of the General Affairs Bureau of the Combat Training Headquarters.
In 1941, Kanda was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commander of the 6th Division, stationed in China. Under his command, the division participated in the third battle of Changsha.
In 1943, the division was deployed to the Solomon Islands. At the start of the Bougainville Campaign, Kanda was second in command of the 17th Army under Harukichi Hyakutake. When Lieutenant General Hyakutake suffered a stroke in 1945, Kanda (who had also become a lieutenant general by then) replaced him as commander.
On September 8, 1945, Kanda surrendered to the Allies along with his forces on Bougainville Island.
Post-War Trial and Imprisonment
After the war, Kanda was charged with war crimes, sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, and began serving his sentence in 1948. He was released from prison in 1952 after serving four years.
