Eiji Gotō

Gotō was a native of Takanashi Village in Senboku District, Akita (what is now the city of Daisen, Akita), and a graduate of the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1909. After serving as a midshipman on the cruisers {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Soya||2}} and {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumo||2}} he graduated from Naval Artillery School and Torpedo Warfare School in 1911, and served as a crewman on the cruisers {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tsugaru||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Iwate||2}} and {{ship|Japanese cruiser |Chiyoda||2}} from 1912-1914. As a lieutenant during World War I, he served on the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Aki||2}} and cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tokiwa||2}}, before receiving his first command, the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yayoi|1905|2}} on 26 April 1919. He subsequently commanded the destroyers {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Fubuki|1905|2}} and (as lieutenant commander) {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Momi|1919|2}}.

In January 1923, Gotō was reassigned to river gunboats, as captain of the {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Sumida|1903|2}}, {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Toba||2}} and {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Katata||2}}, returning in December 1924 as captain of the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Hishi|1921|2}}, followed by the {{ship|Japanese destroyer|DD-5||2}} in 1925. He was promoted to commander on 1 December 1926.

After a brief period of shore duty, Gotō was given command of the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|DD-41||2}} in 1928, followed by the {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Usugumo|1927|2}}; in December 1928 he was assigned as executive officer to the cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Asama||2}}.

From December 1929, Gotō was assigned to command minesweeper flotillas and destroyer squadrons and was promoted to captain in December 1931. He was given command of the cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Naka||2}} in November 1933, followed by the {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Takao|1930|2}} in November 1934, and the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Mutsu||2}} in December 1936.

Gotō was promoted to rear admiral on 1 December 1937. During the Second Sino-Japanese War he commanded the 5th Torpedo Squadron, followed by the 2nd Torpedo Squadron. He was promoted to vice admiral on 15 October 1941.

By the outset of the war, Gotō commanded the 24th Air Flotilla. He took part in the battle for Wake Island, his bombers destroying several American aircraft on the ground on the first day of combat. But soon, his planes began to encounter fierce resistance and were only relieved by the arrival of Rear-Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi's relief force.{{cite book |last1=Urwin |first1=Gregory |title=Facing Fearful Odds: The Siege of Wake Island |date=1997 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |asin=B019NEQ7S2 |page=313}}

On February 1, 1942, while Gotō was in command of aircraft bases in the Marshall Islands and Gilbert Islands, the Allies launched the Marshalls–Gilberts raids in which Japanese positions in Micronesia were attacked by United States Navy aircraft primarily in an effort to boost American public morale. Although fewer than 18 Japanese aircraft were shot down or destroyed by bombs, Gotō came under criticism for his failure to shoot down the bombers. He was also the primary Japanese commander during the action off Bougainville on 20 February 1942 which resulted in the loss of 23 Japanese aircraft against only 2 Americans.{{cite book |last1=Lundstrom |first1=John B. |title=The First South Pacific Campaign: Pacific Fleet Strategy December 1941-June 1942 |year=1976 |url=https://archive.org/details/firstsouthpacifi00john |url-access=registration |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=1591144175}}{{cite book |last1=Gamble |first1=Bruce |title=Kangaroo Squadron: American Courage in the Darkest Days of World War II |date=2018 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0306903120}} Gotō was relieved of his combat command, and reassigned as commander of the Chinkai Guard District on 15 September 1942.

On 15 September 1944, Gotō was in command of the 12th Air Fleet, and concurrently was placed in command of the Ōminato Guard District from 15 February 1945; however, from 15 March, he was placed on the inactive list awaiting reassignment and resigned from active service on 21 May 1945.

Gotō died in 1967.

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web|first = Hiroshi|last = Nishida|url = http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/px37.htm#v012|title = Imperial Japanese Navy|year = 2002|access-date = 2013-06-08|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130130030631/http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/px37.htm%23v013#v012|archive-date = 2013-01-30|url-status = dead}}
• [http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/G/o/Goto_Eiji.htm The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia]

• {{cite book | last = D'Albas | first = Andrieu | year = 1965 | title = Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II | publisher = Devin-Adair Pub | isbn = 0-8159-5302-X}}
• {{cite book | last = Dull | first = Paul S. | year = 1978 | title = A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945 | publisher = Naval Institute Press | isbn = 0-87021-097-1 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/battlehistoryofi0000dull }}
• {{cite book | last = Dupuy | first = Trevor N. | year = 1992 | title = Encyclopedia of Military Biography | publisher = I B Tauris & Co Ltd | isbn = 1-85043-569-3 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofmi0000dupu }}
• {{cite book | last = Parrish | first = Thomas | year = 1978| title = The Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of World War II | url = https://archive.org/details/simonschusteren00parr | url-access = registration | publisher = Simon and Schuster | location = New York | isbn = 0-671-24277-6}}
• {{cite book | last = Van Der Vat | first = Dan | year = 1978 | title = Pacific Campaign: The U.S.-Japanese Naval War 1941-1945 | publisher = Simon and Schuster | location = New York | isbn = 0-671-79217-2}}
• The Marshall Islands by Gordon L. Rottman (2004) {{ISBN|1-84176-936-3}}

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{{s-bef|before=Tozuka Michitarō }}

{{s-ttl|title=Commander-in-chief of the Northeast Area Fleet|years=15 September 1944 - 5 December 1944}}

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Fleet Dissolved}}

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Category:1887 births

Category:1967 deaths

Category:People from Daisen, Akita

Category:Japanese military personnel of World War I

Category:Japanese admirals of World War II

Category:Imperial Japanese Navy admirals

Category:Military personnel from Akita Prefecture