Aritomo Goto (23 January 1888 – 12 October 1942) was a Vice Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Biography[]
Aritomo Goto was born on 23 January 1888 in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy in 1910, and he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1923. In November 1933, he took command of a destroyer group, and he was promoted to Rear Admiral on 15 November 1939. With Aoba as his flagship, Goto commanded Cruiser Division 6, which included Furutaka, Kinugasa, and Kako, and this force fought in the Battle of Wake Island and the Battle of the Coral Sea. His cruisers failed to protect the carrier Shoho, which was too far away to defend. He was later sent to Kavieng on New Ireland, from which he supported Japanese operations on Guadalcanal. On 8 August 1942, he took part in the victory at the Battle of Savo Island, but Kako was sunk while returning to base. Goto was mortally wounded when large-caliber projectiles passed through Aoba's flag bridge during the Battle of Cape Esperance, and he died on 12 October.