Kiyohide Shima (25 February 1890 – 7 November 1973) was a Vice Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
Biography[]
Kiyohide Shima was born on 25 February 1890 in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. He joined the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1911 and studied in the United States and Europe from 1928 to 1929; in 1939 he became a Rear Admiral and Chief-of-Staff of the Maizuru Naval District. Shima led the force that invaded Tulagu in Operation Mo in 1942, and on 15 February 1944 he was given command of the Japanese 5th Fleet. In October 1944, Shima led Strike Force Two during the Battle of Leyte Gulf against the US Navy, and a lack of coordination with Shoji Nishimura's Southern Force led to Shima's heavy cruiser Nachi colliding with Nishimura's cruiser Mogami, which was sunk the next day in an air attack. From 10 May to 15 June 1945 he led the Japanese 1st Air Fleet, its final commander. He died in 1973 at the age of 83.