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Sadaichi Matsunaga

Sadaichi Matsunaga (25 April 1892-2 December 1965) was a Vice Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Biography[]

Sadaichi Matsunaga was born in Saga Prefecture, Japan in 1892, and he joined the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1913. He became a destroyer commander during the 1920s and later became a staff officer, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander in 1935 and Rear Admiral in 1940. On 10 December 1941, he directed the attack of the 22nd Air Flotilla that resulted in the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse off Malaysia. He returned to the rear area from May 1942 to 1943, and he was promoted to Vice Admiral in early 1944 and given command of the 27th Air Flotilla on Iwo Jima. Matsunaga's disagreements with Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi over the fortification of the island resulted in Matsunaga's replacement by Rinosuke Ichimaru, and he left the navy on Japan's surrender in August 1945. He died 20 years later.

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