Shigetaro Shimada
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Shigetaro Shimada (嶋田繁太郎 Shimada Shigetaro) (September 24, 1883 – June 7, 1976) was one of the leading members of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
A graduate of Japan’s Naval Academy, Shimada rose through the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy and eventually became an admiral. Prior to World War II, Shimada held a variety of senior naval positions including Vice Chief of the Naval General Staff and Chief of the China Fleet. Shimada became Minister of the Navy in 1941 under Hideki Tojo. In this capacity, Shimada had knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack plan and approved its implementation in December of 1941.
As Navy Minister, Shimada became one of Tojo’s favorite lackeys due to his submissiveness and unquestioniong loyalty. This extreme loyalty to Tojo made Shimada unpopular with a multitude of officers in the navy. Some of his detractors called him “Yurufun” (“Droopy Drawers”) or Tojo’s “tea servant.” Despite his unpopularity, Shimada’s career continued to rise, especially in 1944. After a series of major Japanese losses, Hirohito had lost confidence in the Army and Naval Chiefs of Staff. As such, Tojo was able to dismiss Chief of the Army General Staff Hajime Sugiyama and Chief of the Naval General Staff Osami Nagano. Tojo assumed the role of Army Chief while Shimada became Naval Chief. This role, coupled with his position as Naval Minister, virtually made Shimada supreme commander of the Japanese Navy.
Shimada’s power grab, however, ultimately gained him many enemies in the naval general staff and the emperor’s court. Shimada’s opponents continuously pressured Emperor Hirohito to dismiss him, citing that the navy was losing battle after battle under Shimada’s direction. Hirohito finally made his displeasure with Shimada known to Tojo in July of 1944, shortly after the fall of Saipan. Tojo immediately asked for Shimada’s resignation, and the Naval Minister complied. Serving as an advisor to the government for the remainder of the war, Shimada was captured by the Allies in 1945 and tried by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. Found guily of a multitude of war crimes, Shimada was given a sentence of life imprisonment. However, he was paroled in 1955. Shimada died in 1976.