Tomitarō Horii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomitarō Horii (堀井富太郎, Horii Tomitarō)(1890 - November 1942) was a Japanese major general who served the Imperial Japanese Army commanding the Japanese 55th Infantry Group during World War II.
Born in Hyōgo prefecture, Horii became an infantry officer following his graduation from the Japanese military Academy in 1911. He was later assigned to the headquarters of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army during the Battle of Shanghai from January 28-March 4, 1932.
Promoted to colonel in 1937, and regimental commander two years later, Horii was appointed commander of the 55th Infantry Group (later South Seas Force) in 1941. Sent to eastern New Guinea, Horii planned to advance overland to capture Port Moresby and landed in the Buna-Garara area in July 1942. However, after heavy fighting against defending Australian forces, Horii was forced to withdraw in a four month long Kokoda Track campaign back up the Kokoda trail lasting from September 1942 to January 1943, during which time Horii drowned while crossing a river in November 1942.
[edit] Reference
- Dupuy, Trevor N. The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1992. ISBN 0-7858-0437-4
- Hayashi, Saburo (1959). Kogun: The Japanese Army in the Pacific War. Marine Corps. Association. ASIN B000ID3YRK.
