Waichiro Sonobe
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Waichirō Sonobe, or Sonobe Ichirō (1883 – 1963) , 園部和一郎, was a Lieutenant-General in the Imperial Japanese Army. From 1925 to 1927 he was a member of the Japanese Military Mission to the League of Nations. Then he commanded the 74th Regiment, of the 19th Division until 1929 when he became Chief of 1st Section, Inspectorate-General of Military Training. In 1933 he was again in command of the 8th Brigade of the 10th Division. Then in 1934 commander of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division. From 1934 to 1935 he was Director of the Toyama Army Infantry School and then its commandant until 1937. Concurrently from 1936 he commanded the 1st Independent Garrison Unit.
In 1937 he left to command the 7th Division until 1939 when he was given command of the Central Defence Army. In 1940 he was sent to China to become the General commanding 11th Army. He commanded the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang, Central Hupei Operation and Battle of South Henan. After his stint in China he was recalled to Japan in 1941 and became a member of the Supreme War Council, and retired the same year.
