Yamashita Tomoyuki (jap. * 8 November 1888 in Kochi; "† 23 February 1946 with Manila, the Philippines) was a Japanese general. It befehligte starting from 1944 the troops on the occupied Philippines.

Life

The son of a village physician visited the military academy in Hiroshima, which he locked 1906 with its graduation. In the Japanese army it served as a second second lieutenant, until it went to 1916 on the central Japanese military academy into Tokyo. Between 1919 and 1922 Yamashita Tomoyuki was in Germany. He dressed this office shortly thereafter also in Austria and Hungary. Starting from August 1931 it led the office for affairs of army in Japan.

1936 it played a subordinated role in February with the against the Japanese government. It was sent to Korea, around there the 40. Infantry brigade to befehligen. In the year after its transport to the lieutenant general and it took place transferred the garrison brigade to China. Shortly thereafter he became chief of staff of the north China army, with which he fought in Mandschuko.

When Tojo Hideki of Japanese war Ministers became, this Yamashita Tomoyuki sent to Germany. There he spent some time at the German army and reported after the return of its experiences. Thus it gave the advice that Japan needed combatstronger air units, lighter tanks and paratrooper units. In addition it warned of a war entrance against the USA or the Soviet Union, before the Japanese army would not have been modernized.

In July 1941 it the government transferred the command over the Japanese defense army into Kwantung (chin. Guangzhou, jap.: During the Pacific war it led the invading armies in Malaysia and Singapore. This brought in the surname tiger OF Malaya for it, since he occupied these areas in only scarcely two months. 1943 were promoted Yamashita Tomoyuki to general. Its last task was the defense of the Philippines against threatening American back conquest as a commander of the 14. Regional army, whose guidance it transferred in September 1944. After the landing of the Americans on Mindoro had begun, it shifted its headquarters to Manila and was limited to the defense of Luzon.

When the Americans had then landed on Luzon and ever northward continued to advance, he released 4,000 prisoners of war and pulled with his staff after after Baguio, in April then fear for-fears for. On 2 September 1945 it was imprisoned taken.

An American military court complained it on, negotiated its case and condemned Yamashita Tomoyuki finally to death. The judgement was executed on 23 February 1946 by In 32 days the very hastily led process covered 123 charges and is today very disputed until. It is often regarded as the private revenge of general Douglas MacArthur for the Japanese occupation of "its" Philippines. Some the charges concerned for example war crimes, which took place definitely before its arrival on the Philippines. Besides some crimes were committed by troops, which had no more contact to the top management under Yamashita Tomoyuki. Even the British press wrote (quotation DAILY express) to "trial continues Yamashita's today, but it isn't A trial"Â…".

Literature

• Aubrey Saint Kenworthy, The tiger OF Malaya: The story OF general Tomoyuki Yamashita and "Death March" general Masaharu Homma, exposition press, 1951

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