The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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A fifth-generation warrior, Inoue commanded 14 Division in April 1944, when it was transferred from Manchuria to Palau. His surviving forces were isolated after the Americans seized Peleliu in September 1944, annihilating one of his regiments. Inoue rejected a traditional defense, advocating a stubborn defense in depth (Garand and Strowbridge 1971):
It is easy to die but difficult to live on. We must select the difficult course, and continue to fight because of the influence on the morale of the Japanese people. Saipan was lost in a very short time because of vain Banzai attacks, with the result that the people at home suffered a drop in morale.
During the defense of Peleliu, Inoue
ordered the execution of three U.S. prisoners of war. Following
the surrender,
Inoue was convicted of war crimes
and sentenced to death. His sentence was subsequently commuted to life
imprisonment.
Postwar interviews by American historians left them deeply impressed with Inoue's memory for detail. Much of what is known of the Japanese side of the battle came from these interviews.
| 1886 |
born | |
| 1936 |
Colonel
|
Commander, 5 Regiment |
| 1939 |
Major
general |
Commander, Infantry Group, 33 Division |
| 1941 |
Headquarters, 10 Area Army |
|
| 1941 |
Chief, Administration Section, 10 Area Army |
|
| 1942 |
Lieutenant
general |
Commander, 69 Division |
| 1943-10 |
Commander, 14 Division,
Manchuria and Palau Islands |
|
| 1946 |
Retires |
|
| 1949 |
Condemned to death for war crimes |
|
| 1951 |
Sentence commuted to life
imprisonment |
|
| 1961 |
Dies |
References
Garand and Strowbridge (1971; accessed 2011-7-30)
Gayle (1996; accessed 2007-7-30)
generals.dk (accesed 2007-11-2)
Hough (1950; accessed 2011-7-30)
Pettibone (2007)
Welch
(2002; accessed 2009-2-3)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007-2009, 2011 by Kent G. Budge. Index
