Translation Requests

[ijnfleetadmiral]

Kasumigaura NAG was a training unit. On graduate or transfer from Kasumigaura NAG, they returned pennento showing 'Kasumigaura NAG' and temporarily used 'Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun' pennento until they received new pennento from their unit. So they must not be in Rabaul.

Did this practice also apply to those aboard ships? Did each ship have different writing?

[hisashi]

Kasumigaura NAG was a training unit. On graduate or transfer from Kasumigaura NAG, they returned pennento showing 'Kasumigaura NAG' and temporarily used 'Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun' pennento until they received new pennento from their unit. So they must not be in Rabaul.

Did this practice also apply to those aboard ships? Did each ship have different writing?

Yes. And on 30 Oct 1942 IJN ordered to stop this treatment to conceal information, only to use 'Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun' pennento.

BB Fuso pennanto

fuso.jpg (16.01 KiB) Viewed 688 times

This is an example, recently sold via net auction. The exhibitor asserted it was a deadstock piece. It reads 大日本軍艦扶桑 (Dai Nippon Gunkan Fuso), BB Fuso.

[ijnfleetadmiral]

Nice! I bet a cap stripe from either Yamato or Musashi would bring in some serious money.

[Roman1981]

hello Hisashi san and Taki san!

I have 3 more signed photos, please help with the translation.

1. Group of naval officers roast at the fire.

2. Superior private with interesting (unknown) arm band.

3. unknown rear admiral

[Roman1981]

back side of the photo.

[hisashi]

>1. Group of naval officers roast at the fire.

十二月十七－九日　辻堂演習　教官連中　17-19 Dec Exercise at Tsujido, trainer buddy.

Tsujido Exercise Field for Yokosuka Navy Gunnery School, located in Fujisawa city and Chigasaki city, was a field for landing/ground combat exercise.

>2. Superior private with interesting (unknown) arm band.

歩兵上等兵波形寅作君 infantry superior private Mr.Namigata Torasaku (as always, maybe)
大正十年三月十日在尼市撮影 10 Mar 1921 taken at Nikolayevsk city 尼市=尼港市=Nikolayevsk
I cannot find any general rule for his armband. But in general a cross in a box, infantry in NATO Military Symbols, meant 'supply depot' in IJA symbol system. He might be a guard for a depot.

IJA military symbols
http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/956386

>3. unknown rear admiral

海軍工作学校校長 海軍少将　和住篤太郎 principal, navy 'kosaku' school, RAdm Wazumi Tokutaro [later Vadm]
30 Oct 1943, 磯川利満 Isokawa Toshimitsu, maybe the owner of this pic

navy 'kosaku' school was a branch from navy engineering school, specialized in repair/maintenance/damage control and construction on the ground. Wazumi was an engineering duty officer.

[Roman1981]

Hisashi-san, many thanks!

Much appreciated.

Best regards, Roman.

[Roman1981]

Dear Hisashi san and Taki san,

I would like to bow for your kind position in translation of the japanese writings to english. Thank you very much for your contribution.
Just recently i have obtained the photo album of the soldier from artillery regiment and i have found some interesting portraits of generals and other officers. Could you, please, translate the writings, if possible. Maybe it may reveal some personalities.

1. unknown liet-general

2. Unknown Major-General

3. Unknown colonel with chinese order of the striped tiger.

[Roman1981]

the final closeup of the writings.

Very best regards, Roman.

[hisashi]

>1. unknown liet-general

現第四師団長 村岡長太郎閣下 (sitting) CO, 4th division, Muraoka Chotaro

>2. Unknown Major-General

前第四師団長 鈴木荘六閣下 Former CO, 4th division, Suzuki Soroku

>3. Unknown colonel with chinese order of the striped tiger.

前野砲四連隊長 現台湾参謀　斉藤稔　Former leader, 4th field artillery regiment, now a staff in Taiwan Army, (Col.) Saito Minoru

In general, chance for arty officers to be promoted to MajGen was scarce. In peacetime two Lt.Col. was 'attached' to each arty regiment to help regimental leader in paperwork and training. Setting aside the promotion just before their retirement (very often), fortress area commander posts were typical, but not so many, MajGen posts for arty specialists.

Roughly, district for 4th division was Osaka and Wakayama prefecture. Arty regiments got their draftees from its divisional district (a set of regimental districts for infantry regiments in the division before 1940, and prefectures assigned to their division after 1940).

[Roman1981]

Thank you so much Hisashi san!

Just one question, i often see chinese awards on the breast of japanese officers and i am always curious about that. The only answer,i find myself, that chinese military authorities had awarded japanese officers for kind of joint military exercises, trainings ...etc, before second sino-japanese war, of course. Correct me, please, if i am wrong.

Thank you.

Best regards, Roman.

[hisashi]

For example, Zhang Zuolin, eventually killed by Japan, once had an appointment as the military leader in Fentian city (the title changed several times from 1916 to 1928). On the other hand he appointed Doihara Kenji (later full general) as his adviser just before his death. Before Mukden Incident, many Chinese military tycoons had Japanese advisers and IJA supported them if they thought it benefited Japan. LtGen Sasaki Toichi, the adviser to Sun Yat-sen was well known. So the advisers and officers communicated with Chinese tycoons might have formally awarded decorations from Beijing government (of the day). Of course, Wang Jingwei's government might have given them if the officers served after 1939.

[Roman1981]

Thanks a lot, Hisashi san, it is very interesting information.

BR, Roman.

[Roman1981]

Dear Hisashi san and Taki san!

I have same question regarding the translation of the writings, just 3 photos from the same arty album.

1. unknown major with nice decorations.

2. unknown 2 colonels.

3. Photo of the war exercices with really well preserved sharp details.

[Roman1981]

The writings relating to the photo of the war exercises.

Thank you.

Very best regards, Roman