Baron Takeichi Nishi (1902-45)

[Peter H]

Has anyone details on the Baron's military career before Iwo Jima?

Or a photo?

What was the Japanese term for a Baron?Did he come from a family that sort military service?

[Lt.Amuro]

http://imperialarmy.hp.infoseek.co.jp/g ... shi04.html

His father,Tokujiro was a diplomat. He served as the ambassador to Russia and China, and became a baron.

[Kim Sung]

西 竹一
1902(明治35)年7月12日生
1945(昭和20)年3月17日没
東京都出身
華族　男爵
日本陸軍軍人　騎兵科
父、西徳二郎
三男
妻、武子
長女、小松淑子
長男、西泰徳
次女、高井広子
趣味はカメラ、ライフル射撃、モーターバイク、車、乗馬
ハーレーダビッドソンのバイクとクライスラーのオープンカーを所有
1912年　父・徳二郎没　男爵家を相続
騎兵学校卒
1930(昭和５)年　ヨーロッパ各地の馬術競技を転戦
イタリア人から500ドル(2000円)でアングロノーマン種の雄馬「ウラヌス」号を購入
1932(昭和７)年8月14日　ロサンゼルス・オリンピック(最終日)　乗馬・個人障害競技優勝(減点8)
　当時、中尉
モーターボート(「ウラヌス２世」号)、乗用車パッカード(12気筒　金色に塗装)を所有
　パッカードはロサンゼルス・オリンピックの時新車を購入　これで練習場に通った
ベルリン・オリンピックに出場
戦車第二十六聯隊聯隊長
1944(昭和19)年　戦車第二十六聯隊、満州北部から内地へ帰還
　7月1日　横浜着
　世田谷の獣医学校で「ウラヌス」号と会い、たてがみを切り取りポケットに収めた
　7月14日　「日州丸」で戦車第二十六聯隊(兵員600、戦車28両)とともに横浜を出発
　7月17日　「日州丸」はアメリカ潜水艦「コビア」(SS-245)の雷撃を受け沈没(戦死２、車両全損)
1945(昭和20)年2月～　硫黄島の戦い
1945(昭和20)年3月17日　硫黄島で戦死
　戦死時の詳細は不明
　戦死日は16日、21日、22日？
　銀明水近くの海岸で機銃掃射を受け、連隊本部の将校約10名と共に戦死？

In Japanese, Baron is 男爵(Dansaku).

*I'll translate his career above later when I'm free.

[Lt.Amuro]

[asiaticus]

Bio info from Newcombs "Iwo Jima":

Baron Nishi was a famous horseman in the early 1930s in Europe and Japan. While in Italy he bought an "incorragable" horse named "Uranus" and then riding him won a gold medal at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles in the jumping event pictured above. He and Kuribayashi both were graduates of the Cavalry School in Japan.

[Peter H]

Thanks for the info.

Legend has it that Nishi's body was found with him holding a braid from Uranus' mane.

Uranus is said to have died a few days later in Japan.

Its ironic that both General Kuribayashi and Nishi had good American connections---the General had served as a deputy military attache in Washington 1928-30,then in Ottawa 1931-33.

There was said to have been 1,100 Japanese civilians on Iwo Jima in 1943,colonalists working the sugar mill there,or the sulphur mines.Were these people evacuated before the battle?

[hisashi]

Thanks for the info.

There was said to have been 1,100 Japanese civilians on Iwo Jima in 1943,colonalists working the sugar mill there,or the sulphur mines.Were these people evacuated before the battle?

http://www.hajimeclub.net/topix/20021104.html

is an article on a newspaper of a political party. 1098 people were ordered to evacuate from Iwojima but 160 civilians, male at the age from 15 to 60, were left to help army personnels as hired civilians (gunzoku). Another article says the number of civilians left was about 130, and 82 of them was killed in action.
http://officers.hp.infoseek.co.jp/22iko ... jima-1.htm

[Peter H]

Thanks for that maisov.

Regards,
Peter

[Sewer King]

There is an interesting footnote to the civilian population of Iwo Jima. The Americans had expected that they would still be there when they took the island and had arranged for their provision, food relief, civil affairs etc as had happened earlier in the Marianas. Of course this came to nothing as events turned out. The lack of water and food on a now-completely militarized island had in fact a leading reason for their removal.

I never learned just how they were evacuated by Kuribayashi's order, although it was relatively early in the island's fortification. Iwo has only the boat basin while Japanese transport was very limited. Small craft of the Army transport units at Chichi Jima brought men and supplies to Iwo from down the Izu and Bonin Island chains. I suppose that is how civilians got out.

I wish I could see a translation of that modern Iwo Jima map. There have been posted on the Web air photos of its use as a US Air Force base up to 1968, with wartime Airfields 2 and 3 joined into the later jet runways, and Airfield 1 abandoned and overgrown. A retired US Coast Guardsman told me that the USCG had manned a Long Range Air Navigation (LORAN) station at Iwo Jima until the early 1990s, when satellites replaced them. She added that this was a most unpopular assignment for being 18 months long.

[hisashi]

The second link in my post above states that
June 26 Government ordered all civilians shoule be evacuated to Japan from Iwojima.
July 10 The first evacuation, 195 people.
July 16 573 Iwojima inhabitants left for Japan from Chichijima.
August 4 The last evacuation from Chichijima. 4 ships lost by the attack of U.S. force.

http://www.iwojima.jp/data/convoy.html

contains more informations on attacks to convoys nearby Iwojima. Japan used various ships, from Yuso-kan (APD like transporters and deadcopys of LST. Both type were deployed in this area.) to small fischerboats.
Association of Iwo-Jima Japan
http://www.iwo-jima.org/english/index.html
provides a map. Sorry, in Japanese.
http://www.iwo-jima.org/iwo-jima/iwo-jima_annai.html
In southern part of the island we read a sign 千鳥飛行場跡. Abandoned Chidori airfield would be the 1st airfield named by U.S. At the north-end of Iwojima we read 米国沿岸警備隊跡, U.S. coast guard base remnants.

[Kim Sung]

Ihara Tsuyoshi (伊原剛志) appears as Baron Nishi in 'Letters from Iwojima'

[Windward]

西 竹一 Nishi Takeichi
1902(明治35)年7月12日生 born: July 12 1902
1945(昭和20)年3月17日没 death: March 17 1945
東京都出身 born in Tokyo
華族　男爵 kazoku (noble), baron
日本陸軍軍人　騎兵科 IJA armyman, cavalry
父、西徳二郎 father: Nishi Tokujiro, Japanese minister to China and foreign minister
三男 the third son
妻、武子 wife: Nishi Takeko
長女、小松淑子 eldest daughter: Komatsu Yoshiko
長男、西泰徳 son: Nishi Yasunori
次女、高井広子 second daughter: Takai Hiroko
趣味はカメラ、ライフル射撃、モーターバイク、車、乗馬 hobby: photograph, rifle shooting, motorcycle, cars and horses
ハーレーダビッドソンのバイクとクライスラーのオープンカーを所有 onws Harley Davidson bikes and Chrysler cars
1912年　父・徳二郎没　男爵家を相続 1912 succeed his father's peerage
騎兵学校卒 graduated from IJA cavarly school
1930(昭和５)年　ヨーロッパ各地の馬術競技を転戦 1930 attended equestrianism games in Europe
イタリア人から500ドル(2000円)でアングロノーマン種の雄馬「ウラヌス」号を購入 bought a studhorse "Uranus" from Italy (500 dollars)
1932(昭和７)年8月14日　ロサンゼルス・オリンピック(最終日)　乗馬・個人障害競技優勝(減点8) 1932, won gold medal in Los Angeles Olympics
　当時、中尉 as a lieutenant
モーターボート(「ウラヌス２世」号)、乗用車パッカード(12気筒　金色に塗装)を所有 owns a motorboat "Uranus II" and a golden Packard 12-cylinder car, which was bought in LA
　パッカードはロサンゼルス・オリンピックの時新車を購入　これで練習場に通った
ベルリン・オリンピックに出場
戦車第二十六聯隊聯隊長 commander of the 26th tank regiment
1944(昭和19)年　戦車第二十六聯隊、満州北部から内地へ帰還 this regiment was first deployed at North Manchukuo, returned Japan in 1944
　7月1日　横浜着 arrived at Yokohama on July 1
　世田谷の獣医学校で「ウラヌス」号と会い、たてがみを切り取りポケットに収めた meet his horse "Uranus" at Setagaya Veterinary School in Tokyo
　7月14日　「日州丸」で戦車第二十六聯隊(兵員600、戦車28両)とともに横浜を出発 departured from Yokosuka onboard "日州丸" (Nisho maru?) together with stuffs of the 26th regiment (600 men and 28 tanks)
　7月17日　「日州丸」はアメリカ潜水艦「コビア」(SS-245)の雷撃を受け沈没(戦死２、車両全損) the ship was torpedoed by SS-245 on July 17. Two men and all tanks lost
1945(昭和20)年2月～　硫黄島の戦い joined the battle of Iwo Jima
1945(昭和20)年3月17日　硫黄島で戦死 KIA on Mar 17 1945
　戦死時の詳細は不明 details unknown
　戦死日は16日、21日、22日？ other resources say the date of his death might be July 16th, 21st or 22nd
　銀明水近くの海岸で機銃掃射を受け、連隊本部の将校約10名と共に戦死？maybe killed by machinegun sweep


regards

[asiaticus]

IIRC from a book I read on the battle , the Barrons two remaining tanks were dug in as pill boxes in the middle of the island north and east of Monoyama village at a place called Cushmans pocket, at the foot of Hill 362C. That is probably where he fought and died.

[Peter H]

His father:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishi_Tokujiro

[Nicole S.]

Here two pictures of Baron Nishi at the Olympic Games Berlin 1936, where he participated with two horses in two equestrian disciplines, the Military with Ascot and Show-Jumping with Uranus.

Rittmeister Nishi auf Uranus.jpg

Rittmeister Nishi auf Ascot.jpg

Source: Die Reitkunst der Welt an den Olympischen Spielen 1936 by Gustav Rau, published 1938

Horrido!

Nicole