| Official portrait of Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral Chuichi Nagumo (March 25, 1887 – July 6, 1944), circa April 10, 1941, when he took command of Kito Butai (“Mobile Force”), the 1st Air Fleet. Nagumo was awarded several honors: Order of the Sacred Treasure, 6th Class on October 25, 1917; Order of the Rising Sun, 5th Class on November 1, 1920; Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon on April 29, 1934; Commemorative Medal for the 26 100th Anniversary of the Founding of Japan of August 15, 1940; Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st Class on September 8, 1942, and posthumously, Order of the Golden Kite, 1st Class on July 8, 1944. Nagumo graduated 8th of 191 cadets in 1908, the 36th class at Etajima. A member of the Fleet Faction, who opposed the proposed 5 battleships for the United States, 5 for the United Kingdom, and 3 battleships for Japan at the 1930 London Naval Treaty, he had an antagonistic relationship with Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (April 4, 1884 – April 18, 1943), who was a leading member of the Treaty Faction. This set the tone for their later relationship, when Yamamoto was the superior officer. Nagumo was appointed commander of the 1st Air Fleet due to seniority, but also because Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa (October 2, 1886 – November 9, 1966) was perceived as confrontational compared to Nagumo. Nagumo, a battleship officer, relied on his exceptional staff for air operations, led by Commander Minoru Genda (August 16, 1904 – August 15, 1989) and Commander Mitsuo Fuchida (December 3, 1902 – May 30, 1976). Under his command, Kito Butai became the terror of the Pacific for 6 months, destroying warships and aircraft from 6 nations, rampaging from Hawaii to Ceylon and Australia to Alaska. His pilots, exceptionally trained, outperformed American and Commonwealth flyers in aircraft whose technical capabilities initially surpassed those of their Allied counterparts. But it was unsustainable. Japan was not geared for total war. Naval aircraft were not being produced in sufficient numbers in 1940, and no mass pilot training program existed to compensate for the losses. When the skilled flyers were killed or incapacitated at Midway and Guadalcanal, no 1 was available to take their place. In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom had training programs on a large scale, rotating their experienced pilots home to impart their experiences to the next group. Nagumo, shattered by the losses at Midway, offered to commit suicide, but the gesture was refused. He was removed when he proved to be too timid at the Battle of Santa Cruz. Both commanders at that battle had lost multiple carriers; United States Navy Admiral Frank J. Fletcher (April 29, 1885 – April 25, 1973) had been aboard 2 of his carriers sunk at the Coral Sea and Midway. Both were relegated to distant commands. Nagumo, ordered to defend Saipan in the Marianas, finally committed suicide after resisting the June 1944 invasion. He committed suicide with his sword, opening his stomach. Then his aide shot him in the head. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1496.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.03 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 4585 x 5763 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | April 10, 1941 |
| Location | |
| City | Tokyo |
| State or Province | Tokyo |
| Country | Japan |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | NH 63423 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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