World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseJun Ushiroku was a veteran of the Russo-Japanese War between 1904 and 1905. Between 1929 and 1931, he was the commanding officer of the 48th Regiment. Between 1931 and 1932, he was the chief of staff of the 4th Division, then was transferred to the Kwantung Army Headquarters through 1938. While with the Kwantung Army, he also served as the Head of the 3rd Bureau of the General Staff between 1934 and 1935 and positions in the Ministry of War. Between 1937 and 1939, he was the commanding officer of the 26th Division. Between 1939 and 1940, he was the commanding officer of the 4th Army. Between 1940 and Jul 1942, he served in China as first the commander-in-chief of the Southern Area Army, and then chief of staff of the China Expeditionary Army. Between Aug 1942 and Feb 1944, he was made the commander-in-chief of the Central Army District. In 1944, he was made Vice Chief of the Army General Staff and then a member of the Supreme War Council; in these two roles he strongly pushed for the usage of suicide attacks by infantry to disable or destroy American armor due to Japan's inability to mass-produce effective anti-tank weaponry at this stage of the war. On 28 Mar 1944, he was appointed the Inspector-General of Military Aviation. From late 1944 until the end of the war, he commanded the 3rd Area Army in Manchuria. After the war, he was captured by Russian forces and was a prisoner of war until 1956.

Photographs

Jun Ushiroku Timeline