was a Japanese general in the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

, who commanded the Allied land forces during the

Siege of Tsingtao The siege of Tsingtao (or Tsingtau) was the attack on the German port of Tsingtao (now Qingdao) in China during World War I by Japan and the United Kingdom. The siege was waged against Imperial Germany between 27 August and 7 November 1914. ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Biography

Foreign_military_observers_to_the_German-Japanese_War_in_the_headquarters_of_Lieutenant_General_Mitsuomi_Kamio_at_Chang-ts%27un

Kamio was the younger son of Kamio Heizaburō, a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

retainer of the Suwa clan in Shinano province (present-day Nagano prefecture). He graduated from military academy in 1874, and served as a sergeant in the Imperial

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

during the

Satsuma Rebellion The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and b ...

of 1877. He rose rapidly through the ranks, to

sergeant-major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

and then was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant by the end of the same year. His commission was confirmed as official by the end of the war, and in 1882 was promoted to full

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. Kamio served in

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

China as a military attaché from 1885–86, during which time he was promoted to captain. On his return to Japan, he was assigned to various staff positions, and became a major in December 1891. He returned to China again as a military attaché attached to the Japanese embassy in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

from 1892–1894. With the outbreak of the 1894–95

First Sino-Japanese War The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the ...

, he was a staff officer attached to

Japanese Second Army The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was raised and demobilized on four occasions. History The Japanese 2nd Army was initially raised during the First Sino-Japanese War from September 27, 1894, to May 14, 1895, under the command o ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel at the end of the war, and then to full

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in 1897 when he assumed command of the 3rd Imperial Guard Regiment. Kamio was sent to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

from February 1899 to April 1900. Subsequently he was Chief of Staff of the

IJA 1st Division The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the . The 1st Division was formed in Tokyo in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Tokyo Garrison h ...

in 1900, and of the

IJA 10th Division The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the . The ''10th Divisio''n was one of six new infantry divisions raised by the Imperial Japanese Army in the aftermath of the First Sino-Japanese War, 1 ...

the following year. In May 1902, he was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. During the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

, Kamio held a series of further divisional commands: with 22nd Brigade,

Japanese China Garrison Army The was formed 1 June 1901 as the , as part of Japan's contribution to the international coalition in China during the Boxer Rebellion. It took the name China Garrison Army from 14 April 1912 and onward, though was typically referred to as t ...

IJA 9th Division The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the or 1515 or 1573.Madez, ''Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945'', p. 35. The ''9th Division'' was one of six infantry divisions newly raise ...

and

IJA 18th Division The was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the . The 18th Division was one of two infantry divisions newly raised by the Imperial Japanese Army immediately after the Russo-Japanese War (1904– ...

, but not within front-line combat units. In December 1908, he was further promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. He was commander of the

from 1912. After the start of

, Kamio, with a reputation for solid caution rather than brilliance, was selected to lead Allied ground forces in the seizure of

Tsingtao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...

from

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Kamio made lavish use of logistics and overwhelming firepower to spare bloodshed as much as possible.Denis
/ref> In Summer 1914, Kamio's 18th Division of 23,000 men backed by 144 guns began a bombardment of the port on 2 September 1914. The port fell a little over two months later, Kamio's

siege tactics A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

earning him praise for the skill with which he carefully deployed

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

tactics to aid infantry advances. Kamio served thereafter as Japanese governor of Tsingtao and was promoted to full

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

in June 1916. A month later, he was honored with elevation to the rank of baron (''danshaku'') under the ''

kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution. Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ...

'' peerage system. He entered the reserves in August 1917, and retired completely in 1925. He died in 1927 and is buried at

Zōshigaya cemetery is a public cemetery in Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan government. The cemetery is nonsectarian, and contains the graves of many famous people in its 10 ha area. It is maintained by the Tokyo Metropolita ...

Honors

* Order of the Sacred Treasure (1st class) May 24, 1912 * Order of St Michael and St George (Knight Grand Cross) 1915 * Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) Nov 7 1915 *

Order of the Golden Kite The was an order of the Empire of Japan, established on 12 February 1890 by Emperor Meiji "in commemoration of Jimmu Tennō, the Romulus of Japan". It was officially abolished 1947 by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) during the ...

(1st class), Nov 1 1920 *Order of the Sacred Kite (2nd class) *Order of the Sacred Kite (4th class)

References

* *

Notes

External links

First World War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamio, Mitsuomi Military personnel from Nagano Prefecture 1856 births 1927 deaths Japanese generals Kazoku Japanese military personnel of World War I Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Recipients of the Order of the Golden Kite, 1st class