was a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

in the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

and a commander of Japanese troops during the strategically significant

Guadalcanal campaign The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allies of World War II, Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during th ...

in the Pacific theater of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was posthumously promoted to major general.

Biography

Oka was a native of

Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 () and a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to ...

and a graduate of the 24th class of the

Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...

in 1912. As a lieutenant, he served in the IJA 7th Infantry Regiment, followed by the IJA 77th Infantry Regiment. In 1924, he received specialized training in

armored warfare Armoured warfare or armored warfare (American English; see spelling differences), is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war. The premise of armored warfare rests on the abil ...

, but remained in the

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

all of his career. He was promoted to major in 1930, lieutenant colonel in 1935 and

in March 1939. In June 1939, Oka became commander of the 4th sector of the 8th Border Patrol Force under the

Kwantung Army The Kwantung Army (Japanese language, Japanese: 関東軍, ''Kantō-gun'') was a Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army, general army of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1919 to 1945. The Kwantung Army was formed in 1906 as a security force for th ...

guarding the

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...

border against the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. In June 1940, he was assigned command of the IJA 124th Infantry Regiment, which participated in combat operations in the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

. He was then scouted by General Kiyotake Kawaguchi for the proposed invasion of

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

and reassigned to the southwest Pacific front in 1942, landing on

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

together with the forces commanded by Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki. Oka commanded a portion of Japanese troops from the 35th Infantry Brigade in a losing effort during the

Battle of Edson's Ridge The Battle of Edson's Ridge, also known as the Battle of the Bloody Ridge, Battle of Raiders Ridge, and Battle of the Ridge, was a land battle of the Pacific War, Pacific campaign of World War II between Imperial Japanese Army and Allies of Wo ...

in September, 1942. He later successfully defended the Matanikau River area during the September, 1942 Matanikau action. During the

Battle for Henderson Field The Battle for Henderson Field, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal or Battle of Lunga Point by the Japanese, took place from 23 to 26 October 1942 on and around Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The battle was a land, sea, and air battle ...

, he led the 1,200 troops of the 124th Infantry Regiment across the Matanikau and attacked

U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

defenses early on October 26, 1942, but his attack was thrown back with heavy losses to his men, contributing to the overall decisive Japanese defeat in this battle. At the

Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse, part of which is sometimes called the Battle of the Gifu, took place from 15 December 1942 to 23 January 1943 and was primarily an Engagement (military), engagement between U ...

in January 1943, Oka and the 1st and 3rd Battalions from the 124th unsuccessfully attempted to defend a terrain feature called the Sea Horse from American attacks. After losing possession of the feature and surrounding areas, Oka and his surviving troops escaped to friendly lines. Japanese records indicate that he was killed soon after this, but some sources suggest he may have been evacuated with the rest of the Japanese forces during

Operation Ke was the largely successful withdrawal of Japanese forces from Guadalcanal, concluding the Guadalcanal Campaign of . The operation took place between 14 January and 7 February 1943, and involved both Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) and Imperial ...

and survived the campaign. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of major general.

References

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External links

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Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oka, Akinosuke 1890 births 1943 deaths People from Wakayama Prefecture Imperial Japanese Army generals of World War II Imperial Japanese Army personnel killed in World War II