, was a
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...
and commander 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 ...
during
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 ...
.
Biography
Maruyama was a native of
Nagano Prefecture
is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...
and a graduate of the 23rd 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 1911 and of the 31st class of the
Army War College in 1919. He was a
to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
from 1923–1925, and to
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
from 1929–1930. On his return to Japan, he was assigned to the
Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, in charge of British and American
military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...
. He returned to England from 1934–1935, and was assigned to the Japanese embassy in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
After his promotion to colonel in 1935, Maruyama returned to the General Staff in Tokyo. From 1937–1938, he was commander of the 4th Regiment of the
Imperial Guards. With the start of 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 a field commander during the
China Incident of July 1937.
On 15 July 1938 he was promoted to
major general, and assigned command of the IJA 6th Infantry Brigade.
As
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was norma ...
and commander of the
IJA 2nd Division, Maruyama and his division were deployed to
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- ...
from September and October, 1942 in response to the
Allied landings on the island. During the resulting
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 ...
, Maruyama led troops during the October 1942
Matanikau action and the subsequent
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 ...
, in which Maruyama's troops were decisively defeated.
[Frank, Guadalcanal] Maruyama and the survivors of his division were evacuated from Guadalcanal in February 1943. Maruyama remained in command of 2nd Division until the beginning of June 1943, when he was transferred to the
Imperial Japanese Army General Staff under Field Marshal
Hajime Sugiyama.
Maruyama retired from active duty on 2 March 1944. He died on 11 November 1957.
Notes
References
*
*
*
Other Information
Books
*
*
*
Web
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maruyama, Masao
1889 births
1957 deaths
Military personnel from Nagano Prefecture
Imperial Japanese Army generals of World War II