was a vice admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was a torpedo expert and his extensive experience as a commander of destroyers and destroyer formations made him more knowledgeable about the escort of convoys than most Japanese commanders of his time. He is best known for his command of the 5th Fleet during the latter stages of the Aleutians campaign in the spring and summer of 1943.
Biography
Kawase was born in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, on 7 July 1889. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy on 18 July 1910, ranked 22nd in a class of 149 cadets.
Early career
As a midshipman, Kawase was assigned after graduation to the protected cruiser , then transferred briefly to the armored cruiser on 23 March 1911 and then to the armored cruiser on 1 April 1911. Receiving his commission as an ensign on 1 December 1911, he attended the basic classes at the Gunnery School and Torpedo School in 1912 and 1913. Promoted to lieutenant, junior grade, on 1 December 1913, he served aboard the destroyer before transferring to the protected cruiser on 27 May 1914.
World War I
Kawase was aboard Chikuma when Japan entered World War I on the side of the Allies on 23 August 1914. Chikuma was part of the Imperial Japanese Navy squadron which gave chase to the German East Asia Squadron in 1914, then joined the armored cruisers and in hunting for the Imperial German Navy light cruiser SMS Emden, which was raiding Allied shipping in the Indian Ocean. From December 1914 to February 1915, Chikuma and the protected cruiser patrolled off the northern coast of Queensland, Australia.
Kawase transferred to the new battleship , still fitting out, on 30 June 1915, and was aboard her for her commissioning on 8 November 1915. She entered service with the 1st Fleet in December 1915 and patrolled off the coast of China without seeing combat. On 1 December 1916, Kawase was promoted to lieutenant and reported aboard the destroyer .
On 2 July 1917, Kawase reported ashore for duty with the 2nd Naval District. Later in the year, he took the B Class at the Naval War College, then located in Tokyos Tsukiji district, and in 1918 he took the Advanced Class at the Torpedo School. World War I ended on 11 November 1918 before his next sea tour began.
Interwar, 1918–1941
Kawase returned to sea duty on 1 December 1918, when he began an assignment aboard the destroyer . He joined the staff of the 3rd Fleet on 26 June 1920, then returned for more duty aboard Amatsukaze on 1 October 1920. On 1 December 1920 he began the A Course at the Naval War College in Tokyo. After completing the class, he was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 December 1922 and was assigned to the Yokosuka Guard Force.
Kawases next tour was his first as a commanding officer, when he took command of the destroyer on 1 December 1924. He began duty with the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in Tokyo on 20 May 1925 before taking command of the destroyer . On 1 December 1925 he joined the staff of the Combined Fleet, and on 1 December 1926 he became an instructor at the Torpedo School. He became a member of the staff of the Naval Shipbuilding Command on 20 August 1927, and on 1 December 1927 received a promotion to commander.
On 10 March 1929, Kawase began duty in the United Kingdom. Returning to Japan, he became executive officer of the battleship on 15 January 1931. On 2 November 1931 he returned to destroyer duty as commanding officer of Destroyer Division 3, and he received a promotion to captain on 1 December 1931. He took command of Destroyer Division 6 on 15 November 1932.
On 1 November 1934, Kawase returned to the Naval Shipbuilding Command for another tour of duty. While there, he was promoted to rear admiral on 1 December 1937, with his first assignment as a flag officer being service as Chief, B2, Naval Shipbuilding Command. He returned to sea duty on 15 November 1938 as commanding officer of Destroyer Squadron 5, and he took command of Destroyer Squadron 1 on 25 November 1939. He joined the staff of the 1st Fleet on 15 October 1940, and then took command of aircraft carriers, first as commander of Carrier Division 7 on 15 November 1940 and then as commander of Carrier Division 11 on 10 April 1941. He became schoolmaster at the Torpedo School on 1 September 1941 and received a promotion to vice admiral on 15 October 1941.