The Order
was instituted in 1890 and conferred for bravery,
leadership or command in battle. There were seven grades
as follows:
General and Flag officers: 1st
- 3rd grade
Officers: 2nd - 4th grade
Junior officers: 3rd - 5th
grade
Non-commissioned officers: 4th
- 6th grade
Soldiers and Sailors: 5th - 7th
grade
A total of 1,067,492 were awarded
until its official abolition in 1947. Only 41 of the 1st
Grade and 201 of the 2nd Grade were awarded to all arms
through the period 1890 to 1947. Of the grand total,
approximately 630,000 relate to World War 2 or the
Pacific war. The numbers awarded to the Navy between 1941
and 1945 are not known but include those listed in the right column.
Although Japanese military
and naval culture was very different from that of most other
belligerents in World War 2, it is of interest to investigate how the
top Japanese award for gallantry compares with those of other nations
Sources: All the
contents of this page have been obtained from the
Internet by searching for: Imperial Japanese
Navy, Order of the Golden Kite. I am particularly
grateful to those who prepared the relevant items
in the following sites:
Imperial Japanese Navy Page
Naval History
Wikipedia
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order
of the Golden Kite 1st Class Vice Adm Nobutake
Kondo, commander 2nd Fleet, took part in
invasions of Malaya, Philippines and Dutch East
Indies, Cover Force Midway operation, Battles of
Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz and First
Guadalcanal when battleship Kirishima
was sunk.
Adm of the
Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto, C-in-C Imperial
Japanese Navy, on South Pacific inspection tour,
ambushed and shot down by USAAF Lightning
fighters 18th April 1943
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order
of the Golden Kite 2nd Class Vice Adm Takeo
Takagi, took part in invasion of the
Philippines, Battles of Java Sea and Coral Sea.
Reported killed during US invasion of Saipan in
1944
Adm Isoroku
Yamamoto (above)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order
of the Golden Kite 3rd Class Vice Adm Nobutake
Kondo (above)
Adm Osami Nagano,
Chief of the Naval General Staff. Arraigned as
war criminal for ordering attack on Pearl Harbor.
Died in 1947 during trial.
Vice Adm Chuichi
Nagumo took part in attacks on Pearl
Harbor and Darwin and Battles of Midway, Eastern
Solomons and Santa Cruz. Commited suicide at time
of US capture of Saipan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order of the
Golden Kite 4th Class (only one award identified) Chief Petty Officer
Kazuo Tanaka, Kamikaze pilot, killed 6th
April 1945, posthumously promoted to Ensign
|
|
|
|
|
|
Order of the
Golden Kite 5th Class (no WW2 naval awards have
been identified) |
|
|
|
|
|
Order of the
Golden Kite 6th Class (no WW2 naval awards have
been identified) |
|
|
|
|
|
Order of the
Golden Kite 7th Class (no WW2 naval awards have
been identified) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Many awards must have been made to
the officers and men who took part in the often
huge Japanese Navy operations throughout the
Pacific War. If you know of any, please email Gordon Smith Note: Japanese first names
normally follow their surname. The Western
convention of first name first and surname last
is followed above.
|
|