Matome Ugaki

Matome Ugaki
Japanese Admiral Matome Ugaki
Native name	宇垣 纏
Born	(1890-02-15)February 15, 1890 Okayama, Okayama, Japan
Died	August 15, 1945(1945-08-15) (aged 55) off Okinawa, Japan
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Navy
Years of service	1912-1945
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	Yakumo Hyūga 1st NGS Division Operations, Chief-of-Staff Combined Fleet, 1st Battleship Division, IJN 5th Air Fleet
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Leyte Gulf Battle of the Sibuyan Sea Battle off Samar

Matome Ugaki (宇垣 纏, Ugaki Matome^?, 15 February 1890 – 15 August 1945) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, remembered for his extensive and revealing war diary, role at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and kamikaze suicide hours after the announced surrender of Japan at the end of the war.

Born in Akaiwa District, Okayama (now part of Okayama city, Okayama prefecture), Ugaki graduated from the 40th class Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1912. He placed 9th out of 144 cadets, and served as midshipman on the cruisers Azuma and Hirado. He was commissioned as ensign on 1 December 1913 and was assigned to the battlecruiser Ibuki. He subsequently served on the battlecruiser Kongō, cruiser Iwate and destroyer Nara. After his promotion to lieutenant on 1 December 1918, he attended naval artillery school, and was assigned as chief gunnery officer to the destroyer Minekaze.