Admiral Naokuni Nomura/野村直邦 海軍大将

Admiral Naokuni Nomura 海軍大将.jpg


Naokuni Nomura (野村 直邦, Nomura Naokuni, 15 May 1885 – 12 December 1973) was born in Hioki, Kagoshima prefecture. He graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy on 20 November 1907, ranked 43rd out of 172 cadets. He served his midshipman tour on the cruisers Itsukushima and Kashima. After commissioning to ensign on 25 December 1908, he was assigned to the destroyers Yayoi and Kamikaze. After completing naval artillery and basic torpedo training, he was assigned to the battleship Aki, and was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 December 1910.

Nomura subsequently served on a large number of vessels in the early Japanese navy, including the gunboat Tatsuta, cruiser Chiyoda, the gunboat Manshu and cruiser Aso.

Promoted to lieutenant on 1 December 1913, he was assigned to the destroyer Yayoi, followed by the destroyers Kashiwa, and his first command, the destroyer Shirakumo. Nomura was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 December 1919. He graduated from the Naval Staff College with honors in 1920. He subsequently served in a number of staff positions, including that of naval attaché to Germany from August 1922 to September 1924. After his return to Japan, he was promoted to commander on 1 December 1924.

In April 1927, Nomura was part of the Japanese delegation to the Geneva Naval Conference. He became a captain on 10 December 1928, and assumed command of the submarine tender Chōgei in December 1928. Nomura visited Germany again during most of 1929, and was part of the Japanese delegation to the London Naval Treaty talks. After his return to Japan, he assumed command of the cruiser Haguro, followed by the aircraft carrier Kaga from February 1932-October 1933. In 1934, he was Commandant of the Submarine School.

Nomura was promoted to rear admiral on 15 November 1934. He served in numerous staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, including head of Naval Intelligence in 1937. He was promoted to vice admiral on 15 November 1938. He served as commander in chief of the 3rd Fleet from November 1939 to September 1940.

Nomura was sent as naval liaison to Europe as part of Japan's participation in the Tripartite Pact from November 1940 to August 1943, and was stationed in Berlin as a naval attaché. During his time in Germany, he was active in attempting to procure the latest in military technology for Japan, especially developments pertaining to submarines and aircraft. He returned to Japan on the U-boat U-511, which was presented to Japan by Adolf Hitler and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the Ro-500.

After his return to Japan, Nomura was briefly commander in chief of the Kure Naval District. On 1 March 1944, he was promoted to admiral.

He served as Naval Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō for only five days, 17–22 July 1944.

In the final stages of the Pacific War, he served as commander in chief of the Yokosuka Naval District and of the Maritime Escort Fleet. He entered the reserves on 15 October 1945 and died at the age of 88 in 1973.​
 
Tripartite Pact Signing of a supplementary convention to the Pact in the Reich Chancellery; Wilhelm Keitel, head of the armed forces (standing, front) is delivering a speech; to his right: Vice Admiral Naokuni Nomura, Leutenant-General Ichiro Banzai, and Major General Kitsuhiko Komatsu; 2nd to his left: Rear Admiral Bertholdi, January 18, 1942 (Berlin).

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On the table from left: Rear Admiral Bertholdi, Lieutenant-general Efisio Luigi Marras, Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel, Chief of the "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" (OKW), Vice-admiral Naokuni Nomura, Lieutenant-general Ichiro Banzai, Japanese 'Kriegsmarineattache' Major-general Kitsuhiko Komatsu, January 18, 1942 (Berlin).​

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Nomura was awarded Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle with star /Grosskreuz des Deutschen Adlerordens/ on May 17, 1943 for "Serving in the Naval Staff and the Ministry of the Navy and contributing to promoting friendly relations between Japan and Germany".

昭和十八年六月二日付
「グロースクロイツ、アードレル」勲章
海軍中将 野村直邦
軍令部出仕兼海軍省出仕、日独親善関係増進に寄与、
一九四三年五月十七日証明


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Close-up.

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Nomura was awarded Iron Cross 1st class /Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse/ on October 19, 1943 for "Serving in the Naval Staff and the Ministry of the Navy and contributing to promoting friendly relations between Japan and Germany".

昭和十九年八月十日付
第一級鉄十字章
海軍中将 野村直邦
軍令部出仕兼海軍省出仕として日独親善に尽力
一九四三年十月十九日証明


A unique cross (without swastika and year) that does not match in design any known Japanese or German-made 1st class EK crosses https://asiamedals.info/threads/japanese-made-iron-crosses.29556/.

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Photo from 1940 China Incident commemorative album.

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Admiral Naokuni Nomura.jpg


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