Hirose Takeo /
廣瀨武夫; May 27, 1868 – March 27, 1904/ was Born in what is now Taketa, Ōita, his father Hirose Shigetake was a judge, while his elder brother Hirose Katsuhiko was a rear admiral. He studied at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in Etajima, graduating from the 15th class in 1889. He served aboard the ironclad warship Fusō during the First Sino-Japanese War and saw action at the Battle of Yalu River on September 17, 1894. From 1897 to 1899 Hirose was sent to study in Russia and stayed on as the resident military attaché in St. Petersburg until 1902. During his time as attaché he went on a tour of Germany, France and Great Britain. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1900.
When Japan went to war against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, Hirose was assigned to the battleship Asahi as torpedo officer. However, during the Battle of Port Arthur he volunteered to command the Fukui Maru, an old cargo vessel which was used as a blockship during the second unsuccessful attempt to blockade the entrance to Port Arthur on the night of March 26. As the ship was about to reach the channel, it was hit by Russian coastal artillery and exploded. Hirose was fatally wounded while searching for survivors and went down with the ship.
Print "Navy Lieutenant Colonel Hirose Kimiyuki's Great Distinguished Service/
海軍中佐廣瀬君之大偉勲".
Because of his heroism, he was posthumously promoted to commander, and deified as a "God of War" (
軍神 gunshin), and a Shinto shrine was built in his honor in Taketa, Oita. A statue of him was also erected outside the Manseibashi Railway Station in Tokyo.
