ShintarÅ Hashimoto
Shintaro Hashimoto (Japanese桥本 信太郎; * 1892, † May 16 1945 in the Malacca Straits ) was a Rear Admiral of the Japanese Navy and commander of the 1st Escort Group.
Hashimoto visited the Japanese Naval Academy, from which he graduated with success in 1913. Subsequently, he served on various ships and studied from 1925 to 1926 at the Naval Staff College. Well known as a torpedo specialist, he commanded the late 1920s and in the 1930s some destroyer divisions. From 1 December 1937 to 15 November 1939, he served as Chief of Staff to Ryojun Guard District.
At the beginning of the fighting in the Pacific was his division, consisting of ten destroyers, six minesweepers and three submarine hunters under the command of Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburō. She ran an escort for the transports, on the Malay Peninsula deposed the first invasion force on 8 December 1941, Kota Bharu.
Late January and early February 1942 led his ships the invasion units to Balikpapan and Bandjermasin on Borneo.
In June Hashimoto commanded the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, which was formed from the 11th and the 9th Destroyer Division. She served as cover for the fleet operation MI, the planned invasion of Midway, under the command of Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku. In mid-November Hashimoto commanded the fast Eingreifflotte at the battle in the Salomonensee.
Subsequently, the Navy leadership gave him the command of the 5th Cruiser Squadron, which was part of the 10 range fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Shigeru Fukudome.
Hashimoto Shintaro died on 16 May 1945 aboard the heavy cruiser Haguro, which was sunk about 45 kilometers south-west of Penang in the Straits of Malacca by five British destroyers of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla under Captain Manley L. Power with three torpedo hits.