Jisaburo Ozawa Biography and Timeline

Commander of Combined Fleet

Appointed Commander of the Combined Fleet

Capture of Japan

Commands the naval forces which capture the Dutch East Indies

Role range: 1939-1945

Commander in Chief

Appointed Commander in Chief, 3rd Fleet

Commander in Chief

Appointed Commander in Chief, 3rd Fleet

Role range: 1939-1945

Battle of the Philippine Sea

Ozawa commits the Mobile Fleet's carrier aircraft against the American Fifth Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Role range: 1939-1945

Loss of Taiho and Shokaku

Ozawa loses fleet carriers Taiho and Shokaku to American submarines during the first day of the Philippine Sea battle.

Role range: 1939-1945

Retreat from Philippine Sea

Ozawa withdraws after devastating aircraft losses and further carrier damage during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Role range: 1939-1945

Battle of Phillipines

1st day of the Battle of the Phillipines

Role range: 1939-1945

Northern Decoy Force

Ozawa leads the carrier force intended to draw the American Third Fleet north and away from Leyte Gulf.

Role range: 1939-1945

Battle of Phillipines

Defeated by superior US naval forces

Role range: 1939-1945

Battle off Cape Engano

Ozawa's carrier force functions as the decoy and suffers severe losses to American carrier aircraft off Cape Engano.

Role range: 1939-1945

Loss of Zuikaku

Ozawa loses his flagship Zuikaku and other carriers to American air attacks off Cape Engano.

Role range: 1939-1945

Vice Chief-NGS

Appointed Vice Chief of Naval General Staff

Vice Chief-NGS

Appointed Vice Chief of Naval General Staff

Role range: 1939-1945