Who's Who - Mitsuomi Kamio
Mitsuomi Kamio (1856-1927)
led the highly successful Japanese
siege of the
German stronghold of Tsingtao in November 1914.
Kamio served in China as Japanese military attaché from 1892-94 and saw action during the 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War as a staff officer attached to Second Army. Subsequently he commanded the 3rd Imperial Guard Regiment and was Chief of Staff to 1st Division in 1900 and with 10th Division the following year.
Following a series of further (largely) divisional commands - with 22nd Brigade, Lyadong Garrison, 9th Division and 18th Division - Kamio, with a reputation for solid caution rather than brilliance, was selected to lead Japan's planned seizure of Tsingtao, territory leased by the Chinese government to Germany for a period of 99 years in 1898. Tsingtao comprised Germany's key naval installation in the Far East.
Thus Kamio's 18th Division of 23,000 men backed by 142 guns (an overwhelming artillery advantage) began a bombardment of the port - defended by some 4,000 German troops - on 2 September 1914. Britain, wary of Japanese intentions in the region, also decided to send 1,500 troops to assist the Japanese (and to keep a watchful eye upon proceedings).
The port finally fell a little over two months later, Kamio's siege tactics earning him praise for the skill with which he carefully deployed artillery tactics to aid infantry advances. Tsingtao fell on 7 November 1914.
Serving thereafter as Tsingtao's governor Kamio was promoted to full General in 1916 and subsequently served as commander of the Tokyo garrison.
Retiring in 1925 he died in 1927.
Battle Police were military policemen deployed behind an attack to intercept stragglers.
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