Kuzume Naoyuki (1890 – June 28, 1944) was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

Biography

Kuzume Naoyuki was the commander of defenses on the island of

Biak Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and c ...

, near the Japanese-held bases in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. He led the IJA 22nd Infantry Regiment, over 3,400 troops. He made a desperate defense of the island, covering it with pillboxes, bunkers, and spider holes. Nevertheless, the US troops were able to successfully fight their way to the east caves. On June 28, Naoyuki decided to commit ''

seppuku , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

'', the ritual suicide, since the Japanese had little chance of victory. He was posthumously promoted as lieutenant general. 1944 deaths Japanese military personnel killed in World War II 1890 births Japanese generals Imperial Japanese Army personnel of World War II {{Japan-mil-bio-stub