Tomeo Kaku

Tomeo Kaku (????-1943) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, attaining the rank of rear-admiral by 1943. He commanded two ships during the Japanese occupation of Hawaii.

Kaku participated in the initial invasion of Hawaii as captain of the aircraft carrier Hiryu. In May, 1942, he was placed in command of the flagship Akagi, replacing the outspoken Kiichi Hasegawa. In June, 1942, he was commanding the ship when the United States made its first unsuccessful attempt to take back Hawaii. His skill at handling the ship earned him a promotion to rear-admiral a few months later.

However, in 1943, the U.S. returned with a much larger fleet that overwhelmed Japan's defenders in the Pacific. The Akagi took a torpedo hit amidships. Kaku dutifully took responsibility for the ship's destruction, and when down with her.