Kaoru Arima (有馬 馨) was an admiral and commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Early in the war with the United States, Arima commanded the battleship JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Musashi, one of the largest battleships ever built.

Biography

Arima was a native of Miyazaki prefecture. He graduated from the 42nd class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1914. He was ranked 40th in a class of 117 cadets. As a midshipman, he was assigned to the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Aso and battleship JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Hizen, and as a sub-lieutenant to the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Izumo. After serving on the crew of the destroyers JAPANESE DESTROYER Oboro and JAPANESE DESTROYER Minazuki, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and assigned to the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Kuma, followed by the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Asama and the battleship JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Kongō. Arima graduated from the 25th class of the Naval Staff College and was promoted to lieutenant commander in December 1926. After a 2½-year stint as a gunnery instructor at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, he subsequently served as chief gunnery officer on the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Yakumo. He was assigned to the staff of the 2nd Expeditionary Fleet in China in September 1931, and made the jump to the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff in November 1932. After his promotion to commander in December 1932, he served as an instructor at the Naval Staff College through 1937. Arima was also promoted to captain in December 1936, and received his first command, the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Kumano in November 1939. In October 1940, he was assigned command of the battleship JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Hiei. From September 1941, he was executive officer on the new super-battleship JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Musashi, and became its captain on 5 August 1942. He was promoted to rear admiral on 1 November. For most of the remainder of the war, he served as an instructor at the naval academy and specialized training schools. Later, Arima served as chief of staff for the IJN's IJN 4th Fleet; he was promoted to vice admiral on 1 November 1945. Surviving the war, Arima died in 1956.

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