More to Explore
People and Groups
Themes
Events
Related Topics
This Day in History
Feb 9
World War II
Daylight saving time instituted, 1942
On this day, Congress pushes ahead standard time for the United States by one hour in each time zone, imposing daylight saving time--called at the time…
Recommended Articles
-
Koiso Kuniaki
(born April 1, 1880, Utsunomiya, Japan—died Nov. 3, 1950, Tokyo) Japanese army general and prime minister during the final phase of World War II.
-
Danshaku Suzuki Kantaro
(born Jan. 18, 1868, Osaka, Japan—died April 17, 1948, Chiyo) the last premier (April–August 1945) of Japan during World War II, who was forced to surrender to the Allies.
-
Erich von Manstein
(born Nov. 24, 1887, Berlin, Ger.—died June 11, 1973, Irschenhausen, near Munich, W.Ger.) German field marshal who was perhaps the most talented German field commander in World War II.
-
Alfred Jodl
(born May 10, 1890, Würzburg, Germany—died October 16, 1946, Nürnberg) German general who, as head of the armed forces operations staff, helped plan and conduct most of Germany's military campaigns during World War II.
(Born Nov. 27, 1887, Sado, Japan—died April 3, 1946, Los Baños, Luzon, Phil.) Japanese army general and commander of the Japanese invasion force of the Philippine Islands in World War II.
Homma was a graduate of the Military Academy of the Japanese Imperial Army (1907) and of the Army General Staff College (1915). During World War I he was an observer with the British forces in France, and in 1925 he served as Japanese resident officer in India. In 1930 Homma was appointed military attaché in London. In 1939 he commanded Japanese forces at Tientsin, China, when the Japanese army blockaded the foreign concession there.
In December 1941, a few days after the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, Homma, then a lieutenant general, led the Japanese invasion of the Philippine Islands. Although it was commonly supposed that Homma had been superseded by General Tomoyuki Yamashita after the campaign bogged down at Bataan and Corregidor, subsequent evidence suggested that Homma held the supreme command throughout the campaign. He also directed the mopping-up actions against stray U.S. and Filipino forces in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
Homma, who arrived in Tokyo to surrender to U.S. forces on Sept. 14, 1945, was brought to trial in December. He was formally charged with having been responsible for the Bataan Death March, which occurred shortly after the Japanese conquest. It was estimated that some 10,000 Filipino and U.S. troops died during the forced march. Convicted of ordering the death march and for condoning other atrocities, Homma was executed by a firing squad.
Copyright © 1994-2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com.
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
Shop HISTORY
-
WWII in HD DVD Set
The only people to see the war like this were the ones who lived it. Until now… Own this best-selling series today!
$29.95
-
The Color Of War DVD Set
Own this groundbreaking series featuring authentic color footage of World War II.
$49.95
-
Email Updates
Keep up with the latest History shows, online features, special offers and more.
Sign upClassroom Study Guides
-
Vietnam in HD Teacher's Guide (PDF)
Classroom companion for the new HISTORY series Vietnam in HD.
