Mineichi Koga became Vice Chief of the Navy General Staff and promoted to vice admiral in December 1936 shortly before the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.
With the start of the Pacific War, Koga commanded naval operations during the capture of Hong Kong from 9 December-31 1941. Following the death of Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku on 19 April 1943, Koga succeeded Yamamoto as Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet.
His flagship was the battleship Musashi. Koga was killed when his plane, a Kawanishi “Emily” flying boat, crashed during a typhoon between Palau and Davao while overseeing the withdrawal of the Combined Fleet from its Palau headquarters on 31 March 1944. His death was not announced until May 1944 when he was formally replaced by Admiral Soemu Toyoda. Koga was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet posthumously and he was accorded a state funeral.
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