Shirō Takasu
Admiral was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Biography Takasu was a native of Sakuragawa Village, (currently part of Inashiki, Ibaraki), and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura. He served his midshipman duty on the cruisers and , and as sublieutenant on the battleship , cruiser , and battlecruiser . Takasu was commissioned as a lieutenant in December 1913, serving on the battleship , followed by the cruiser . He attended the 17th class of the Naval Staff College and was promoted to lieutenant commander upon graduation in December 1919. On June 23, he was assigned as a military attaché to the United Kingdom and was promoted to commander in December of the same year. During his time in the UK, Takasu was instrumental in intelligence activities to obtain British naval aviation technology for the Japanese navy to use. This work included recruiting both the Sempill Mission and Frederick Rutland to come to Japan. After his return to Japan in 1924, he served as executive officer on the cruiser . A year later, he was assigned as