Gunichi Mikawa (三川 軍一, Mikawa Gun'ichi, 29 August 1888 – 25 February 1981) was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that defeated the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of 8–9 August ...

After holding administrative posts, including posts in London, Paris, and at academies in Japan, Mikawa was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1936 and became Chief of Staff of the Second Fleet. He would command a number of fleets and battleships after which point.

From late 1943 until late 1944, Vice Admiral Mikawa was in charge of the Second South Sea Fleet and the Southwestern Area Fleet in the Philippines. Reassigned to Japan following the October 1944 Battle of Leyte Gulf, he left active duty in May 1945.

By noon, Eighth Fleet Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa (left); Ohmae, his chief of staff for the upcoming operation; and other fleet staff members had formulated a plan for a night surface attack led by the heavy cruiser Chokai (top) against the enemy vessels.

On the night of 11 October, Japanese naval forces in the Solomon Islands area—under the command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa—sent a major supply and reinforcement convoy to their forces on Guadalcanal. The convoy consisted of two seaplane tenders and six destroyers and was commanded by Rear Admiral Takatsugu Jojima.

Gunichi Mikawa (三川 軍一, Mikawa Gun'ichi?, 29 August 1888 – 25 February 1981) was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular IJN victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at...

Through a combination of determination, good luck, and lapses in command and control on the part of the Allied naval forces, Mikawa's force achieved total surprise, and quickly sank four Allied heavy cruisers while suffering only minor damage to his own vessels.

Gunichi Mikawa (三川 軍一, Mikawa Gun'ichi, 29 August 1888 – 25 February 1981) was a vice-admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that won a spectacular IJN victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on ...

Gunichi Mikawa (1880-1981) was a vice admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy, a specialist in torpedoes and gunnery who led cruiser-destroyer task forces, and later was the area commander for the Southwest Pacific during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Early on 9 August, Mikawa inflicted the worst defeat at sea the U.S. Navy ever sustained, sinking three American and one Australian cruiser while sustaining trifling damage in return. The calamity plus the withdrawal of the covering carrier task force compelled Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, the amphibious force commander, to pull back his ...