was an Imperial Japanese naval commander during the Pacific War and the author of the IJN manual on torpedo attack techniques, notable for his skill in torpedo warfare and night fighting. Hara was the only IJN destroyer captain at the start of World War II to survive the entire war and his memoirs serve as an important source for historians. Early life Tameichi Hara was born on October 16, 1900 in a suburb of Takamatsu City on the island of Shikoku. A native of Kagawa Prefecture and of samurai descent, Hara graduated with the 49th class from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy at Etajima in 1921. In 1932 Hara was assigned as a surface warfare instructor and wrote a torpedo attack manual that was accepted as official doctrine. He began the war as the captain of destroyer . Military career Hara commanded a Japanese destroyer or destroyer division in many significant Pacific sea battles. As captain of the Amatsukaze Commander Hara participated in the Battle of the Java Sea, the sinking of the submarine , and the occupation of Christmas Island. He wrote in his memoirs of having sunk another submarine in a night action after detecting it when he saw a sailor topside on the vessel light a cigarette an estimated away. Under his command, Amatsukaze also took part in the Battle of Midway in June 1942 and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August 1942. On 13 November 1942 Hara’s Amatsukaze sank the during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal but was severely damaged in turn after Hara left his searchlights on too long and drew intense fire from the light cruiser . After Amatsukaze returned to Japan for repairs Hara was promoted to captain and given the command of Destroyer Division 27, flying his flag aboard . While this was technically a four-ship formation the demands on the Imperial navy were such that Hara's ships rarely operated together. While serving aboard Shigure, Hara was involved in several fierce naval engagements during the latter part of the Solomon Islands Campaign. While on a re-supply mission through Blackett Straight on 2 August 1943, Hara noticed a fireball exploding near leading destroyer Amagiri and ordered Shigure's crew to shoot at the burning wreckage of Lt. John F. Kennedy's Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109. During the Battle of Vella Gulf on 6–7 August Shigure was the only one of four Japanese destroyers