Central China Expeditionary Army

Central China Expeditionary Army (Japanese: 中支那派遣軍, Nakashina hakengun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Central China Expeditionary Army
Japanese: 中支那派遣軍
Nakashina hakengun
ActiveNovember 7, 1937 - September 23, 1939
CountryEmpire of Japan
BranchImperial Japanese Army
TypeInfantry
RoleArmy Corps
EngagementsBattle of Xuzhou
Battle of Wuhan

On November 7, 1937 Japanese Central China Area Army (CCAA) was organized as a reinforcement expeditionary army by combining the Shanghai Expeditionary Army (SEF) and the IJA Tenth Army. General Iwane Matsui was appointed as its commander-in-chief, concurrent with his assignment as commander-in-chief of the SEF. Matsui reported directly to Imperial General Headquarters. After the Battle of Nanjing, the CCAA was disbanded on February 14, 1938 and its component units were reassigned to the Central China Expeditionary Army.

On September 12, 1939 by Army Order 362, the China Expeditionary Army was formed with the merger of the Central China Expeditionary Army with the Northern China Area Army.

List of Commanders

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Name From To
1 General Shunroku Hata 14 February 1938 14 December 1938
2 Lieutenant General Otozō Yamada 15 December 1938 23 September 1939
Name From To
1 General Masakazu Kawabe 15 February 1938 30 January 1939
2 Lieutenant General Teiichi Yoshimoto 31 January 1939 23 September 1939