Organization of Japanese forces in Southeast Asia

Organization of Japanese forces in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II.

Southern Army Command (Indochina HQ)

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Japanese Forces in Hong-Kong

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  • Takeo Ito: Commanding Officer Infantry Group 38th Division, Hong Kong
  • Rensuke Isogai: Governor-General of Hong Kong
  • Major-General Ichiki: Head Secretariat to Governor-General of Hong Kong
  • Juro Adachi: General Officer Commanding Hong Kong Defence Force
  • Major-General Arisue: Chief of Staff 23rd Army, China-Hong Kong

Conformation of Indochina Army Garrison

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Commanders-in-Chief Indochina Army Garrison

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  • Yuitsu Tsuchihashi:- Commanding General, Indo-China Garrison Army
  • Hisaichi Terauchi:- Commander-in-Chief, Southern Army, Field Marshal; formally surrendered his command, Saigon, was moved to Malaya, died at his quarters, Johore Bahru, of cerebral hemorrhage

Chief of Staff Indochina Army Garrison

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  • Shinichi Tanaka:- Chief of Staff, Inspectorate General, LOC; inspection tour, French Indo-China, LtGen, inspection tours of French Indo-China, Thailand, Malaya, Philippines

Staff officers, Indochina Army Garrison

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Commander of Transportation regiment Imperial Guards, Indochina detachment

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  • Nobuyoshi Obata:- Commanding Officer, Transportation Regiment, Imperial Guard Division, (Tokyo; French Indo-China; Malaya; Sumatra)

Commanders of Regular Armies, Indochina Army Garrison

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  • Yuitsu Tsuchihashi:- Commanding General, Thirty-eighth Army (Indo-China)
  • Lieutenant-General Chijisima: Governor-General of Indo-China
  • Shōjirō Iida: General Officer Commanding 25th Army, Indo-China

Unit in Indochina

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  • 11th Base Unit (Saigon)
  • Fifteenth Army Detachment
  • Imperial Guard Division in South French Indo-China
  • 55th Division headquarters were in French Indo-China

Air Squadrons in Indochina area

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  • Japanese Navy units:
  • Japanese Army units:
  • Kiyotake Kawaguchi, command the Kawaguchi Expeditionary Detachment struck at British Borneo.
  • Utata Fukunaga : Commanding Officer 16th Field Transport Command, Malaya
  • Lieutenant-General Inoue: General Officer Commanding 94th Division, Malaya
  • Teizo Ishiguro Led the Twenty-ninth Army (with 94th Division, etc.): Malay Peninsula

Structures of Japanese forces in Penang Region

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  • Masakichi Itami: Governor-General of Penang Region

Organization of Japanese forces in Philippines

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Operative Commanders in Philippine Campaign

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  • Masaharu Homma:- Fourteenth Army Commander, (Philippines Campaign)
  • Kenzo Kitano:- 4th Division Commander, from Shanghai to Philippines campaign
  • Makino Shiro:- 16th Division Commander (Leyte)
  • Sōsaku Suzuki:- Thirty-fifth Army Commander (Central and Southern Philippines), killed in action
  • Yuitsu Tsuchihashi:- 48th Division Commander (Philippines operation)
  • Tadasu Kataoka:- 1st Division Chief
  • Tsuyuo Yamagata:- 26th Division Commander
  • Shigenori Kuroda:- Fourteenth Army Commander
  • Shinpei Fukuei:- led the 102nd Division
  • Shizuo Yokoyama:- led the 8th Division (Shinbu Group)
  • Rikichi Tsukada:- command the 10th Division and 1st Raiding Group (Kembu Group)
  • Fourteenth Area Army (Shobu Group)
  • Tomoyuki Yamashita:- Twenty-fifth Army Commander, (took Singapore, conquered Bataan and Corregidor), also Fourteenth Area Army Commander, arrived Manila, directed Philippines Campaign, surrendered, Baguio

Commanding Generals of Army Units in the Philippines

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  • Yoshiharu Iwanaka: General Officer Commanding 2nd Armored Division, Philippines
  • Torao Ikuta: Commandant Manila Garrison
  • Masaharu Homma General Officer Commanding 14th Army, Philippines
  • Takichi Hōjō: Commanding Officer 54th Independent Mixed Brigade, Philippines
  • Lieutenant-General Igatu: General Officer Commanding Prisoner of War Camps Philippines
  • Masatsugu Araki: Commanding Officer 79th Brigade, Philippines
  • Isamu Chō: Southern Army Liaison Officer to 14th Army, Philippines
  • Shinpei Fukei: General Officer Commanding 102nd Division, Philippines and General Officer Commanding 102nd Division, Philippines
  • Jiro Harada: General Officer Commanding 10th Division and General Officer Commanding 100th Division, Philippines
  • Yoshihide Hayashi: Director-General of Military Administration Philippines

Commanders of Army Air Force, during Philippines Campaign

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Commanders of Japanese Army Airborne units, Philippines Campaign

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  • Rikishi Tsukada:- Commanding General, 1st Airborne Raiding Group, moved to Luzon-participated in battle for Clark Field

Units in Philippines

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  • 31st Special Base Unit (Manila)
  • 32nd Special Base Unit (Davao)
  • 33rd Special Base Unit (Cebu)
  • 18th Division (Leyte Island)
  • 102d Division (Visayas)
  • 100th Division Davao (Mindanao)
  • 30th Division Cagayan (Mindanao)
  • 54th Independent Mixed Brigade Zamboanga (Mindanao)
  • 55th Independent Mixed Brigade (Jolo Island)
  • 4th Tank Regiment - Lieut. Colonel Kumagaya
  • 7th Tank Regiment - Colonel Sonoda
  • 7th Independent Tank Company - Captain Kono
  • 1st Independent Tank Company - Captain Uchida
  • 2nd Independent Tank Company - Captain Kurobe
  • Itoh SNLF Tank Company - Major Itoh
  • 2nd Tank Division - Lieut. General Iwanaka
  • 8th Independent Tank Company - 1st Lt. Matsumoto
  • 9th Independent Tank Company - 1st Lt. Nakajima
  • Iwashita Independent Tank Company - Captain Iwashita
  • Sumi Independent SP Gun Company - Captain Sumi
  • 3rd Tank Brigade - Brigadier General Shigemi
  • 6th Tank Regiment - Colonel Ida
  • 10th Tank Regiment - Colonel Harada
  • 4th Tank Brigade
  • 11th Tank Regiment

Air Squadrons in Philippines

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Organization of Japanese units in Singapore

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Commander in Chief, Seventh Area Army

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Deputy Chief of Staff, Singapore Units

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Officers attached to Seventh Area Army HQ

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  • Kitsuju Ayabe:- assigned to Seventh Area Army Headquarters (Singapore)

Chief of Staff, Seventh Area Army

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  • Kitsuju Ayabe:- Chief of Staff, Seventh Area Army, till end of War

Chiefs of Unit 9420, Singapore

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Commanders of regular Armies, Malay Peninsula

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  • Twenty-ninth Army Commander, Teizo Ishiguro
  • 94th Division, Commander Teizo Ishiguro (HQ in Malay Peninsula)
  • Satoshi Kinoshita (木下敏 中将): Commander of Third Air Army was assigned to Singapore, where it controlled the 5th, 7th, and 9th Air Divisions, etc.
  • Major-General Arimina: Commandant Changi Jail, Singapore
  • Kitsuju Ayabe: Chief of Staff 7th Area Army, Singapore
  • Shinpei Fukei: Commandant Prisoner of War Camps, Singapore
  • Kenji Doihara: Commander in Chief 7th Area Army, Singapore
  • Masazumi Inada: Commanding Officer 3rd Shipping Transport Command, Singapore
  • Kiyotake Kawaguchi, commanded the Kawaguchi Expeditionary Detachment striking at British Borneo.
  • Utata Fukunaga: Commanding Officer 16th Field Transport Command, Malaya
  • Lieutenant-General Inoue: General Officer Commanding 94th Division, Malaya
  • Teizo Ishiguro: Led the Twenty-ninth Army (with 94th Division, etc.): Malay Peninsula

Structures of Japanese forces in Penang Region

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  • Masakichi Itami: Governor-General of Penang Region

Operative units in Malaya area

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  • 1st Tank Regiment - Colonel Mukaida
  • 6th Tank Regiment - Colonel Kawamura
  • 14th Tank Regiment - Colonel Kita

Chiefs of Regular Armies, Singapore Campaign

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  • Tomoyuki Yamashita:- Twenty-fifth Army Commander, (took Singapore, conquered Bataan and Corregidor)

Japanese Units in Singapore, Andaman and Malaya

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  • 10th Special Base Unit (Singapore)
  • 12th Special Base Unit (Andaman)
  • 15th Base Unit (Penang)
  • Seventh Area Army (Singapore) - Kenji Doihara
  • Sixteenth Army
  • Twenty-fifth Army
  • Twenty-ninth Army

Japanese Army organization in Andaman/Nicobar Islands

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  • Yoshisuke Inoue: Commanding Officer 35th Independent Mixed Brigade, Andaman Islands
  • Major-General Saburo Isoda: Japanese Liaison Officer to Indian National Army
  • Toshio Itsuki: Commanding Officer 36th Independent Mixed Brigade, Nicobar Islands
  • Hideo Iwakuro: Japanese Liaison Officer to Indian National Army

Japanese Air Force Commanders in Singapore

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Air Units in Malaya, Singapore

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Organization of Burmese Army Detachment

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Commanders-in-Chief, Burma Area Army

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Chief of Staff, Burma Area Army

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Commanders in regular Armies, Burma Area

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  • Shinichi Tanaka:- 18th Division Commander (Burma)
  • Masakazu Kawabe led the (Burma Area Army)
  • Shozo Sakurai Commanded the Twenty-eighth Army
  • Kōtoku Satō command the 31st Division
  • Yuzo Matsuyama 56th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General
  • Masabumi Yamauchi led the 15th Division
  • Renya Mutaguchi, who had command of the Fifteenth Army
  • Hideo Iwakuro: Chief of Staff 55th Division, Burma and Chief of Staff 28th Army, Burma
  • Takeakira Isomura: Deputy Chief of Staff Burma Area Army, Burma
  • Haruki Isayama, : Chief of Staff 15th Army, Burma
  • Shōjirō Iida: General Officer Commanding 15th Army, Thailand-Burma
  • Masaki Honda: General Officer Commanding 33rd Army, Burma
  • Jiro Ichida : Vice Chief of Staff Burma Area Army
  • Tuyoji Hirano,: Commanding Officer Kempeitai 25th Army, Sumatra
  • Toshiji Aida : Commanding Officer Infantry Group 18th Division, Burma
  • Iwaichi Fujiwara: Chief of Intelligence 15th Army, Burma
  • Tadashi Hanaya: General Officer Commanding 55th Division, Burma
  • Yoshihide Hayashi: Commanding Officer 24th Independent Mixed Brigade, Burma and General Officer Commanding 53rd Division, Burma

Operative units in Burma

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  • 1st Company/2nd Tank Regiment - First Lieut. Okada
  • 14th Tank Regiment - Lieut.Colonel Ueda

Air Units in Burma

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Japanese Units in Thailand

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Eighteenth Area Army Commander

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  • Aketo Nakamura:- Eighteenth Area Army Commander
  • Shihachi Katamura:- Fifteenth Army Commander
  • Aketo Nakamura: Led The Eighteenth Area Army, was stationed in Thailand
  • Masachika Hirata: General Officer Commanding 22nd Division, Thailand
  • Tadashi Hanaya: Chief of Staff 18th Area Army, Thailand
  • Shōjirō Iida: General Officer Commanding 15th Army, Thailand
  • Katsumi Adachi: General Officer Commanding 4th Special Railway Corps, Thailand
  • Hitoshi Hamada: Chief of Staff 39th Army, Thailand: Deputy Chief of Staff 18th Area Army, Thailand and Second Superintendent of Railways, Thailand

Conformation of Japanese forces in the Dutch East Indies

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Commanders in Japanese forces detachment, Dutch East Indies

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  • Kenzo Kitano:- Nineteenth Army Commander (Headquarters: Amboina)
  • Yuichiro Nagano:- Commander Sixteenth Army and 48th Division (Headquarters: Java)
  • Moritake Tanabe:- Twenty-fifth Army and the Imperial Guard Division unit (Headquarters: Sumatra)
  • Fusataro Teshima:- Second Army Commander with leading of 5th, 32nd, 35th, and 36th Divisions comprised the heart of this army.

Commanders in Regular Armies, Dutch East Indies Campaign

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  • Kiyotake Kawaguchi:- Brigade Commander, 35th Infantry Brigade (MajGen), after outbreak of Pacific war, participated in Borneo invasion.[1]
  • Shizuo Sakaguchi: Commanded the Sakaguchi Detachment built around three infantry battalions detached on the eastern coast of Borneo.[2]
  • Moritake Tanabe: Commanding Twenty-fifth Army (with the Imperial Guard Division, etc.) Sumatra area.
  • Hitoshi Imamura: Commanding 16th Army, Java, then 8th Area Army (responsible for 17th Army in the Solomons and 18th Army in New Guinea)[3]
  • Yuichiro Nagano: Commanding 16th Army, Java
  • Kumachiki Hada: Commanding 16th Army, Java
  • Major-General Akashi: Commanding Officer 56th Independent Mixed Brigade, Borneo
  • Masao Baba General Officer Commanding 4th Division, Sumatra and General Officer Commanding 37th Army, Borneo
  • Shinichi Endo: Commanding Officer 57th Independent Mixed Brigade, Celebes
  • Major-General Ishiri: Commander in Moluccas Area
  • Takeo Itō: Commanding Officer 40th Independent Mixed Brigade, New Ireland Island from 8 July 1944[4]
  • Shigeo Iwabe: Commanding Officer 28th Independent Mixed Brigade, Java
  • Jo Iimura: Commander in Chief 2nd Area Army, Celebes

Units in the Dutch East Indies

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  • 21st Special Base Unit (Surabaya)
  • 22nd Special Base Unit (Balikpapan)
  • 23rd Special Base Unit (Makassar)
  • 25th Special Base Unit (Ambon)
  • Second Area Army (in the Celebes)
  • Thirty-seventh Army (in South Borneo) - Masao Baba
  • 4th Tank Regiment - Lieut.Colonel Kumagaya
  • 2nd Tank Regiment - Colonel Mori

Units in Halmahera island (Dutch East Indies)

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  • Imperial Army detachment
    • 32nd Division-Lieutenant-General Yoshiho Ishii
    • 128th Independent Mixed Brigade
  • Imperial Navy detachment
    • 26th Special Base Force - Vice-Admiral Shinichi Ichinose. (It was disbanded in the late World War II)

Japanese Air Units in the Dutch East Indies

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  1. ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Major-General Kiyotake Kawaguchi". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
  2. ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Major-General Shizuo Sakaguchi". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
  3. ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Lieutenant-General Hitoshi Imamura". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  4. ^ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Major-General Takeo Ito". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12.

References

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