Organization of Kita and Minami Fortresses
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The Kita and Minani Fortresses were defensive structures of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy in the Kuril Archipelago.
The most northerly points were on the Kokutan and Kurabu Zaki capes, and its coastal front on the Shumushu Strait near Lopatka Cape in the Soviet Union's Kamchatka peninsula.
Mentioned military organization stay under led of Twenty-seventh Army (Chishima Area Base Unit or Kuril Area Army)led by Shozo Terakura;inside of Fifth Area Army with command of Kiichiro Higuchi(Hq in Sapporo, Hokkaido).the Twenty-seventh Army stay conformed by 42d and 91st Divisions.
[edit] Kurile fortresses
This defensive structure in the Kurile Islands was somewhat similar to the Karafuto fortifications. The key Japanese position was on Shumushu Island, whose defense consisted of permanent emplacements protected by field and AA artillery. A garrison of over 8,000 men reinforced by sixty tanks defended the islands of Shumushu and Paramushiro. All the coastal sections convenient for landings were covered with permanent emplacements and bunkers interconnected with underground passages and trenches. All the warehouses, power stations and hospitals were underground up to 50 m deep.
The other fortifications stay ubiqued in Paramushiro island, also exist some similar military building in others North Kuriles (Shimushiro, Onnekotan, Uruppu, Matsuwa, etc.) and Etorofu, Kunasiri, Shikotan and Habomai archipelago, in Southern Kuriles.
[edit] Kita Chisima Fortress
[edit] Shumushu Island
[edit] Shumushu Fortification System
- 9 Fortified instalations and 20 coastal defenses positions commanded from Kataoka Fortress.
[edit] Japanese Army Units
- 73th Infantry Brigade (Mjr. Gen. Iwao Zugino)
- 282nd Battalion
- 283rd Battalion
- 284th Battalion
- 285th Battalion
- 286th Battalion
- 287th Battalion
- 11th Tank Regiment (Col. Zueo Ikeda)
Equipped with: 20 Type 97-"Shinhoto Chi-Ha" Tank, 19 Type 97 "Chi-Ha" Medium Tank, 25 Type 95 "Ha-Go" Light Tanks.
- 12th or 2nd Tank Company
- 91th Division
- 1st Artillery Unit
- 2nd Artillery Unit
- 54th Air Regiment (4 Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa "Oscar", some Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki "Tojo" and possibly Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate "Frank" too)
[edit] Paramushiro Island
[edit] Paramushiro Fortification system
- less 2 or possibly more Fortifications and 6 or more coastal defensive positions leaded from Kashibawara Fortress
[edit] Japanese Army Units
- 91th Division Hq (Lt. Gen. Fuzai Tsutsumi)
- 74th Infantry Brigade (Major Zeiji Zato)
- 4th Tank Company (detachment of 11th Tank Regiment)
[edit] Japanese Navy Units in Shumushu and Paramushiro
- 51st Guards Unit (942 men)
- 52nd Guard Unit (333 men)
- Shumushu Signa Unit (42 men)
- 32th AA Defense Unit (18 men)
- Kita Chisima Naval Hq
- North East Fleet (Kashibawara and Kataoka Bases)
- North East Unit (189 men/4 Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" and probably Aichi D2A3 "Val" or Yokosuka D2Y2 "Judy" dive bombers)
- 12th Air Fleet Unit (equipped with Kawanishi H6K2 "Mavis"and Mitsubishi G4M2 "Bettys")
- Shimushu Detachment, Naval Air Group 203 (with Mitsubishi A6M5 "Zeke"and Nakajima J1N1-S "Irving" night fighter)
- Such units was reinforced for sometimes by Sea plane tender "Kimikawa Maru" (with 452nd Air Fleet aboard equipped wiith Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe" Hidro fighters)
- There was also a Japanese air early warning radar of unspecified type on the southern cape of Paramushiro, Kurabu Zaki, but its view of Shumushu was likely blocked by the 5958 foot volcano (apparently named Suribachi, like the one on Iwo Jima) in the center of Paramushiro.
[edit] Shimushiro Island
[edit] Shimushiro Fortification system
- less 2 or possibly more Fortifications and 6 or more coastal defensive positions leaded from Itarkioi and Ketoebone Fortresses
[edit] Japanese Army Units
- 42nd Division (Itarkioi and Ketoebone detachments)
[edit] Matsuwa Island
- 41th Independent Mixed Regimen (Colonel Ueda)
- 6th Independent Tank Company
- Matsuwa Army Field Battalion
- Matsuwa Air Intelligence Unit
[edit] Uruppu Island
- 129th Independent Mixed Brigade (Maj. Niho)
- 53th Anchorange Unit
- 6th Disembarcation Unit (800 men)
- 80th Airfield Battalion
- Uruppu Air Intelligence Unit (800 men)
- 5th Independent Tank Company
- 23th Independent AA Gun Company
- Total of units: 6,000 men
[edit] Another North Kuriles units
- Was possibly exist some units in Shashukotan (Ootome Base) and Onnekotan (Torushiri Base).
[edit] Minami Chisima Fortress
[edit] Etorofu Island
[edit] Etorofu Fortification system
Defensive organization commanded from Rubetsu Fortress, was divided in:
Etorofu District:
- -Shibetoro County
- Shibetoro Fortress
- -Shana County
- Shana Fortress
- Bettobu Fortress
- -Rubetsu or Etorofu County
- Toshimoe Fortress
- Rubetsu Fortress
- Tennel Fortress
- Naibo Fortress
- Riyaushi Fortress
- Tanemoe Fortress
[edit] Japanese Army Units
- 89th Division (Lt. Gen. Ogawa)
- 3rd Mixed Brigade
- 15th Independent Mortar Battalion
- 6th Independent Machine Gun Battalion
- 67th Independent Field Machine Cannon Company
- 23th Independent Field AA Gun Company
- 13th Independent Antitank Gun Company
- 6th Shipping Engineer Regiment
- Etorofu Air Intelligence Unit
[edit] Shikotan Island
- 4th Mixed Brigade
- 23th Independent Machine Gun Battalion
- 1st Mortar Company/15th Independent Mortar Battalion
[edit] Kunashiri Island
- 1st Battalion/4th Mixed Brigade
- 23rd Special Guards Company
