Japanese Thirteenth Area Army

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Japanese Thirteenth Area Army
Active 1945-02-01-1945-08-15
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Field Army
Garrison/HQ Nagoya
Nickname 秀 (Shū = “excellence”)
Japanese Thirteenth Area Army (1945)
Parent unit Japanese First General Army
Components

The Japanese Thirteenth Area Army (第13方面軍 Dai jyūhachi hōmen gun?) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final stages of World War II.

Contents

[edit] History

The Japanese 13th Area Army was formed on 1945-02-01 under the Japanese First General Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in central Honshū during Operation Downfall (or Operation Ketsugō (決号作戦 Ketsugō sakusen?) in Japanese terminology). The Japanese 13th Area Army was responsible for the Tōkai region of Japan and was headquartered in Nagoya.

It consisted mostly of poorly-trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. In addition, the Japanese had organized the Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps — which included all healthy men aged 15–60 and women 17–40 — to perform combat support, and ultimately combat jobs. Weapons, training, and uniforms were generally lacking: some men were armed with nothing better than muzzle-loading muskets, longbows, or bamboo spears; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had.[1]

The 13th Area Army was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945 without having seen combat.

[edit] List of Commanders

Name From To
Commanding officer Lieutenant General Tasuku Okada 1 February 1945 15 August 1945
Chief of Staff Major General Masuzo Fujimura 1 February 1942 5 July 1945
Chief of Staff Major General Yoshizo Shibata 5 July 1945 22 October 1945

[edit] References

[edit] Books

  • Drea, Edward J. (1998). "Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan", In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-1708-0. 
  • Frank, Richard B (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X. 
  • Jowett, Bernard (1999). The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841763543. 
  • Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW. 
  • Marston, Daniel (2005). The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841768820. 
  • Skates, John Ray (1994). The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb Downfall. New York: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-972-3. 

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Frank, Downfall, p. 188–9. Bauer and Coox, OLYMPIC VS KETSU-GO.
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