Sixteenth Army (Japan)

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Japanese Sixteenth Army

Japanese troops enter Java
Active 1941-11-05-1945-08-15 
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Corps
Garrison/HQ Batavia
Nickname Osamu ( ?)
Engagements Battle of Java (1942)
Japanese 16th Army (1945)
Parent unit Japanese Seventh Area Army
Components
  • 48th Infantry Division
  • 27th Independent Combined Brigade
  • 28th Independent Combined Brigade

The Japanese 16th Army (第16軍 Dai-jyūrokugun?) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

Contents

[edit] History

The Japanese 16th Army was formed on 5 November 1941 under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group to coordinate the infantry divisions and other Japanese ground forces in the Invasion of Java in the Netherlands East Indies. It remained based on Java throughout the Pacific War as a garrison force.

On 27 March 1944, with the threat of possible landings of Allied forces to retake the Dutch East Indies increasing, the organizational structure of the Southern Expeditionary Army changed and the IJA 16th Army was reassigned to the Japanese Seventh Area Army. It remained headquartered in Jakarta as a garrison force as before.

The Japanese 16th Army was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945.

[edit] List of Commanders

[edit] Commanding officer

Name From To
1 General Hitoshi Imamura 6 November 1941 9 November 1942
2 Lieutenant General Kumakichi Harada 9 November 1942 7 April 1945
3 Lieutenant General Yuichiro Nagano 7 April 1945 September 1945

[edit] Chief of Staff

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Seizaburo Okazaki 6 November 1941 10 June 1943
2 Lieutenant General Shinshichiro Kokubu 10 June 1943 14 November 1944
3 Major General Shigeichi Yamamoto 14 November 1944 September 1945


[edit] References

[edit] Books

  • Frank, Richard B (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X. 
  • Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW. 

[edit] External links

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