Fifth Army (Japan)

Japanese Fifth Army

Surrender of Japanese forces in Manchuria
Active December 7, 1937 - August 15, 1945　
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Corps
Garrison/HQ Andong, Manchukuo
Nickname Jōshudan (城集団 Castle?)
Engagements Soviet invasion of Manchuria
 
Japanese 5th Army (1938)
Parent unit
Components
 
Japanese 5th Army (1945)
Parent unit
Components
  • 124th Infantry Division
  • 126th Infantry Division
  • 135th Infantry Division
  • 15th Border Patrol Brigade
  • 1st Engineering Brigade

The Japanese 5th Army (第5軍 Dai-go gun?) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army based in Manchukuo as a garrison force during World War II under the overall command of the Kwantung Army.

Contents

History

The Japanese 5th Army was initially raised on December 7, 1937 in Manchukuo as a garrison force to guard the eastern borders against possible incursions by the Soviet Red Army. As it was based on the eastern frontier, it was not a participant in the Nomonhan Incident, but was temporarily disbanded on February 26, 1938. It was re-established on May 19, 1939 under the direct control of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. It afterwards came under the command of the Japanese First Area Army, under the overall command of the Kwantung Army, and was used primarily as a training and garrison force. Its equipment and experienced troops were siphoned off to other commands in the southeast Asia theatre of operations as the war situation gradually deteriorated for Japan. By the time of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, its poorly equipped and poorly trained forces were no longer a match for the experienced battle-hardened Soviet armored divisions, and it was driven back into defensive positions in Andong Province along the Korean border by the time of the surrender of Japan. It was formally disbanded at Jixi.

List of Commanders

Commanding officer

Name From To
1 General Motoo Furusho 8 December 1937 26 February 1938
2 General Kenji Doihara 19 May 1939 28 September 1940
3 Lieutenant General Shigeichi Hada 28 September 1940 15 October 1941
4 Lieutenant General Jo Iimura 15 October 1941 29 October 1943
5 Lieutenant General Toshimichi Uemura 29 October 1943 27 June 1944
6 Lieutenant General Noritsune Shimizu 27 June 1944 September 1945

Chief of Staff

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Masatake Shina 8 December 1937 26 February 1938
2 Lieutenant General Shizuo Kurashige 19 May 1939 9 March 1940
3 Lieutenant General Shira Makino 9 March 1940 24 April 1941
4 Lieutenant General Senichi Tasaka 24 April 1941 1 July 1942
5 Major General Masazumi Ineda 1 July 1942 22 February 1943
6 Lieutenant General Tadasu Kataoka 22 February 1943 3 August 1944
7 Major General Shigesada Kawagoe 3 August 1944 September 1945

References

External links