Fifteenth Army (Japan)

The Japanese 15th Army (第15軍 , Dai-jyūgo gun^?) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the World War II.

History

The Japanese 15th Army was formed on November 9. 1941 as a component of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group for the specific task of invading the British colony of Burma.

Under Lieutenant General Shōjirō Iida, the IJA 15th Army invaded southern Burmese province of Tenasserim. The Fifteenth Army consisted initially of the highly regarded 33rd Infantry Division and the 55th Infantry Division, which attacked from northern Thailand, which had signed a treaty of friendship with Japan on December 21, 1941. The 15th Army quickly advanced through southern Burma, defeating the British and Indian Burma Army in several engagements, and capturing the capital, Rangoon by March 7, 1942. The Army was reinforced by troops released by the Fall of Singapore and drove northwards into central Burma, defeating the British Burma Corps and the Chinese forces, ultimately driving the Allies from Burma.

During the following year, the Army remained as a garrison force in Burma, defeating an Allied offensive in Arakan and inflicting heavy casualties on a long-range penetration raid under Orde Wingate.

In 1944, Fifteenth Army became part of the Burma Area Army. Lieutenant General Iida was posted back to Japan and Lieutenant General Renya Mutaguchi took command. He forcefully advocated an offensive against British India. The offensive, Operation U-Go, was launched in March. As a result of poor logistics and Mutaguchi's underestimation of the difficulties, the Fifteenth Army was almost destroyed in the Battle of Imphal and the Battle of Kohima.

Mutaguchi, his Chief of Staff and several other officers were removed in the aftermath, and Lieutenant General Shihachi Katamura as assigned to command. As the monsoon season ended, the remnants of Fifteenth Army attempted to forestall an Allied offensive into Burma by withdrawing behind the Irrawaddy River. They were unable to prevent British and Indian troops securing bridgeheads across the river, and the army was weakened by losses and detachments to other parts of the front. Once Mandalay was captured, the Fifteenth Army could only retreat southwards, badly disorganised.

The remnants of Fifteenth Army were later absorbed as a subsidiary unit within the Japanese 18th Area Army.

The IJA 15th Army was demobilized at Lampang Province, Thailand on the surrender of Japan in 1945.

List of Commanders

Commanding officers

Chief of staff

References

• Latimer, Jon (2004). Burma: The Forgotten War. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0719565762. 
• Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW. 

External links

• Wendel, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook". Japanese Fifteenth Army. http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6926. 

Notes