Sixth Army (Japan)

Japanese Sixth Army

Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank destroyed at Nomonhan
Active August 4, 1939 - August 15, 1945　
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Corps
Garrison/HQ Hailar, Manchukuo
Nickname Mamoru (守 Protect?)
Engagements Battle of Khalkhin Gol
Second Sino-Japanese War
 
Japanese 6th Army (1937)
Parent unit
Components
 
Japanese 6th Army (1945)
Parent unit
Components
  • 70th Infantry Division
  • 133rd Infantry Division
  • IJA 66th Independent Combined Brigade
  • IJA 89th Independent Combined Brigade
  • IJA 91st Independent Combined Brigade

The Japanese 6th Army (第6軍 Dai-roku gun?) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army initially based in Manchukuo as a garrison force under the overall command of the Kwantung Army. At the end of World War II] it was active in east China.

Contents

History

The Japanese 6th Army was initially raised on August 4, 1939 in Manchukuo as a garrison force to guard the western borders against possible incursions by the Soviet Red Army. It was a major participant in the Nomonhan Incident, during which time it took severe casualties. Afterwards, it was initially assigned to Hailar, in Inner Mongolia which was also the site of an extensive Japanese static military fortification system. During much of the Second Sino-Japanese War, it remained a reserve and training garrison force.

On January 26, 1945, the Japanese Sixth Army was re-assigned to the control of the China Expeditionary Army, and was sent south to bolster Japanese forces in the strategic Wuhan-Changsha front, filling the gap left by the departure of Japanese forces in the southward Operation Ichi-Go thrust. At the surrender of Japan, it was disbanded at Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.

List of commanders

Commanding officer

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Rippei Ogisu 1 August 1939 6 November 1938
2 Lieutenant General Touji Yasui 6 November 1938 15 October 1941
3 General Seiichi Kita 15 October 1941 1 March 1943
4 Lieutenant General Teizo Ishiguro 1 March 1943 7 January 1944
5 Lieutenant General Jiro Sogawa 7 January 1944 September 1945

Chief of Staff

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Tetsukuma Fujimoto 1 August 1939 2 December 1940
2 Lieutenant General Minoru Sasaki 2 December 1940 1 July 1942
3 Lieutenant General Takeshi Mori 1 July 1942 3 February 1943
4 Major General Takashi Iketa 3 February 1943 25 February 1944
5 Major General Ryoichi Kudo 25 February 1944 September 1945

References

External links