Nineteenth Army (Japan)

Japanese Nineteenth Army
Active December 19, 1942 - February 28, 1945　
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Corps
Garrison/HQ Ambon
Nickname Ken (堅 Tough)

The Japanese 19th Army (第19軍 Dai-jyūkyū gun) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.

History

The Japanese 19th Army was created on December 19, 1942 and assigned as a garrison force for the eastern portion of Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies from January 7, 1943 under the administrative control of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group. It was headquartered on Ambon. On October 30, 1943, the IJA 19th Army came under the control of the Japanese Second Area Army, a subsidiary of the Kwantung Army as Imperial General Headquarters began planning for a projected invasion of northern Australia.

The projected invasion never occurred, and the IJA 19th Army remained on Ambon, largely cut off from reinforcements and resupply as the Allies bypassed Ambon in their island-hopping campaign in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. It was demobilized on February 28, 1945 largely without having seen combat.

List of commanders

Commanding Officer

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Nobumasa Tominaga22 December 194215 October 1943
2Lieutenant General Kenzo Kitano15 October 19431 March 1945

Chief of Staff

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Shinnosuke Sasa22 December 19427 January 1944
2Lieutenant General Takeshi Mori17 January 19441 March 1945

References

External links