List of Air Fleets of the Imperial Japanese Navy

During the Pacific War of 1941-45, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service disposed of an increasing number of "air fleets" - airborne combat units attached to the Navy. The 1st Air Fleet was the primary carrier unit, while other Air Fleets were for defence, training or supporting naval operations in particular theatres.

1st Air Fleet

The 1st Air Fleet (第一航空艦隊, Dai-Ichi Kōkū Kantai) formed the primary carrier fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), a grouping of naval aircraft and aircraft carriers that at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, was the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet. As losses mounted, the carriers were removed and the 1st Air Fleet was transformed into a land based Naval aviation force forward based on islands and land masses along the perimeter of the Japanese controlled sphere.

2nd Air Fleet

The 2nd Air Fleet (第二航空艦隊, Dai-Ni Kōkū Kantai) was organized late in the War to defend the National Defence Zone along with 1st Air Fleet. Their area of responsibility was based in the Kyūshū-Okinawa-Formosa district. In October 1944 Vice admiral Shigeru Fukudome moved his HQ from Taiwan to Manila. There he was reinforced and charged with a share of the air defense of the Philippines. However, most of the airplanes and pilots disappeared in November 1944 as a result of fighting against the Halsey Fleet from the front during the Philippines Campaign. Soon thereafter, in Jan 1945, the 2nd Air Fleet was dissolved and merged into the 1st Air Fleet.

Date Higher unit Lower units
15 June 1944 (original) Imperial General Headquarters 141st NAG,[1] 345th NAG, 762nd NAG
10 July 1944 Combined Fleet 21st Air Flotilla, 25th Air Flotilla, 141st NAG, 221st NAG, 341st NAG, 762nd NAG, 763rd NAG,
Kyūshū NAG[2]
8 January 1945 disbanded
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Vice-Admiral Shigeru Fukudome 15 June 1944
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Rear-Admiral Ushie Sugimoto 15 June 1944
2 Rear-Admiral Tomozō Kikuchi 27 October 1944

3rd Air Fleet

The 3rd Air Fleet (第三航空艦隊, Dai-San Kōkū Kantai) was in charge of air defense of Eastern Japan.

Date Higher unit Lower units
10 July 1944 (original) Combined Fleet 27th Air Flotilla
15 December 1944 Combined Fleet 25th Air Flotilla, 27th Air Flotilla, 131st NAG, 210th NAG, 252 NAG, 343rd NAG, 601st NAG, 706th NAG, 722nd NAG, 752nd NAG, 801st NAG 1023rd NAG
25 May 1945 Combined Fleet 13th Air Flotilla, 25th Air Flotilla, 27th Air Flotilla
15 October 1945 disbanded
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Vice-Admiral Shun'ichi Kira 10 July 1944
2 Vice-Admiral Kinpei Teraoka 17 November 1944
3 Vice-Admiral Sadayoshi Yamada 26 August 1945
x vacant post 1 October 1945
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Rear-Admiral Kanzō Miura 10 July 1944 WIA on 30 July 1944
x vacant post 31 July 1944
2 Captain Tarō Taguchi 1 August 1944
x vacant post 26 December 1944
3 Captain Chūzaburō Yamazumi 1 January 1945
4 Captain Chihaya Takahashi 26 August 1945
x vacant post 1 October 1945

5th Air Fleet

The 5th Air Fleet (第五航空艦隊, Dai-Go Kōkū Kantai) was in charge of the air defense of Western Japan.

Date Higher unit Lower units
10 February 1945 (original) Combined Fleet 203rd NAG, 701st NAG, 721st NAG, 762nd NAG, 801st NAG, 1022nd NAG,
Kyūshū NAG, Nansei-Shotō NAG
25 May 1945 Combined Fleet 12th Air Flotilla, 72nd Air Flotilla, Takuma NAG, 171st NAG, 634th NAG, 701st NAG, 721st NAG, 762nd NAG, 801st NAG, 931st NAG
Kyūshū NAG, San'in NAG, Nansei-Shotō NAG, Naikai NAG, Saikai NAG
10 October 1945 disbanded
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Vice-Admiral Matome Ugaki 10 February 1945 KIA on 15 August 1945
x vacant post 16 August 1945
2 Vice-Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka 17 August 1945
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Captain
Rear-Admiral		 Toshiyuki Yokoi 10 February 1945
1 May 1945

10th Air Fleet

The 10th Air Fleet (第十航空艦隊, Dai-Jū Kōkū Kantai) was a training unit.

Date Higher unit Lower units
1 March 1945 (original) Combined Fleet 11th CAG,[3] 12th CAG, 13th CAG
1 June 1945 Combined Fleet Kasumigaura NAG, Yatabe NAG, Hyakurihara NAG, Jinmachi NAG, 2nd Kōriyama NAG, Matsushima NAG, Tōkyō NAG, Genzan NAG
10 October 1945 disbanded
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Vice-Admiral Minoru Maeda 1 March 1945
x vacant post 1 October 1945
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Rear-Admiral Chikao Yamamoto 1 March 1945
2 Captain
Rear-Admiral		 Shigenori Kami 20 June 1945
15 September 1945
LODD on 15 September 1945
x vacant post 16 September 1945

11th Air Fleet

The 11th Air Fleet (第十一航空艦隊, Dai-Jūichi Kōkū Kantai) was a grouping of naval aviation and surface units based in Formosa that moved through the Philippines and New Guinea then supported the Solomon Islands campaign during the Japanese advance at the start of the war. Heavily engaged in the Guadalcanal Campaign. From the end of 1942 they provided air cover to the Southeast Area Fleet.

12th Air Fleet

The 12th Air Fleet (第十二航空艦隊, Dai-Jūni Kōkū Kantai) was in charge of air cover for the Northeast Area Fleet.

Date Higher unit Lower units
18 May 1943 (original) Combined Fleet No units, they were existence only in the documents.
5 August 1943 Northeast Area Fleet 24th Air Flotilla, 27th Air Flotilla, 51st Air Flotilla,
Horomushiro Communication Unit, 5th Weather Observation Unit
1 April 1944 Northeast Area Fleet 27th Air Flotilla, 51st Air Flotilla,
Horomushiro Communication Unit, 5th Weather Observation Unit, 41st Air Base Unit
5 December 1944 Combined Fleet 452nd NAG, Hokutō NAG, Chishima Base Force
1 March 1945 Combined Fleet Hokutō NAG, Chishima Base Force
30 November 1945 disbanded
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1Vice-AdmiralMichitarō Tozuka 18 May 1943
5 August 1943 Commander in chief of the Northeast Area Fleet
2Vice-AdmiralEiji Gotō 15 September 1944 Commander in chief of the Northeast Area Fleet
5 December 1944
15 February 1945 Commander in chief of the Ōminato Guard District
3 Vice-Admiral Kanji Ugaki 15 March 1945 Commander in chief of the Ōminato Guard District
x vacant post 1 October 1945
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1Rear-AdmiralYoshiyuki Ichimiya 18 May 1943
5 August 1943 Chief of staff of the Northeast Area Fleet
5 December 1944
2 Rear-Admiral Tsuyoshi Matsumoto 6 February 1945
3 Rear-Admiral Zensuke Kanome 15 February 1945 Chief of staff of the Ōminato Guard District
Commander of the Ōminato Transportation Department
x vacant post 1 October 1945

13th Air Fleet

The 13th Air Fleet (第十三航空艦隊, Dai-Jūsan Kōkū Kantai) was in charge of air cover for the Southwest Area Fleet.

Date Higher unit Lower units
20 September 1943 (original) Combined Fleet No units, they were existence only in the documents.
1 January 1944 Southwest Area Fleet 23rd Air Flotilla, 28th Air Flotilla, 732nd NAG
15 August 1944 Southwest Area Fleet 28th Air Flotilla, 381st NAG, 102nd Air Base Unit, 104th Air Base Unit
15 December 1944 Southwest Area Fleet 28th Air Flotilla, Malay NAG, Tōin NAG
5 February 1945 10th Area Fleet 23rd Air Flotilla, 28th Air Flotilla, 11th AG,[4] 12th AG, 13th AG, 31st AG, 936th NAG, Malay NAG, Tōin NAG
1 June 1945 10th Area Fleet 28th Air Flotilla, 31st AG, 381st NAG
12 September 1945 Surrendered to United Kingdom in Singapore.
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Vice-Admiral
Admiral		 Shirō Takasu 20 September 1943
1 March 1944 		Commander in chief of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
2Vice-AdmiralGun'ichi Mikawa 18 July 1944 Commander in chief of the Southwest Area Fleet
15 August 1944 Commander in chief of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
3 Vice-Admiral Denshichi Ōkawachi 1 November 1944 Commander in chief of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
4 Vice-Admiral Minoru Tayui 8 January 1945 Commander in chief of the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
5Vice-AdmiralShigeru Fukudome 13 January 1945 IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
5 February 1945 Commander in chief of the 10th Area Fleet and the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral		 Takeo Tada 20 September 1943
1 November 1943 		Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
2 Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral		 Hidehiko Nishio 1 March 1944
15 October 1944 		Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet
3Rear-AdmiralKaoru Arima 1 November 1944 Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
Commander of the 31st Special Base Force
17 November 1944 Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
4Rear-AdmiralBunji Asakura 8 January 1945 Chief of staff of the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
5 February 1945 Chief of staff of the 10th Area Fleet and the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet

14th Air Fleet

The 14th Air Fleet (第十四航空艦隊, Dai-Jūyon Kōkū Kantai) was in charge of air cover for the Central Pacific Area.

Date Higher unit Lower units
4 March 1944 (original) Central Pacific Area Fleet 22nd Air Flotilla, 26th Air Flotilla, Seaplane tender Akitsushima
5 May 1944 Central Pacific Area Fleet Seaplane tender Akitsushima
8 July 1944 HQ was annihilated
18 July 1944 disbanded
Rank Name Date Note, additional post
1 Vice-Admiral
Admiral		 Chūichi Nagumo 4 March 1944
8 July 1944 		Commander in chief of the Central Pacific Area Fleet
KIA on 8 July 1944
x vacant post 9 July 1944
Rank Name Date Additional post
1 Rear-Admiral
VIce-Admiral		 Hideo Yano 4 March 1944
8 July 1944 		Chief of staff of the Central Pacific Area Fleet
KIA on 8 July 1944
x vacant post 9 July 1944

Footnotes

  1. ↑ NAG = Naval Air Group (海軍航空隊 Kaigun Kōkūtai). The same shall apply hereinafter.
  2. ↑ Description by the italic type character shows that they are "Category 'B' Naval Air Group" (海軍乙航空隊 Kaigun Otsu Kōkūtai). They defended the air base with anti-aircraft arms.
  3. ↑ CAG = Combined Air Group (聯合航空隊 Rengō Kōkūtai). The same shall apply hereinafter.
  4. ↑ AG = Air Group (航空隊 Kōkūtai). The same shall apply hereinafter.
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