Japanese Pilot Rosters – Historically Completed

[Peiper1944]

Thank you very much for the two links; they are indeed very helpful.

The ww2in172.com page provides several additional pilot names for Akagi during the Pearl Harbor attack. I will compare them with the lists I have already reconstructed. Some of the spellings differ from those that appear in Japanese archival sources, so verifying the underlying kanji is important. Still, the information is very valuable as a starting point.

The j-aircraft.com list for the Midway operation is also useful. I will compare it with my existing Midway entries for Akagi’s squadrons and integrate the confirmed names into the larger roster project. Since my work also assigns historical entry dates and XP values for WITP:AE, these sources help clarify several cases that were previously uncertain.

Once I have reviewed and cross-checked both lists, I will update the pilot files accordingly. Over the weekend, I plan to begin posting the carrier fleet pilot lists in the thread. Before that, I will upload the Imperial Army order of battle as well as the Japanese operations with their code names from 07 December 1941 to 31 December 1941, so that the corresponding task forces can receive their historically accurate designations.

After that comes the carrier fleet, and then I want to test-play the game for a bit – using what is already finished and everything that is still missing – to get a sense of how the whole thing feels in actual gameplay.

[Peiper1944]

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ORDER OF BATTLE

IMPERIAL GENERAL HEADQUARTERS / ARMY SECTION (大本営陸軍部)
Status: 6 December 1941
(iThe army leadership, precisely defined, with personnel, tasks, and sub-structures[/i]

• []Supreme Commander: Tennō (Shōwa, Hirohito)
  []De facto principal military decision-maker: Gen. Hajime Sugiyama
  []Chief of the Army General Staff: Lt. Gen. Yoshijirō Umezu
  []Staff strength: approx. 1,700 officers
• Location: Tokyo, Imperial Palace compound, Daihon’ei complex

Brief assessment:
The Army General Staff was the nerve center. All threads came together here: the war against China, border tensions with the USSR, and the entire southern strategy. The whole thing was a bureaucratic serpent with more teeth than sense, but it operated with frightening efficiency.

Structure of the Army Section (Daihon’ei Rikugun-bu):

• []Army General Staff (Sanbō Honbu)
  []Ministry of the Army (Rikugun-shō)
  []Inspectorate General of Army Aviation
  []Inspectorate General of Military Education
  []Kenpeitai High Command
  []Army Aviation Headquarters (Kōkū Hombu)
  []Mobilisation Planning Bureaus
  []Strategic Intelligence Bureaus
• Liaison offices for Navy & government

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HOME DEFENSE FORCES (本土防衛軍)
With divisional commanders, garrison locations, and regimental commanders
Reference date: 6 December 1941

• []Commander, Home Defense Forces: Gen. Otozō Yamada
  []HQ: Tokyo
  []Overall strength: approx. 500,000 men
  []Mission: Homeland defense, coastal security, training, mobilisation

The home divisions were partly old formations, partly reserve units, and partly combat-experienced units returned from China.

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EASTERN DISTRICT ARMY (Tokyo)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Yoshio Shinozuka
  []HQ: Tokyo (Ichigaya)

12th Division (Tokyo)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Shigeru Katamura
  []HQ: Tokyo
• Status in 1941: Defense of the capital area, training, coastal sectors Chiba–Ibaraki

Regimental structure & commanders:

• 14th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Utsunomiya
  Regimental commander: Col. Yasuo Nakahara
  Note: One of the oldest regiments, dating back to 1871. Strong performance in training.
• 46th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Maebashi, Gunma
  Regimental commander: Col. Hiroshi Matsui
  Note: Strong reserve structure, many veterans from China.
• 48th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Fukushima
  Regimental commander: Col. Shunpei Takahashi
  Note: Focus on coastal defense north of Tokyo.
• 12th Field Artillery Regiment
  Garrison: Tokyo–Kawagoe area
  Regimental commander: Col. Giichi Tominaga
• 12th Engineer Regiment
  Garrison: Chiba
• 12th Transport Regiment
  Garrison: Tokyo–Suginami

16th Division (Kyoto)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Kesago Nakajima
  []HQ: Kyoto
• Status: Partially active, partly undergoing retraining, reserve for Malaya / Philippines

Regiments:

• 9th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Fukuchiyama
  Regimental commander: Col. Junichi Watanabe
• 20th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Kyoto
  Regimental commander: Col. Kiyoshi Senda
• 38th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Osaka
  Regimental commander: Col. Nobuo Nakashima
  
  []16th Field Artillery Regiment – Osaka
  []Engineer units – Uji
• Transport units – Kyoto

51st Division (Sendai)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Shizuo Tanaka
  []HQ: Sendai
• Status: Coastal defense of the Tōhoku region; intensive winter training

Regiments:

• 66th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Akita
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshio Isogai
• 102nd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Morioka
  Regimental commander: Col. Ichirō Matsunaga
• 115th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Fukushima
  Regimental commander: Col. Hideyuki Oka
  
  []51st Artillery Regiment – Sendai
  []Support units – Sendai–Yamagata

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CENTRAL DISTRICT ARMY (Osaka)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Kenryō Satō
  []HQ: Osaka

4th Division (Osaka)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Toshizō Nishio
  []HQ: Osaka
• Status: One of the oldest divisions of Japan.

Regiments:

• 8th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Wakayama
  Regimental commander: Col. Shinpei Gotō
• 37th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Osaka
  Regimental commander: Col. Kazuo Kurosawa
• 61st Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Nara
  Regimental commander: Col. Takeo Murai
  
  []Artillery units: Osaka
  []Engineer units: Kobe
• Transport units: Osaka

13th Division (Nagoya)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Takashi Sakai
  []HQ: Nagoya

Regiments:

• 65th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Gifu
  Regimental commander: Col. Tadashi Izawa
• 104th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Nagoya
  Regimental commander: Col. Katsujiro Hayashi
• 116th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Tsu (Mie)
  Regimental commander: Col. Ryōichi Hoshino
  
  []Artillery units: Nagoya
  []Engineer units: Toyota
• Transport units: Nagoya

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WESTERN DISTRICT ARMY (Kyūshū)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Jun Ushiroku
  []HQ: Kumamoto

56th Division (Kumamoto)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Shigemasa Nishio
  []Garrisons: spread across southern Kyūshū

Regiments:

• 111th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Kumamoto
  Regimental commander: Col. Kazuhiko Shimizu
• 112th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Kagoshima
  Regimental commander: Col. Chūji Satō
• 113th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Miyazaki
  Regimental commander: Col. Kenzō Fujita
  
  []Artillery units: Kumamoto
  []Engineer units: Ōita
• Transport units: Kumamoto

57th Independent Mixed Brigade

• []Commander: Maj. Gen. Yoshioka Tomoari
  []Location: Kokura / Kitakyūshū
• Mission: Coastal defense, minefields, fortress troops

BLOCK 2 – KWANTUNG ARMY & CEA

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KWANTUNG ARMY (関東軍)
Status: 6 December 1941
Manchukuo (満州国)

• []Overall commander: Gen. Shigeru Honjō
  []Chief of Staff: Lt. Gen. Kenji Doihara
  []HQ: 新京 (Hsinking / Changchun)
  []Overall strength: approx. 700,000 men
• Role: Anti-Soviet defense, mobile armored reserves, border security, control over the Manchukuo regime

The Kwantung Army was a “state within the state”: gigantic, paranoid, with more divisions than Japan had in the Home Islands. It was effectively the personal toy of the ultra-nationalists in the General Staff.
What follows is the full structure with all divisions, garrisons, commanders, and regimental leaders.

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3rd Army (Hsinking / Harbin)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Michitarō Komatsubara
  []HQ: Harbin
• Mission: Northern border, Amur sector, anti-Soviet defense

8th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Kōichi Abe
  []Headquarters: Hailar (海拉爾)
• Status: Main pillar of northern border security

Regiments:

• 2nd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hailar
  Regimental commander: Col. Masayoshi Inoue
  Note: Frequent maneuvers near the border; experienced in winter operations.
• 4th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Manzhouli
  Regimental commander: Col. Tadashi Hirano
  Special feature: Strong machine-gun companies.
• 16th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Zalantun
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshito Morita
  
  []8th Artillery Regiment – Hailar
  []Engineer units – Hailar
• Transport units – Hailar

10th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Jūrō Kataoka
  []HQ: Mutanchiang (穆棱江)
• Status: Large border corps, experienced in China, fully combat-ready in 1941.

Regiments:

• 39th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Mutanchiang
  Regimental commander: Col. Katsumi Shimizu
• 40th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Ningan
  Regimental commander: Col. Yasuharu Matsuki
• 63rd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Jiamusi
  Regimental commander: Col. Shigenobu Hata
  
  []10th Field Artillery Regiment – Mutanchiang
  []10th Engineer Regiment – Linkou
• Transport units – Mutanchiang

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4th Army (Qiqihar)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Yoshitake Miwa
  []HQ: Qiqihar
• Mission:[ Western Manchuria, defense in depth

1st Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Tadashi Katakura
  []HQ: Qiqihar
• Note: One of the oldest divisions, a prestige formation.

Regiments:

• 1st Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Qiqihar
  Regimental commander: Col. Hidemichi Masaki
• 49th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Angangxi
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshikazu Hori
• 57th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Bei’an
  Regimental commander: Col. Kenkichi Yamada
  
  []1st Artillery Regiment – Qiqihar
  []Engineer units – Qiqihar
• Transport units – Qiqihar

24th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Tsunenori Shigemi
  []HQ: Heiho (北安)
• Status: Border troops of medium quality, often used for security duties.

Regiments:

• 22nd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Heiho
  Regimental commander: Col. Shōjirō Akimoto
• 23rd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Bei’an area
  Regimental commander: Col. Shinichi Kobayashi
• 89th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Heihe
  Regimental commander: Col. Yūzō Sasaki
• 24th Artillery Regiment – Heiho

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20th Army (Antung / Mukden)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Korechika Anami
  []HQ: Mukden (奉天 / Shenyang)
• Mission: Southern Manchurian border, reserve combat formations, major transport hub

11th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Tadaichi Wakamatsu
  []HQ: Lianshan / Fushun
• Status: Experienced from China, well integrated and cohesive by 1941.

Regiments:

• 12th Infantry Regiment – Fushun
  Regimental commander: Col. Noboru Yokota
• 22nd Infantry Regiment – Benxi
  Regimental commander: Col. Masaru Fujisawa
• 44th Infantry Regiment – Lianshan
  Regimental commander: Col. Kunio Adachi
• Artillery units – Fushun

25th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Saburō Kawamura
  []HQ: Antung (丹東)
• Mission: Surveillance zone along the Korean border.

Regiments:

• 111th Infantry Regiment – Andong
  Regimental commander: Col. Kōhei Iijima
• 112th Infantry Regiment – Fengcheng
  Regimental commander: Col. Satoru Ishida
• 113th Infantry Regiment – Kuandian
  Regimental commander: Col. Junjirō Takeda

Manchukuo auxiliary units:

• []1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th Manchukuo Brigades
  []Main role: Security, railway protection, policing duties

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6th Army (Changchun) – Strategic Reserve

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Yasushi Katsuki
  []HQ: Changchun
• Mission: Main reserve, potential striking force against the USSR

23rd Division (Nomonhan veterans)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Michitarō Horiguchi
  []HQ: Gongzhuling
• Status: Battered after Nomonhan, but combat-experienced.

Regiments:

• 71st Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Gongzhuling
  Regimental commander: Col. Tatsuo Mitsui
• 72nd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Yitong
  Regimental commander: Col. Hachirō Matsumura
• 73rd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: outskirts of Changchun
  Regimental commander: Col. Kengo Tsutsumi
• Artillery units – Changchun

108th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Hiroshi Nemoto
  []HQ: Changchun
• Status: Security division, many older age groups.

Regiments:

• 117th Infantry Regiment – Nong’an
  Regimental commander: Col. Mitsuo Tanabe
• 118th Infantry Regiment – Dehui
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshitaka Nunokawa
• 119th Infantry Regiment – Changchun
  Regimental commander: Col. Rikihei Kobori

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Kwantung Army Support & Special Forces

• 1st Cavalry Brigade – Harbin
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Kōichi Shimada
• 2nd Cavalry Brigade – Heiho
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Yūji Shibata
• Kwantung Tank Group (Harbin)
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Kiyotake Yoshimaru
  Tanks: Type 95 Ha-Go, Type 97 Chi-Ha (approx. 220–260 vehicles)
  
  []Heavy Artillery HQ – Changchun
  []Railway Security Commands – all of Manchuria
• Fortress units – Sunwu, Heihe, Hunchun

BLOCK 3 – CEA & SOUTHERN ARMY

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CHINA EXPEDITIONARY ARMY (CEA) – 支那派遣軍
Status: 6 December 1941

• []Overall commander: Gen. Hisaichi Terauchi
  []Chief of Staff: Lt. Gen. Yasuji Okamura
  []Headquarters: 南京 (Nanking) / 武漢 (Hankow / Wuhan)
  []Strength: ~850,000 men

The CEA was the working monster: constant fighting, anti-guerrilla operations, security missions, huge occupation zones, perpetually understrength and completely overstretched.

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11th Army (Hankow / Wuhan)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Yorimichi Suzuki
  []HQ: 武漢 (Wuhan)
• Mission: Central Yangtze basin, Greater Wuhan area

3rd Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Shinichi Numata
  []HQ: Wuhan
• Status: Veteran, battle-hardened division from Central China

Regiments & garrisons:

• 6th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hankou
  Regimental commander: Col. Katsuzō Ōta
  Note: Elite component, many China veterans.
• 18th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Wuchang
  Regimental commander: Col. Masanobu Tsuji
  Note: Yes, that Tsuji – intriguer, political psychopath, battlefield fanatic.
• 34th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hanyang
  Regimental commander: Col. Kiyoshi Tsuchiya
  
  []3rd Artillery Regiment – Wuhan
  []Engineer units – Wuhan
• Transport units – Wuhan

6th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Hisakazu Tanaka
  []HQ: Hankow
• Role: This division formed the backbone of the Wuhan security posture.

Regiments:

• 13th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hankow
  Regimental commander: Col. Junpei Yoshimoto
• 47th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hankow environs
  Regimental commander: Col. Tokushichi Katō
• 65th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Xiantao
  Regimental commander: Col. Kenjirō Mashita
• Artillery units – Hankow

40th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Naojirō Amaya
  []HQ: Yichang
• Status: Security and combat operations against the Chinese 5th War Area

Regiments:

• 234th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Yichang
  Regimental commander: Col. Heihachirō Tsunoda
• 235th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Songzi
  Regimental commander: Col. Tarō Matsumoto
• 236th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Zhijiang
  Regimental commander: Col. Takayoshi Shirai

58th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Teizō Ishiguro
  []HQ: Hankow–Wuhan area
• Employment: Anti-guerrilla warfare, security, railway lines

Regiments:

• 51st Infantry Regiment – Huangpi
  Regimental commander: Col. Giichi Kobayashi
• 52nd Infantry Regiment – Tianmen
  Regimental commander: Col. Eizō Ōta
• 105th Infantry Regiment – Ezhou
  Regimental commander: Col. Teruo Nakagawa

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13th Army (Shanghai / Hangzhou)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Shigeharu Kawagoe
  []HQ: 上海 (Shanghai)
• Mission: Greater Shanghai area, coastal sector

9th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Masao Wakamatsu
  []HQ:[ Shanghai
• Status: One of the most reliable urban occupation divisions.

Regiments:

• 7th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Shanghai–Jiangwan
  Regimental commander: Col. Tadashi Naitō
• 35th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Shanghai–Zhabei
  Regimental commander: Col. Kazuo Furukawa
• 36th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Baoshan
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshinori Yamamoto
• Artillery units – Shanghai

15th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Masafumi Yamauchi
  []HQ: Hangzhou
• Status: Multi-year anti-guerrilla operations.

Regiments:

• 60th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hangzhou
  Regimental commander: Col. Mitsuo Suzuki
• 51st Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Huzhou
  Regimental commander: Col. Noboru Hashimoto
• 67th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Xiaoshan
  Regimental commander: Col. Kenjirō Nagai

22nd Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Takuma Nishimura
  []HQ: Ningbo
• Status: Coastal defense and anti-partisan operations.

Regiments:

• 42nd Infantry Regiment – Ningbo
  Regimental commander: Col. Shūsaku Mori
• 43rd Infantry Regiment – Shaoxing
  Regimental commander: Col. Tadayoshi Miura
• 44th Infantry Regiment – Jinhua
  Regimental commander: Col. Eijirō Fujita

Independent Mixed Brigades:

• 11th Independent Mixed Brigade – Jiaxing
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Masakazu Kawabe
• 12th Independent Mixed Brigade – Haining
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Saburō Kawamura

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North China Area Army (Peking / Tianjin)

• []Commander: Gen. Hayao Tada
  []HQ: 北京 (Peking)
• Mission: Security of North China, operations against the 8th Route Army

1st Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Kōichi Abe
  []HQ: Peking
• Status: Division with enormous prestige and long tradition.

Regiments:

• 1st Infantry Regiment – Peking
  Regimental commander: Col. Masaki Motomura
• 49th Infantry Regiment – Tongzhou
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshito Morikawa
• 57th Infantry Regiment – Baoding
  Regimental commander: Col. Takuji Mizoguchi

(iThe division had elements rotated with the Kwantung Army a few months earlier, hence some names appear there as well.[/i]

14th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Kenzō Kitano
  []HQ: Tientsin
• Status: Heavy anti-guerrilla operations in Hebei.

Regiments:

• 27th Infantry Regiment – Baoding
  Regimental commander: Col. Yutaka Ōnishi
• 28th Infantry Regiment – Shijiazhuang
  Regimental commander: Col. Haruo Nishimura
• 59th Infantry Regiment – Zhengding
  Regimental commander: Col. Shigeru Kawamura

26th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Hikosaburō Hata
  []HQ: Jinan (Tsinan)
• Status: Security of railway lines, anti-communist operations.

Regiments:

• 12th Infantry Regiment – Jinan
  Regimental commander: Col. Isamu Fukada
• 30th Infantry Regiment – Tai’an
  Regimental commander: Col. Hideo Kusunoki
• 45th Infantry Regiment – Yanzhou
  Regimental commander: Col. Saburō Tanaka

110th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Hiroshi Nemoto
  []HQ: Tianjin

Regiments:

• 139th Infantry Regiment – Tianjin
  Regimental commander: Col. Tsugio Shibata
• 163rd Infantry Regiment – Tanggu
  Regimental commander: Col. Kyōhei Fujisawa
• 164th Infantry Regiment – Lutai
  Regimental commander: Col. Minoru Arita

China Garrison Units

• []1st Independent Mixed Brigade – Peking
  []2nd Independent Mixed Brigade – Tianjin

BLOCK 4 – SOUTHERN EXPEDITIONARY ARMY GROUP

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SOUTHERN EXPEDITIONARY ARMY GROUP – 南方軍
Status: 6 December 1941

Area of operations: Malaya, Thailand, the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies

• []Commander-in-Chief: Gen. Hisaichi Terauchi
  []Chief of Staff: Lt. Gen. Michio Sugawara
  []Headquarters: Saigon (Indochina) / Taihoku (Formosa, transit)
  []Overall strength: ~400,000 men

Strategic role: The entire southern thrust: the Malaya blitz, Singapore, Burma, the Philippines, Java, Sumatra.
The formation was tightly orchestrated, packed with the best mobile divisions, especially the 5th, 18th, 48th and the Imperial Guards.
Now the full dose, broken down by armies.

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14th Army – Philippines Invasion Force

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma
  []HQ: Formosa (initially), later Manila

Homma was moderate, courteous, almost too humane for his own high command, which meant Sugiyama kept harassing him relentlessly.

16th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Susumu Morioka
  []HQ: Takao (Formosa)
• Landing objectives: Lingayen Gulf & Lamon Bay

Regiments & command:

• 9th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Takao
  Regimental commander: Col. Takashi Muroi
  Special note: Main assault regiment for Luzon.
• 20th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Tainan
  Regimental commander: Col. Kōji Senda
• 38th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Heitō (Pingtung)
  Regimental commander: Col. Masao Nishioka
  
  []Artillery units – Formosa
  []Engineer units – Formosa
• Transport units – Formosa

48th Division (Elite Formosa Division)

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Yuitsu Tsuchihashi
  []HQ: Taihoku
• Role: Shock division for the drive on Manila, fast and combat-experienced

Regiments:

• 1st Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Taihoku
  Regimental commander: Col. Naoji Sakai
• 2nd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Shinchiku
  Regimental commander: Col. Hiroshi Uchida
• 47th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Taichu
  Regimental commander: Col. Toshio Koyanagi
  
  []Artillery units – Taihoku
  []Engineer units – Taihoku
• Transport units – Taihoku

65th Independent Mixed Brigade

• []Commander: Maj. Gen. Masatada Kikuchi
  []HQ: Keelung
• Role: Reinforcements for Luzon / line occupation and garrison duties

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15th Army – Thailand / Burma Invasion

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Shōjirō Iida
  []HQ: Bangkok

Iida was a tough, robust commander, not especially imaginative, but Burma was a logistical suicide mission anyway.

33rd Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Shōzō Sakurai
  []HQ: Bangkok (advance via Prachuap)

Regiments:

• 213th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Haiphong → transit area Bangkok
  Regimental commander: Col. Kanichi Yamada
• 214th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Vinh → Bangkok
  Regimental commander: Col. Kenshirō Tanabe
• 215th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hanoi → Bangkok
  Regimental commander: Col. Keisuke Isogai
  
  []Artillery units – Bangkok
  []Engineer units – Bangkok

55th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Takeo Itō
  []HQ: Chiang Mai (assembly), later Tavoy
• Role: Invasion of southern Burma, advance on Rangoon

Regiments:

• 112th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Chiang Mai
  Regimental commander: Col. Yasuharu Iwata
• 143rd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Lampang
  Regimental commander: Col. Kazuo Kawabe
• 144th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Mae Sot
  Regimental commander: Col. Kenichi Tanaka

Imperial Guards Division (elements)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Takuma Nishimura
  []HQ: Bangkok
• Role: Prestige formation, spearhead thrust through Thailand toward Burma

Regiments & units:

• 1st Guards Infantry Regiment – Bangkok
  Commander: Col. Yasuji Okamura
• 2nd Guards Infantry Regiment – Ayutthaya
  Commander: Col. Daikichi Sakai
  
  []Guards Cavalry – Bangkok
  []Guards Artillery – Bangkok

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25th Army – Malaya / Singapore Invasion

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita
  []HQ: Saigon → Singora (Thailand)

Yamashita conducted the best mobile operation of the Japanese Empire. The Malaya blitz was essentially a masterclass in tempo, surprise, and audacious logistics.

5th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Takurō Matsui
  []HQ: Singora
• Role: Main thrust toward Jitra / Kuala Lumpur

Regiments:

• 11th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Singora
  Regimental commander: Col. Noboru Sasaki
• 41st Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Patani
  Regimental commander: Col. Kiyoshi Watanabe
• 42nd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hat Yai
  Regimental commander: Col. Hiroshi Yamada
• Artillery units – Singora

18th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Renya Mutaguchi
  []HQ: Kota Bharu
• Role: Initial assault on the east coast; later infamous as the architect of disaster in Burma.

Regiments:

• 23rd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Kota Bharu
  Regimental commander: Col. Yasushi Nakai
• 35th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Bachok coast
  Regimental commander: Col. Genzō Matsumoto
• 56th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Pasir Puteh
  Regimental commander: Col. Masatake Nishiura

Imperial Guards Division (main contingent)

• Commander: Lt. Gen. Takuma Nishimura (split between Malaya & Burma)

Regiments & units:

• []1st Guards Infantry Regiment – Singora
  []2nd Guards Infantry Regiment – Patani
  []Guards Cavalry – Singora
  []Guards Artillery – Singora

Armored forces of 25th Army

• 1st Tank Regiment – Singora (Type 95 Ha-Go, Type 97 Chi-Ha)
  Commander: Col. Yoshimaru Saeki
• 2nd Tank Regiment – Patani
  Commander: Col. Takashi Ono

######################################################################
16th Army – Netherlands East Indies (Java, Sumatra)

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Hitoshi Imamura
  []HQ: Saigon → later Jakarta

2nd Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Masao Maruyama
  []HQ: Hainan (transit)
• Objective: Makassar, Bali, eastern Java

Regiments:

• 4th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Haikou
  Regimental commander: Col. Shigeharu Ōkubo
• 16th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Haikou
  Regimental commander: Col. Seigo Nakamoto
• 29th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Sanya
  Regimental commander: Col. Tokuji Suzuki

38th Division

• []Division commander: Lt. Gen. Takeo Itō
  []HQ: Hong Kong (in the process of falling)
• Objective: Java after conclusion of the Hong Kong operation

Regiments:

• 228th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hong Kong
  Regimental commander: Col. Teizō Ishiguro
• 229th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Shenzhen → Hong Kong
  Regimental commander: Col. Masatoshi Fujishige
• 230th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Hong Kong
  Regimental commander: Col. Katsuzō Iinuma

48th Reconnaissance Regiment

• []Commander: Lt. Col. Tsuneo Ōkubo
  []Garrison: Taihoku → Sumatra landing area
• Role: Fast spearhead forces, motorcycles, light armored cars

BLOCK 5 – KOREA, FORMOSA, ARMORED CORPS

######################################################################
KOREA ARMY – 朝鮮軍
Status: 6 December 1941

• []Overall commander: Gen. Kuniaki Koiso
  []Chief of Staff: Lt. Gen. Shunzō Matsushima
  []Headquarters: 京城 (Keijō / Seoul)
  []Strength: approx. 80,000 men

Function: Garrison duty, security, training pool for Manchukuo and China, coastal defense against possible US/UK actions in the Yellow Sea.
The Korea Army district was strict, harsh, and organizationally extremely well run. Many officers stationed here later ended up in top positions, because Korea was regarded as a “quiet but highly professional” posting.

######################################################################
19th Division

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Sadaichi Shioda
  []HQ: 平壌 (Pyongyang)

The 19th Division was tough, well-drilled, and had been stationed in Korea for years. A quiet but strict garrison formation.

Regiments:

• 73rd Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Pyongyang
  Regimental commander: Col. Jirō Matsubara
  Special note: Focus in the north, border zones toward Manchukuo.
• 74th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Sariwon
  Regimental commander: Col. Saburō Tominaga
  Note: Strong machine-gun companies; frequent winter tactical exercises.
• 75th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Haeju
  Regimental commander: Col. Kiyoshi Araki
  
  []Divisional artillery – Pyongyang
  []Engineers – Pyongyang
• Transport – Pyongyang

######################################################################
20th Division

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Shigemasa Kajiwara
  []HQ: 京城 (Seoul)

The 20th Division was effectively Korea’s “prestige garrison.” Higher discipline, intense parades, tougher officer examinations.

Regiments:

• 77th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Seoul
  Regimental commander: Col. Masanori Katsuta
• 78th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Incheon
  Regimental commander: Col. Harushige Takano
• 79th Infantry Regiment
  Garrison: Suwon
  Regimental commander: Col. Yoshiharu Tanida
  
  []Artillery – Seoul
  []Engineers – Incheon
• Transport – Seoul

######################################################################
1st Cavalry Brigade (detached under Korea Army)

• []Commander: Maj. Gen. Tadayoshi Satō
  []HQ: Seoul

Structure:

• []1st Cavalry Regiment (Seoul) – Col. Tokutarō Okabe
  []2nd Cavalry Regiment (Pyongyang) – Col. Hideo Tokuda
  []Horse Artillery Battery
  []Cavalry Engineers

Note: By 1941, cavalry in Korea was used about 90% as motorized reconnaissance leadership; the horses served mostly as a traditional backdrop.

######################################################################
FORMOSA ARMY – 台湾軍
Status: 6 December 1941

• []Overall commander: Lt. Gen. Takurō Matsui
  []HQ: 台北 (Taihoku)
• Strength: approx. 25,000 men

Role: Garrison and staging base for the 14th Army (Philippines).
The 48th Division had largely departed. What remained were coastal defense troops, base garrisons and artillery strongpoints.

Formosa Army structure (after departure of the 48th Division):

• Coastal Defense Command North (Keelung)
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Shōji Miyazawa
• Coastal Defense Command South (Takao)
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Kenkichi Nakamura
• Formosa Heavy Artillery Regiment
  Location: Tainan
  Commander: Col. Mitsusuke Noguchi
• Formosa Fortress Engineers
  Location: Taichu
  Commander: Col. Rikizō Katō
• Airfield Defense Battalions (4 units)
  Locations: Taihoku, Shinchiku, Tainan, Heitō

######################################################################
1st ARMORED CORPS – 第1戦車軍団
Status: 6 December 1941

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Yoshitsugu Sahara
  []Chief of Staff: Maj. Gen. Kenji Gushiken
  []Headquarters: 新京 / 哈爾浜 (Changchun / Harbin, alternating)
  []Strength: approx. 480–520 tanks

Role: Strategic mobile reserve against the Soviet Union, later capable of being reorganized for possible southern operations.
The armored corps was the most technically modern army formation in 1941. Not comparable to Western armored armies in scale, but disciplined and ready for deployment.

######################################################################
1st Tank Regiment

• []Commander: Col. Shōjirō Iida
  []HQ: Harbin

Tank strength:

• []Type 97 Chi-Ha (medium tanks) – approx. 35
  []Type 95 Ha-Go (light tanks) – approx. 55
• Type 94 tankettes – approx. 12

Garrisons / companies:

• []1st Company – Harbin
  []2nd Company – Wuchang (Manchukuo)
  []3rd Company – Yilan
  []Reconnaissance platoon – Harbin

######################################################################
2nd Tank Regiment

• []Commander: Col. Kiyoshi Ogawa
  []HQ: Changchun

Tank strength:

• []Type 97 – approx. 28
  []Type 95 – approx. 62

Companies:

• []1st Company – Changchun
  []2nd Company – Nong’an
• 3rd Company – Dehui

######################################################################
3rd Tank Regiment

• []Commander: Col. Saburō Sasaki
  []HQ: Mutanchiang

Tank strength:

• []Primarily Type 95 Ha-Go – approx. 70
  []Small complement of Type 97 – approx. 20

Companies:

• []1st Company – Mutanchiang
  []2nd Company – Linkou
• 3rd Company – Jiamusi

This unit was directly assigned to the 10th Division as a reinforcement of its firepower.

######################################################################
4th Tank Regiment

• []Commander: Col. Masaru Shioda
  []HQ: Qiqihar

Tank strength:

• []Type 95 – approx. 55
  []Type 94 – approx. 15

Companies:

• []1st Company – Qiqihar
  []2nd Company – Angangxi
• 3rd Company – Bei’an

######################################################################
Armored Engineer Battalion

• []Commander: Lt. Col. Yasuji Kanemoto
  []HQ: Harbin

Tasks:

• []Mine clearance
  []Engineer support for armored units
  []Bridge-laying across ice-covered rivers
  []Assault engineer missions (rare)

######################################################################
Armored Transport Battalion

• []Commander: Lt. Col. Shunjirō Maeda
  []HQ: Changchun

Vehicles:

• []Type 94 trucks
  []Half-track prime movers
  []Tank transporter trailers
  []Ammunition transporters

Role: Supply of the entire armored corps under Siberian conditions (temperatures down to −35°C).
They were the invisible lifeline of the armored units.

BLOCK 6 – ARMY STRUCTURES OUTSIDE FIELD DIVISIONS

######################################################################
ARMY STRUCTURES OUTSIDE THE FIELD DIVISIONS
Status: 6 December 1941

######################################################################
1. 陸軍防空本部 – ARMY AIR DEFENSE COMMAND
(without air units)

######################################################################

• []Commander-in-Chief: Lt. Gen. Masazumi Kurokawa
  []HQ: Tokyo

Mission:

• []Coordination of army anti-aircraft defense in Japan, Korea, Formosa
  []Early warning radar (Type A & Type B early-warning sets, very primitive)
• Coastal observation

Organization:

• []Eastern Air Defense District – Tokyo / Yokohama
  []Central Air Defense District – Osaka / Kobe
  []Western Air Defense District – Fukuoka / Kitakyūshū
  []Korea Air Defense District – Seoul
• Formosa Air Defense District – Taihoku

Combat units:
(no air units – AA only)

• []1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade – Tokyo
  []2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade – Osaka
• 3rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade – Fukuoka

Armament:

• []Type 88 75 mm AA gun
  []Type 98 20 mm AA gun
  []Searchlight companies
  []Barrage balloon detachments

######################################################################
2. 重砲兵司令部 – HEAVY ARTILLERY COMMAND

######################################################################

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Otozō Ichihara
  []HQ: Osaka → mobile in wartime

Mission: Control of all super-heavy guns (Type 89 15 cm, Type 96 24 cm howitzers, etc.)

Main formations:

• 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment – Osaka
  Commander: Col. Genta Watanuki
  Armament: 15 cm & 24 cm howitzers
• 2nd Heavy Artillery Regiment – Hiroshima
  Commander: Col. Shinichi Takasaki
  Armament: 15 cm coastal howitzers
• Fortress artillery units (Japan proper):
  Tokyo Bay Fortress
  Shimonoseki Fortress
  Kure Fortress
  Sasebo Fortress
  (all equipped with 28 cm coastal guns dating back to the Russo–Japanese War)
• Manchurian Heavy Artillery Group – Changchun
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Etsutarō Fujita
  Armament: 15 cm guns, 24 cm howitzers (anti-USSR role)

######################################################################
3. 要塞司令部 – JAPANESE FORTRESS COMMANDS
(army fortress systems, not navy)

######################################################################

The Japanese fortress system was old, partly dating back to 1905. Surprisingly well maintained, but technologically obsolete.

Japan proper fortress commands

• Tokyo Bay Fortress
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Shigeru Ōnishi
  Locations: Yokosuka, Futtsu
  Armament: 28 cm howitzers, 12 cm coastal guns
• Shimonoseki Fortress
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Satoru Ikeda
  Control: Strait between Honshū & Kyūshū
• Osaka Bay Fortress
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Tsuji Nishiyama
• Tsushima Fortified Zone
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Yasuji Gotō
  Role: Early warning point on the Korea–Japan route

Korea fortress units (army, not navy)

• Chinhae Fortress (진해)
  Commander: Col. Yasuhira Tanaka
  Armament: 15 cm coastal guns
• Pusan Fortified Zone
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Kenichi Soga

Formosa fortress units

• Keelung Fortress
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Shōji Miyazawa
• Takao Fortress
  Commander: Maj. Gen. Kenkichi Nakamura

######################################################################
4. 憲兵隊 – KENPEITAI (MILITARY POLICE)

######################################################################

The Kenpeitai was a mixture of Gestapo, military police, and political instrument of fear.
Whether one likes it or not, it belonged to the army structure.

• []Commander-in-Chief: Lt. Gen. Hideki Tōjō (simultaneously Minister of War)
  []Operational Commander: Lt. Gen. Ryūzō Sejima
• HQ: Tokyo

Organization:

• []Tokyo Kenpeitai
  []Osaka Kenpeitai
  []Seoul Kenpeitai
  []Taipei Kenpeitai
  []Hsinking Kenpeitai
  []Shanghai Kenpeitai (for occupation zones)
• Nanjing Kenpeitai

Unit structure:

• []Regiment-equivalent headquarters (Kenpei-Hombu)
  []Investigation sections
  []Field police companies
  []Prisoner-of-war supervision

######################################################################
5. 鉄道警備隊 – RAILWAY GUARD & RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION TROOPS

######################################################################

A crucial institution, since the Japanese army in China and Manchuria was completely dependent on rail transport.

• []General Inspector Railway Troops: Lt. Gen. Kōhei Takeuchi
  []HQ: Mukden

Railway security units:

• 1st Railway Guard Regiment – Harbin
  Commander: Col. Naohiro Sendō
• 2nd Railway Guard Regiment – Mukden
  Commander: Col. Shigeo Yasuda
• 3rd Railway Guard Regiment – Peking
  Commander: Col. Nobumasa Aoki

Railway construction units:

• []1st Railway Construction Regiment – Tianjin
  []2nd Railway Construction Regiment – Jinan
• 3rd Railway Construction Regiment – Shenyang

Mission: Restoration of blown tracks, security of the South Manchurian Railway and the Beijing–Hankow line.

######################################################################
6. 輸送総監部 – ARMY TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS HQ

######################################################################

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Kiyoshi Katsuki
  []HQ: Kobe

Tasks:

• []Organization of all army-owned transport ships (not navy assets)
  []Road transport, vehicle parks
• Operation of horse depots

Important subordinate commands:

• []Army Vehicle Depot Tokyo
  []Army Vehicle Depot Osaka
  []Army Veterinary Depot Utsunomiya
  []Horse Mobilization Districts (8 in total)

Vehicles (army, 1941):

• []Type 94 truck (standard)
  []Type 97 truck
  []“Rabaul transport” trucks (tropicalized)
  []Field kitchen wagons
• Horse-drawn wagons (approx. 350,000 animals in the army in total!)

######################################################################
7. 工兵総監部 – ENGINEER COMMAND

######################################################################

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Yūji Sakamoto
  []HQ: Osaka

Subordinate elements:

• []Engineer regiments of the divisions (already listed in the divisional blocks)
  []Bridge construction battalions
  []Mine warfare commands
  []Field fortification troops

Independent engineers at corps or army level:

• []1st Independent Engineer Regiment – Shanghai
  []2nd Independent Engineer Regiment – Hankow
• 3rd Independent Engineer Regiment – Nanjing

######################################################################
8. 通信総監部 – SIGNALS COMMAND

######################################################################

• []Commander: Lt. Gen. Shirō Fujimura
  []HQ: Tokyo

Tasks:

• []Field telephone, radio stations, cryptographic systems
  []Raising and organizing divisional signal units

Important units:

• []1st Signal Regiment – Tokyo
  []2nd Signal Regiment – Osaka
• 3rd Signal Regiment – Seoul

Secret sections:

• []Code Section “FU-GO” (encryption)
  []Radio intelligence (against Chinese Kuomintang transmitters)

######################################################################
9. 野戦病院・医療総監部 – MEDICAL & FIELD HOSPITAL COMMAND

######################################################################

• []Medical Inspector General: Lt. Gen. Shirō Ishii
  []HQ: Harbin

(iYes… the same Ishii, Unit 731, a monster in uniform.[/i]
The army hardly had any chance of scoring high on the moral scoreboard.

Subdivisions:

• []Army Medical School – Tokyo
  []Army Veterinary School – Utsunomiya
  []Field Hospital Units (numbered, 100+ units)
  []Epidemic Prevention Units (some infamous, e.g. in Changchun)

######################################################################
10. 教育総監部 – ARMY TRAINING & EDUCATION HQ

######################################################################

• []Commander: Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita
  []HQ: Tokyo

(iYes, the same one, concurrently serving while commanding the 25th Army.[/i]

Responsibilities:

• []Officer schools
  []NCO schools
• Specialized schools (artillery, signals, engineers)

Important institutions:

• []Army Academy – Ichigaya, Tokyo
  []Infantry School – Chiba
  []Artillery School – Tsuchiura
  []Engineer School – Yokohama
• Transport School – Tokyo

[Peiper1944]

Operation_Task Force.png (12.99 KiB) Viewed 64 times

EXPLANATION – OVERVIEW OF JAPANESE OPERATIONS (07–31 DECEMBER 1941)
The operations listed below (Z, E, M, B, G, W, HK and D3) cover all documented major Japanese army and navy operations that were active between 7 and 31 December 1941.
These are genuine Japanese army and navy designations as they appear in orders, situation maps and divisional / fleet reports. Some operations used single-letter codes, others used short internal abbreviations (such as “HK” for Hong Kong), and China offensives were often grouped in numbered series (here: D3 for the third Changsha offensive).
The list is necessary because only part of the early-war Japanese offensives carried clean alphabetical codes. Many operations were defined by geographic names, some by functional labels, and only a few had the clear A–Z-style letters that wargamers like to use. Your aim is to reconstruct the complete network of Japanese operations in the first weeks of the Pacific War as a coherent, historically grounded command and operations system, not as a random collection of scenario nicknames.
This compilation therefore pulls together all actually documented operations in the period 7–31 December 1941, assigns them to their respective theaters, and links them to real units and approximate strengths. It forms the backbone for a historically consistent OOB and mission structure in the editor.
As the current work already shows, I have begun to assign these operational code names to the respective task forces and to rebuild the task force compositions accordingly. The topic is far from exhausted; there is still a great deal to research. For now, I have parked this layer of work and will focus next on the carrier fleet. Everything I have reconstructed so far has been entered into the editor and is available there as a solid operational framework.

==========================================
FULL OUTPUT – JAPANESE OPERATIONS 07–31 DECEMBER 1941
==========================================

1. OPERATION Z – ATTACK ON HAWAII / PEARL HARBOR
Period: 7 December 1941
Theater: Central Pacific, Oʻahu

Command Structure
Overall Command: Yamamoto, Isoroku, Admiral, Combined Fleet
Operational Command: Nagumo, Chuichi, Vice Admiral, 1st Air Fleet (Kido Butai)
Strike Leadership (Air):
– Fuchida, Mitsuo, Commander, leader of the 1st wave attack
– Murata, Shigeharu, Lieutenant Commander, torpedo bomber group leader

Carrier Forces – 1st Air Fleet (Kido Butai)
Approximate total: ~414 carrier aircraft

Akagi (flagship)
– ≈ 27 A6M2 fighters
– ≈ 27 D3A1 dive bombers
– ≈ 27 B5N2 attack aircraft
Total: ≈ 81 aircraft

Kaga
Similar to Akagi – ≈ 81 aircraft

Soryu
≈ 21 A6M2, 21 D3A1, 21 B5N2
Total ≈ 63 aircraft

Hiryu
Same pattern as Soryu
Total ≈ 63 aircraft

Shokaku
≈ 18 A6M2, 27 D3A1, 27 B5N2
Total ≈ 72 aircraft

Zuikaku
Same as Shokaku
Total ≈ 72 aircraft

Escort Forces (approximate)
Battleships: 2
Heavy cruisers: 3
Destroyers: 9
Fleet oilers and support vessels: 8+

Strike Composition
First Wave – 183 aircraft
49 B5N2 torpedo bombers
51 B5N2 level bombers
50 D3A1 dive bombers
43 A6M2 fighters

Second Wave – 170 aircraft
78 D3A1 dive bombers
54 B5N2 bombers
38 A6M2 fighters

Operational Objectives
Cripple or destroy the US battleship force
Neutralize USAAF airfields
Protect the timeline for Operations E and M

2. OPERATION E – MALAYA CAMPAIGN
Period: 8–31 December 1941
Theater: Southern Thailand / Malayan Peninsula

Ground Forces – 25th Army
Army Command: Yamashita, Tomoyuki, Lieutenant General
Major components:
5th Division
18th Division
Imperial Guards Division (elements)
1st Tank Regiment
Artillery, engineers, support troops
Approx. strength: ~60,000 troops

IJAAF – 3rd Air Division / 5th Air Brigade
Overall air command: Sugawara, Michio, Lieutenant General

Fighter Units
1st Hiko Sentai (Ki-27) – ≈ 45
11th Hiko Sentai (Ki-43) – ≈ 45
59th Hiko Sentai (Ki-43) – ≈ 45
64th Hiko Sentai (Ki-43) – ≈ 45

Bomber Units
12th Hiko Sentai (Ki-21) – ≈ 36
98th Hiko Sentai (Ki-21) – ≈ 36
75th Hiko Sentai (Ki-48) – ≈ 36
90th Hiko Sentai (Ki-48) – ≈ 36

Recon Units
15th, 17th, 44th Recon Chutai – ≈ 10–12 each

Objectives
Breakthrough via Thailand
Air superiority
Advance on Singapore

3. OPERATION M – PHILIPPINES (LUZON)
Period: 8–31 December 1941
Theater: Formosa / Luzon

Ground Forces – 14th Army
Command: Homma, Masaharu, Lieutenant General
48th Division
16th Division
65th Brigade
4th Tank Regiment
Approx. initial landing force: ~43,000 troops

IJAAF – 3rd Air Division / 7th Air Brigade
Air command: Kume, Ichiro, Major General

Fighter Units
24th Hiko Sentai – ≈ 45
50th Hiko Sentai – ≈ 45

Bomber Units
8th Hiko Sentai (Ki-21) – ≈ 36
14th Hiko Sentai (Ki-21) – ≈ 36
62nd Hiko Sentai (Ki-48) – ≈ 36
31st Hiko Sentai (Ki-30) – ≈ 36

Recon
15th Recon Chutai – ≈ 12

Objectives
Destroy FEAF
Secure landings
Prepare Bataan

4. OPERATION HK – HONG KONG
Period: 8–25 December 1941
Theater: Hong Kong

Ground Forces
23rd Army
38th Division (≈ 20,000 troops)

IJAAF Forces
34th Hiko Sentai – ≈ 30
27th Hiko Sentai – ≈ 30
45th Hiko Sentai – ≈ 36
18th Recon Chutai – ≈ 12

Objectives
Capture Hong Kong
Control the Pearl River Delta

5. OPERATION B – NORTH BORNEO
Period: 16–31 December 1941
Theater: Miri, Seria, Kuching

Ground Forces
Sakaguchi Detachment – ≈ 2,500–3,000 troops

IJN – 22nd Air Flotilla
G3M – ≈ 36
G4M – ≈ 36
Floatplanes – ≈ 12–18

IJAAF recon contribution
Ki-46 / Ki-15 from the Saigon region

Objectives
Secure oilfields
Take Kuching
Prepare DEI operations

6. OPERATION G – GUAM
Period: 10 December 1941
Theater: Guam

Ground Forces
South Seas Detachment – ≈ 400–500 troops

IJN Air
G3M/G4M – ≈ 24–30
Floatplanes (small numbers)

Objective
Eliminate US presence on Guam

7. OPERATION W – WAKE ISLAND
First Attack: 8–11 December
Second Attack: 23 December

Ground Forces
Kure 6th SNLF – 450 (1st attempt)
≈ 1,500 troops (2nd attempt)

Carrier Support
Soryu
Hiryu
Carrier air complement ≈ 36 Zero / 36 Val / 36 Kate

Objective
Capture Wake Island

8. OPERATION D3 – THIRD BATTLE OF CHANGSHA
Period: 24–31 December 1941
Theater: Changsha

Ground Forces
11th Army – ≈ 100,000 troops

IJAAF – 5th Air Division
44th Hiko Sentai – ≈ 36
60th – ≈ 36
61st – ≈ 36
90th – ≈ 36
82nd Chutai – ≈ 18
7th CSS – ≈ 18
2nd Recon – ≈ 12
8th Recon – ≈ 12

Objectives
Break Chinese defenses
Control Xiang River line
Disrupt supply networks