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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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)
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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
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ARMY STRUCTURES OUTSIDE THE FIELD DIVISIONS
Status: 6 December 1941
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1. 陸軍防空本部 – ARMY AIR DEFENSE COMMAND
(without air units)
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- []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
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2. 重砲兵司令部 – HEAVY ARTILLERY COMMAND
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- []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)
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3. 要塞司令部 – JAPANESE FORTRESS COMMANDS
(army fortress systems, not navy)
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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
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4. 憲兵隊 – KENPEITAI (MILITARY POLICE)
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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
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5. 鉄道警備隊 – RAILWAY GUARD & RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION TROOPS
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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.
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6. 輸送総監部 – ARMY TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS HQ
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- []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!)
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7. 工兵総監部 – ENGINEER COMMAND
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- []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
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8. 通信総監部 – SIGNALS COMMAND
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- []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)
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9. 野戦病院・医療総監部 – MEDICAL & FIELD HOSPITAL COMMAND
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- []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)
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10. 教育総監部 – ARMY TRAINING & EDUCATION HQ
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- []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