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Organization of Kita and Minami FortressesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
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The Kita and Minami Fortresses (Japanese kita, "north" and minami, "south") were defensive structures of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy in the Kuril Archipelago.

The most northerly points were on the Kokutan and Kurabu Zaki capes, and its coastal front on the Shumushu Strait near Lopatka Cape in the Soviet Union's Kamchatka peninsula.

This military organization was under the Twenty-seventh Army (Chishima Area Base Unit or Kuril Area Army), led by Shozo Terakura. The Twenty-seventh Army was under the leadership of the Fifth Area Army, under the command of Kiichiro Higuchi whose headquarters was in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. The Twenty-seventh Army was composed of the 42nd and 91st Divisions.

Contents [hide]
1 Kurile fortresses
2 Kita Chishima Fortress
2.1 Shumushu Island
2.1.1 Shumushu fortification system
2.1.2 Japanese Army units
2.2 Paramushiro Island
2.2.1 Paramushiro fortification system
2.2.2 Japanese Army units
2.3 Japanese Navy units on Shumushu and Paramushiro
2.4 Shimushiro Island
2.4.1 Shimushiro fortification system
2.4.2 Japanese Army units
2.5 Matsuwa Island
2.6 Uruppu Island
2.7 Other North Kuriles units
3 Minami Chishima Fortress
3.1 Etorofu Island
3.1.1 Etorofu fortification system
3.1.2 Japanese Army units
3.2 Shikotan Island
3.3 Kunashiri Island
3.4 Other South Kuril units


[edit] Kurile fortressesThese defensive structures in the Kurile Islands was somewhat similar to the Karafuto fortifications. The key Japanese position was on Shumushu Island, whose defense consisted of permanent emplacements protected by field and AA artillery. A garrison of over 8,000 men reinforced by 60 tanks defended the islands of Shumushu and Paramushiro. All the coastal sections convenient for landings were covered with permanent emplacements and bunkers, interconnected with underground passages and trenches. All the warehouses, power stations and hospitals were underground, up to 50 m deep.

There are also some similar military buildings in other islands in the Northern Kuriles (Shimushiro, Onnekotan, Uruppu, Matsuwa) and Southern Kuriles (Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and Habomai archipelago).

[edit] Kita Chishima Fortress[edit] Shumushu Island[edit] Shumushu fortification systemThere were nine fortified installations and 20 coastal defence positions commanded from Kataoka Fortress.

[edit] Japanese Army units73rd Infantry Brigade (Maj. Gen. Iwao Zugino)
282nd Battalion
283rd Battalion
284th Battalion
285th Battalion
286th Battalion
287th Battalion
11th Tank Regiment
Commanded by Colonel Zueo Ikeda, the regiment was equipped with 20 Type 97 Shinhoto Chi-Ha tanks, 19 Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks, and 25 Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks.

12th or 2nd Tank Company
91st Division
1st Artillery Unit
2nd Artillery Unit
I/54th Air Regiment (4 Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa "Oscar", some Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki "Tojo" and possibly Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate "Frank"), based in Miyoshino Airfield, Shumushu.
Shumushu Alert Radar: located at Minami Cape and cannery on the Naka River
[edit] Paramushiro Island[edit] Paramushiro fortification systemThere are less than two or possibly more fortifications and 6 or more coastal defensive positions commanded from Kashibawara Fortress.

[edit] Japanese Army units91st Division HQ (Lt. Gen. Fuzai Tsutsumi)
74th Infantry Brigade (Major Zeiji Zato)
4th Tank Company (detachment of 11th Tank Regiment)
II/54th Sentai (Ki-43 Oscars and Ki-44 Tojos)
Kitanodai Airfield: airfield located on the north-east tip of the island with a single 4,000' x 180º runway. The base had 40 ravetments and over 50 hardstands.
Kashiwabara Airfield: located at the north-eastern tip of the island, closest to Shumshu Island. Japanese Army Staging area in the north.heavily defended by 20 anti-aircraft positiions
Kakumabetsu Airfield: airfield located in the south-west side of the isand with a 3,800' x 150' runway.Ki-44 Tojo operated from this strip.
Suribachi Airbase: annex airfield located at the center of the south coast of the island, with two runways.
[edit] Japanese Navy units on Shumushu and Paramushiro51st Guard Unit (942 men)
52nd Guard Unit (333 men)
Shumushu Signal Unit (42 men)
32nd AA Defense Unit (18 men)
Kita Chishima Naval HQ
North East Fleet (Kashibawara and Kataoka Bases)
North East Unit (189 men/4 Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" and probably Aichi D3A2 "Val" or Yokosuka D4Y2 "Judy" dive bombers)
12th Air Fleet Unit (equipped with Kawanishi H6K2 "Mavis" and Mitsubishi G4M2 "Betty")
Shimushu Detachment, Naval Air Group 203 (with Mitsubishi A6M5 "Zeke" and Nakajima J1N1-S "Irving" night fighter)
Hokuto Kokutai (553rd Kokutai) - B5N Kate & B6N Jill
203rd Kokutai (A6M, J1N1)
Musashi Naval Base (Musashi Airfield): Located on the south-western tip of Paramushiro island was this naval base and airfield located at Karabu Zaki. The runways were 4,300' x 260' and 4,200' x 375'. Anti-aircraft guns were added at the nearby cape with 8 guns, 20 pillboxes and many gun pits.
Miyoshino Airfield Japanese Army-Navy airfield, located near the center of the Shumushu island.This airfield based several units including a B5N2 Kate, G3M Nell and Ki-43 Oscar based there.
Kataoka Naval Base (Imaizaki Airfield):This base had two runways 5,000' x 250' and 4,000' x 250'. The base had a large 130' x 165' hangar with 13 covered revetments and 34 uncovered revetments, three 60' oil storage tanks, and other barracks and supply buildings.The base also had a seaplane facility on the harbor, allowing H6K2 Mavis flying boats to operate at the base as headquarters of the 5th Fleet.
Such units were sometimes reinforced by seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru (with the 452nd Air Fleet aboard, equipped with Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe" Hydro fighters).

There was also a Japanese air early warning radar of unspecified type on the southern cape of Paramushiro, Kurabu Zaki, but its view of Shumushu was likely blocked by the 5958-foot volcano (apparently named Suribachi, like the one on Iwo Jima) in the center of Paramushiro.

[edit] Shimushiro Island[edit] Shimushiro fortification systemThere are less than 2 or possibly more fortifications and 6 or more coastal defensive positions commanded from Itarkioi and Ketoebone Fortresses.

[edit] Japanese Army units42nd Division (Itarkioi and Ketoebone detachments)
[edit] Matsuwa Island41st Independent Mixed Regimen (Colonel Ueda)
6th Independent Tank Company
Matsuwa Army Field Battalion
Matsuwa Air Intelligence Unit
[edit] Uruppu Island6000 troops were based on Uruppu, including:

129th Independent Mixed Brigade (Maj. Niho)
53rd Anchorange Unit
6th Disembarcation Unit (800 men)
80th Airfield Battalion
Uruppu Air Intelligence Unit (800 men)
5th Independent Tank Company
23rd Independent AA Gun Company
[edit] Other North Kuriles unitsSome units possibly existed in Shashukotan (Ootome Base) and Onnekotan (Torushiri Base).

[edit] Minami Chishima Fortress[edit] Etorofu Island[edit] Etorofu fortification systemDefensive organization commanded from Rubetsu Fortress, was divided into:

Etorofu District:

Shibetoro County
Shibetoro Fortress
Shana County

Shana Fortress
Bettobu Fortress
Rubetsu or Etorofu County

Toshimoe Fortress
Rubetsu Fortress
Tennel Fortress
Naibo Fortress
Riyaushi Fortress
Tanemoe Fortress
[edit] Japanese Army units89th Division (Lt. Gen. Ogawa)
3rd Mixed Brigade
15th Independent Mortar Battalion
6th Independent Machine Gun Battalion
67th Independent Field Machine Cannon Company
23rd Independent Field AA Gun Company
13th Independent Antitank Gun Company
6th Shipping Engineer Regiment
Etorofu Air Intelligence Unit
[edit] Shikotan Island4th Mixed Brigade
23rd Independent Machine Gun Battalion
1st Mortar Company/15th Independent Mortar Battalion
[edit] Kunashiri Island1st Battalion/4th Mixed Brigade
23rd Special Guards Company
[edit] Other South Kuril unitsThere were probably other detached units in Habomai Archipelago (Kaigara Group, Suisho, Akiyuri, Yuri, Shibotsu and Taraku island).