Organization of Japanese forces in Southeast Asia

Organization of Japanese forces in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II.

Southern Army Command (Indochina HQ)

 * Hisaichi Terauchi, Commander of Southern Army
 * Seiichi Aoki, Assistant Chief of Staff Southern Army
 * Kitsuju Ayabe, Vice Chief of Staff Southern Army
 * Masazumi Inada, Vice Chief of Staff Southern Army
 * Jo Iimura, Chief of Staff Southern Army

Japanese Forces in Hong-Kong

 * Takeo Ito: Commanding Officer Infantry Group 38th Division, Hong Kong
 * Rensuke Isogai: Governor-General of Hong Kong
 * Major-General Ichiki: Head Secretariat to Governor-General of Hong Kong
 * Juro Adachi: General Officer Commanding Hong Kong Defence Unit
 * Major-General Arisue: Chief of Staff 23rd Army, China-Hong Kong

Commanders-in-Chief Indochina Army Garrison

 * Yuitsu Tsuchiashi:- Commanding General, Indo-China Garrison Army
 * Hisaichi Terauchi:- Commander-in-Chief, Southern Army, Field Marshal; formally surrendered his command, Saigon, was moved to Malaya, died at his quarters, Johore Bahru, of cerebral hemorrhage

Chief of Staff Indochina Army Garrison

 * Shinichi Tanaka:- Chief of Staff, Inspectorate General, LOC; inspection tour, French Indo-China, LtGen, inspection tours of French Indo-China, Thailand, Malaya, Philippines

Staff officers, Indochina Army Garrison

 * Masutaro Nakai:- Staff Officer, French Indo-China Expeditionary Army

Commander of Transportation regiment Imperial Guards, Indochina detachment

 * Nobuyoshi Obata:- Commanding Officer, Transportation Regiment, Imperial Guard Division, (Tokyo; French Indo-China; Malaya; Sumatra)

Commanders of Regular Armies, Indochina Army Garrison

 * Yuitsu Tsuchiashi:- Commanding General, Thirty-eighth Army (Indo-China)
 * Lieutenant-General Chijisima: Governor-General of Indo-China
 * Shōjirō Iida: General Officer Commanding 25th Army, Indo-China

Unit in Indochina

 * 11th Base Unit (Saigon)
 * Fifteenth Army Detachment
 * Imperial Guard Division in South French Indo-China
 * 55th Division headquarters were in French Indo-China

Air Squadrons in Indochina area

 * Japanese Navy units:
 * Genzan Air Group
 * Mihoro Air Group


 * Japanese Army units:
 * 64th Sentai
 * 3rd Sentai:- about 430 planes, In South French Indo-China


 * Kiyotake Kawaguchi, command the Kawaguchi Expeditionary Detachment struck at British Borneo.
 * Utata Fukunaga : Commanding Officer 16th Field Transport Command, Malaya
 * Lieutenant-General Inoue: General Officer Commanding 94th Division, Malaya
 * Teizo Ishiguro Led the Twenty-ninth Army (with 94th Division, etc.): Malay Peninsula

Structures of Japanese forces in Penang Region

 * Masakichi Itami: Governor-General of Penang Region

Operative Commanders in Philippine Campaign

 * Masaharu Homma:- Fourteenth Army Commander, (Philippines Campaign)
 * Kenzo Kitano:- 4th Division Commander, from Shanghai to Philippines campaign
 * Makino Shiro:- 16th Division Commander (Leyte)
 * Sosako Suzuki:- Thirty-fifth Army Commander (Central and Southern Philippines), killed in action
 * Yuitsu Tsuchiashi:- 48th Division Commander (Philippines operation)
 * Tadasu Kataoka:- 1st Division Chief
 * Tsuyuo Yamagata:- 26th Division Commander
 * Shigenori Kuroda:- Fourteenth Army Commander
 * Shinpei Fukuei:- led the 102nd Division
 * Shizuo Yokoyama:- led the 8th Division (Shinbu Group)
 * Rikichi Tsukada:- command the 10th Division and 1st Raiding Group (Kenbu Group)
 * Fourteenth Area Army (Shobu Group)
 * Tomoyuki Yamashita:- Twenty-fifth Army Commander, (took Singapore, conquered Bataan and Corregidor), also Fourteenth Area Army Commander, arrived Manila, directed Philippines Campaign, surrendered, Baguio

Army Units in Philippines

 * Yoshiharu Iwanaka: General Officer Commanding 2nd Armored Division, Philippines
 * Torao Ikuta: Commandant Manila Garrison
 * Masaharu Honma General Officer Commanding 14th Army, Philippines
 * Takichi Hōjō: Commanding Officer 54th Independent Mixed Brigade, Philippines
 * Lieutenant-General Igatu: General Officer Commanding Prisoner of War Camps Philippines
 * Masatsugu Araki: Commanding Officer 79th Brigade, Philippines
 * Isamu Chō: Southern Army Liaison Officer to 14th Army, Philippines
 * Shinpei Fukei: General Officer Commanding 102nd Division, Philippines and General Officer Commanding 102nd Division, Philippines
 * Jiro Harada: General Officer Commanding 10th Division and General Officer Commanding 100th Division, Philippines
 * Yoshihide Hayashi: Director-General of Military Administration Philippines

Commanders of Army Air Force, during Philippines Campaign

 * Kioji Tominaga:- Fourth Air Army Commander; arrived Manila—engaged in Philippines Campaign

Commanders of Japanese Army Airborne units, Philippines Campaign

 * Rikishi Tsukada:- Commanding General, 1st Airborne Raiding Group, moved to Luzon-participated in battle for Clark Field

Units in Philippines

 * 31st Special Base Unit (Manila)
 * 32nd Special Base Unit (Davao)
 * 33rd Special Base Unit (Cebu)
 * 18th Division (Leyte Island)
 * 102d Division (Visayas)
 * 100th Division Davao (Mindanao)
 * 30th Division Cagayan (Mindanao)
 * 54th Independent Mixed Brigade Zamboanga (Mindanao)
 * 55th Independent Mixed Brigade (Jolo Island)
 * 4th Tank Regiment - Lieut. Colonel Kumagaya
 * 7th Tank Regiment - Colonel Sonoda
 * 7th Independent Tank Company - Captain Kono
 * 1st Independent Tank Company - Captain Uchida
 * 2nd Independent Tank Company - Captain Kurobe
 * Itoh SNLF Tank Company - Major Itoh
 * 2nd Tank Division - Lieut. General Iwanaka
 * 8th Independent Tank Company - 1st Lt. Matsumoto
 * 9th Independent Tank Company - 1st Lt. Nakajima
 * Iwashita Independent Tank Company - Captain Iwashita
 * Sumi Independent SP Gun Company - Captain Sumi
 * 3rd Tank Brigade - Brigadier General Shigemi
 * 6th Tank Regiment - Colonel Ida
 * 10th Tank Regiment - Colonel Harada
 * 4th Tank Brigade
 * 11th Tank Regiment

Air Squadrons in Philippines

 * Japanese Navy
 * First Air Fleet
 * Tainan Air Group
 * Takao Air Group
 * 204th Air Group
 * 1st Air Group


 * Japanese Army
 * Fourth Air Army
 * 11th Air Fleet
 * 2nd Sentai
 * 14th Sentai
 * 30th Sentai
 * Tachikawa Air Unit (technical evaluations on captured equipment)
 * 4th Air Division
 * 7th Air Division
 * 2d Air Division

Commander in Chief, Seventh Area Army

 * Seishirō Itagaki, Commander in Chief, Seventh Area Army (Singapore)

Deputy Chief of Staff, Singapore Units

 * Kitsuju Ayabe:- Deputy Chief of Staff, Southern Army (Singapore)

Officers attached to Seventh Area Army HQ

 * Kitsuju Ayabe:- assigned to Seventh Area Army Headquarters (Singapore)

Chief of Staff, Seventh Area Army

 * Kitsuju Ayabe:- Chief of Staff, Seventh Area Army, till end of War

Chiefs of Unit 9420, Singapore

 * Rioichi Naito:- founder of Oka Unit (Unit 9420)
 * Masataka Kitagawa:- Commander of Unit 9420

Commanders of regular Armies, Malay Peninsula

 * Twenty-ninth Army Commander, Teizo Ishiguro
 * 94th Division, Commander Teizo Ishiguro (HQ in Malay Peninsula)
 * Bin Kinoshita: Commander of Third Air Army was assigned to Singapore, where it controlled the 5th, 7th, and 9th Air Divisions, etc.
 * Major-General Arimina: Commandant Changi Jail, Singapore
 * Kitsuju Ayabe: Chief of Staff 7th Area Army, Singapore
 * Shinpei Fukei: Commandant Prisoner of War Camps, Singapore
 * Kenji Doihara: Commander in Chief 7th Area Army, Singapore
 * Masazumi Inada: Commanding Officer 3rd Shipping Transport Command, Singapore
 * Kiyotake Kawaguchi, commanded the Kawaguchi Expeditionary Detachment striking at British Borneo.
 * Utata Fukunaga: Commanding Officer 16th Field Transport Command, Malaya
 * Lieutenant-General Inoue: General Officer Commanding 94th Division, Malaya
 * Teizo Ishiguro: Led the Twenty-ninth Army (with 94th Division, etc.): Malay Peninsula

Structures of Japanese forces in Penang Region

 * Masakichi Itami: Governor-General of Penang Region

Operative units in Malaya area

 * 1st Tank Regiment - Colonel Mukaida
 * 6th Tank Regiment - Colonel Kawamura
 * 14th Tank Regiment - Colonel Kita

Chiefs of Regular Armies, Singapore Campaign

 * Tomoyuki Yamashita:- Twenty-fifth Army Commander, (took Singapore, conquered Bataan and Corregidor)

Japanese Units in Singapore, Andaman and Malaya

 * 10th Special Base Unit (Singapore)
 * 12th Special Base Unit (Andaman)
 * 15th Base Unit (Penang)
 * Seventh Area Army (Singapore) - Kenji Doihara
 * Sixteenth Army
 * Twenty-fifth Army
 * Twenty-ninth Army

Japanese Army organization in Andaman/Nicobar Islands

 * Yoshisuke Inoue: Commanding Officer 35th Independent Mixed Brigade, Andaman Islands
 * Major-General Saburo Isoda: Japanese Liaison Officer to Indian National Army
 * Toshio Itsuki: Commanding Officer 36th Independent Mixed Brigade, Nicobar Islands
 * Hideo Iwakuro: Japanese Liaison Officer to Indian National Army

Japanese Air Force Commanders in Singapore

 * Bin Kinoshita:- Chief of Third Air Army (HQ in Singapore)

Air Units in Malaya, Singapore

 * Japanese Navy
 * Kanoya Air Group
 * Genzan Air Group
 * 22nd Koku Sentai


 * Japanese Army
 * Tachikawa Air Unit (technical evaluations on captured equipment)
 * 5th Air Division
 * 7th Air Division
 * 9th Air Division

Commanders-in-Chief, Burma Area Army

 * Masakazu Kawabe:- Commanding General, Burma Area Army
 * Heitarō Kimura:- Commanding General, Burma Area Army

Chief of Staff, Burma Area Army

 * Shinichi Tanaka:- Chief of Staff, Burma Area Army

Commanders in regular Armies, Burma Area

 * Shinichi Tanaka:- 18th Division Commander (Burma)
 * Masakazu Kawabe led the (Burma Area Army)
 * Shozo Sakurai Commanded the Twenty-eighth Army
 * Kōtoku Satō command the 31st Division
 * Yuzo Matsuyama 56th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General
 * Masabumi Yamauchi led the 15th Division
 * Renya Mutaguchi, who had command of the Fifteenth Army
 * Hideo Iwakuro: Chief of Staff 55th Division, Burma and Chief of Staff 28th Army, Burma
 * Takeakira Isomura: Deputy Chief of Staff Burma Area Army, Burma
 * Haruki Isayama, : Chief of Staff 15th Army, Burma
 * Shōjirō Iida: General Officer Commanding 15th Army, Thailand-Burma
 * Masaki Honda: General Officer Commanding 33rd Army, Burma
 * Jiro Ichida : Vice Chief of Staff Burma Area Army
 * Tuyoji Hirano,: Commanding Officer Kempeitai 25th Army, Sumatra
 * Toshiji Aida : Commanding Officer Infantry Group 18th Division, Burma
 * Iwaichi Fujiwara: Chief of Intelligence 15th Army, Burma
 * Tadashi Hanaya: General Officer Commanding 55th Division, Burma
 * Yoshihide Hayashi: Commanding Officer 24th Independent Mixed Brigade, Burma and General Officer Commanding 53rd Division, Burma

Operative units in Burma

 * 1st Company/2nd Tank Regiment - First Lieut. Okada
 * 14th Tank Regiment - Lieut.Colonel Ueda

Air Units in Burma

 * Japanese Army units:
 * 81st Sentai


 * Japanese Navy units
 * Kanoya Air Group
 * Yamada Air Group
 * Toko Air Group
 * Seaplane tender Sagara Maru
 * 22nd Koku Sentai

Eighteenth Area Army Commander

 * Akito Nakamura:- Eighteenth Area Army Commander
 * Shihachi Katamura:- Fifteenth Army Commander
 * Shihachi Katamura: Command the Fifteenth Army
 * Akito Nakamura: Led The Eighteenth Area Army,was stationed in Thailand
 * Masachika Hirata: General Officer Commanding 22nd Division, Thailand
 * Tadashi Hanaya: Chief of Staff 18th Area Army, Thailand
 * Shōjirō Iida: General Officer Commanding 15th Army, Thailand
 * Katsumi Adachi: General Officer Commanding 4th Special Railway Corps, Thailand
 * Hitoshi Hamada: Chief of Staff 39th Army, Thailand: Deputy Chief of Staff 18th Area Army, Thailand and Second Superintendent of Railways, Thailand

Commanders in Japanese forces detachment, Dutch East Indies

 * Kenzo Kitano:- Nineteenth Army Commander (Headquarters: Amboina)
 * Yuichiro Nagano:- Commander Sixteenth Army and 48th Division (Headquarters: Java)
 * Moritake Tanabe:- Twenty-fifth Army and the Imperial Guard Division unit (Headquarters: Sumatra)
 * Fusataro Teshima:- Second Army Commander with leading of 5th, 32nd, 35th, and 36th Divisions comprised the heart of this army.

Commanders in Regular Armies, Dutch East Indies Campaign

 * Kiyotake Kawaguchi:- Brigade Commander, 35th Infantry Brigade (MajGen), after outbreak of Pacific war, participated in Borneo invasion.
 * Shizuo Sakaguchi Commanded the Sakaguchi Detachment built around three infantry battalions detached on the eastern coast of Borneo.
 * Moritake Tanabe Commanding Twenty-fifth Army (with the Imperial Guard Division, etc.) Sumatra area.
 * Hitoshi Imamura: Commanding 16th Army, Java, then 8th Area Army (responsible for 17th Army in the Solomons and 18th Army in New Guinea)
 * Yuichiro Nagano: Commanding 16th Army, Java
 * Kumachiki Hada: Commanding 16th Army, Java
 * Major-General Akashi: Commanding Officer 56th Independent Mixed Brigade, Borneo
 * Masao Baba General Officer Commanding 4th Division, Sumatra and General Officer Commanding 37th Army, Borneo
 * Shinichi Endo: Commanding Officer 57th Independent Mixed Brigade, Celebes
 * Major-General Ishiri: Commander in Moluccas Area
 * Takeo Itō: Commanding Officer 40th Independent Mixed Brigade, New Ireland Island from 8 July 1944
 * Shigeo Iwabe: Commanding Officer 28th Independent Mixed Brigade, Java
 * Jo Iimura: Commander in Chief 2nd Area Army, Celebes

Units in the Dutch East Indies

 * 21st Special Base Unit (Surabaya)
 * 22nd Special Base Unit (Balikpapan)
 * 23rd Special Base Unit (Makassar)
 * 25th Special Base Unit (Ambon)
 * Second Area Army (in the Celebes)
 * Thirty-seventh Army (in South Borneo) - Masao Baba
 * 4th Tank Regiment - Lieut.Colonel Kumagaya
 * 2nd Tank Regiment - Colonel Mori

Units in Halmahera island (Dutch East Indies)

 * Imperial Army detachment
 * 32nd Division-Lieutenant-General Yoshiho Ishii
 * 128th Independent Mixed Brigade


 * Imperial Navy detachment
 * 26th Special Base Force - Vice-Admiral Shinichi Ichinose. (It was disbanded in the late World War II)

Japanese Air Units in the Dutch East Indies

 * Japanese Navy
 * Genzan Air Group
 * Tainan Air Group
 * 934th Air Fleet
 * 36th Air Fleet