Eleventh Area Army

Eleventh Area Army
ActiveFebruary 6, 1945 - August 15, 1945
CountryEmpire of Japan
BranchImperial Japanese Army
TypeInfantry
RoleField Army
Garrison/HQSendai, Miyagi
Nickname(s)進 (Shin = “advancing”)

The Eleventh Area Army (第11方面軍, Dai jyūichi hōmen gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.[1]

The Japanese 11th Area Army was formed on February 6, 1945 under the Imperial General Headquarters and transferred to the control of the Japanese First General Army on April 8, 1945. It was part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in central Honshū during Operation Downfall (or Operation Ketsugō (決号作戦, Ketsugō sakusen) in Japanese terminology). The Japanese 11th Area Army was responsible for the Tōhoku region of Japan and was headquartered in Sendai, Miyagi.

It consisted mostly of poorly trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. In addition, the Japanese had organized the Volunteer Fighting Corps — which included all healthy men aged 15 to 60 and women 17 to 40 — to perform combat support, and ultimately combat jobs. Weapons, training, and uniforms were generally lacking: some men were armed with nothing better than muzzle-loading muskets, longbows, or bamboo spears; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had.[2]

The 11th Area Army was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 without having seen combat.

List of commanders

Commanding officer

Name From To
1 General Teiichi Yoshimoto February 6, 1945 August 7, 1945
2 General Keisuke Fujie August 7, 1945 August 15, 1945

Chief of staff

Name From To
1 Major General Masayoshi Ishii February 6, 1945 August 7, 1945
2 Major General Kazufumi Imai August 7, 1945 August 25, 1945

Notes

  1. ^ Madej, Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945
  2. ^ Frank, Downfall, p. 188–9. Bauer and Coox, OLYMPIC VS KETSU-GO.

References

  • Drea, Edward J. (1998). "Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan". In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-1708-0.
  • Frank, Richard B (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X.
  • Jowett, Bernard (1999). The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-354-3.
  • Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW.
  • Marston, Daniel (2005). The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-882-0.
  • Skates, John Ray (1994). The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb Downfall. New York: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-972-3.