Japanese Monographs
The Japanese Monographs, Japanese Studies on Manchuria, and Japanese Night Combat Study are three groups of publications written by Japanese officers, prepared by the Military History Section of the Headquarters, US Army Forces East, and distributed by the Office of the Chief of Military History, US Department of the Army. They have been described as: "An invaluable tool for the English-speaking audience to research Japan's version of the war [World War II] in China".[1]
Background
Japanese Monographs
The Japanese Monographs[2] are a series of operational histories, written by former officers of the Japanese army and navy, of Japanese actions in China during World War II. The 187 monographs were prepared under the direction of General Headquarters of the U.S. Far East Command beginning in 1945.[1]
Much of the series was extensively revised, some of it completely rewritten, to correct errors of both English and fact, mainly in the period 1955-1960. During this period, the "Japanese Studies on Manchuria" were added.
Japanese Studies on Manchuria
"The Japanese Studies on Manchuria were prepared several years after the operational monographs and were written under the direction and guidance of the Japanese consultants of the Japanese Research Division. In general, these studies are superior to the monographs in organization, accuracy, and coverage."[3]
Japanese Night Combat Study
In addition to editing and rewriting the monographs and Manchurian studies, the Japanese Research Division also prepared a special study on night combat as practiced by the Japanese Army. The latter was titled Japanese Night Combat Study.[3]
List of monographs
| No. | Monograph | Subtitle | Period | Type | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase I | (November 1941 - June 1942) | Invasion operation | Army |
| 2 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase I | (December 1941 - April 1942) | Invasion operation | Army |
| 3 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (December 1942 - June 1944) | Defense preparation | Army |
| 4 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (July - November 1944) | Defense preparation | Army |
| 5 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (July - December 1944) | Defense operations | Army |
| 6 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (June 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 7 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (January - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 8 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (December 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 9 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (December 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 10 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III | (November 1944 - April 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 11 | Philippines Air Operations Record | Phase I | (December 1944 - May 1942) | Invasion operations | Army Air Force |
| 12 | Philippines Air Operations Record | Phase III | (August 1944 - February 1945) | Defense operations | Army Air Force |
| 13 | North of Australia Operations Record | (1943 - 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 14 | Second Area Army Operations in the Western New Guinea Area | (May 1944 - January 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 15 | Outline of the Battle for Morotai | (15 September - 13 May 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 16 | Ambon (Amboina) and Timor Invasion operations | (January - February 1942) | Invasion operations | Army | |
| 17 | Homeland Operations Record | (1941-1945) | Army | ||
| 18 | Homeland Operations Record | Volume II | Combined with No. 17 | ||
| 19 | Homeland Operations Record | Volume III | Combined with No. 17 | ||
| 20 | Homeland Operations Record | Volume III supplement | Combined with No. 17 | ||
| 21 | Homeland Operations Record | Volume IV Fifth Area Army |
(Late 1943 - 1945) | Defense preparations | Army |
| 22 | Seventeenth Area Army Operations | (1941 - 1945) | Plans and preparations | Army | |
| 23 | Air Defense of the Homeland | (1944 - 1945) | Defense operations | Army Air Force | |
| 24 | History of the Southern Army | (1941 - 1945) | Over-all southern area operations | Army | |
| 25 | French Indo-China Area Operations Record | (1940 - 1945) | General coverage | Army | |
| 26 | Borneo Operations | (1941 - 1945) | General coverage | Army | |
| 27 | Jolo Island Invasion operations Record | (December 1941) | Invasion operations | Army | |
| 28 | Tarakan Invasion operations Record | (January 1942) | Invasion operations | Army | |
| 29 | Balikpapan Invasion operations Record | (January 1942) | Invasion operation | Army | |
| 30 | Bandjermasin Invasion Operations Record | (February 1942) | Invasion operation | Army | |
| 31 | Southern Area Air Operations Record | (1941 - 1945) | General coverage | Army Air Force | |
| 32 | Southern Area Air Operations Record | (November 1942 - April 1944) | Defense preparations | Army Air Force | |
| 33 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Part 1 South Seas Detachment Operations |
(3 January - 30 May 1942) | Invasion operations | Army |
| 34 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Volume I | (May 1942 - January 1943) | Counteroffensive | Army |
| 35 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Volume II | (February 1943 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 36 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Map Supplement | Deleted Maps combined with Nos. 34 and 35 |
Army | |
| 37 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Volume I | (January 1942 - June 1943) | Invasion operations | Army |
| 38 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Volume II | (June 1943 - February 1944) | Defense operations | Army |
| 39 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Volume III | (March 1944 - August 1944) | Defense operations | Army |
| 40 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Volume IV | (September 1944 - June 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 41 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Volume V | (June 1945 - March 1946) | Defense operations | Army |
| 42 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Chart Supplement | (1943-1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 43 | Southeast Area Operations Record 18th Army Operations |
Map Supplement | Deleted, maps combined with 37-41 | ||
| 44 | History of the Eighth Area Army | (November 1952 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 45 | History of Imperial General HQ, Army Section | (1941 - 1945) | Over-all operations | Army | |
| 46 | Aleutians Operations Record | (June 1942 - July 1943) | Invasion and Defense operations | Army | |
| 47 | Northern Area Monthly Combat Reports | (January - May 1943) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 48 | Central Pacific Operations Record | Volume I | (December 1941 - August 1945) | Invasion and Defense operations | Army |
| 49 | Central Pacific Operations Record | Volume II | (April - November 1944) | Defense operations | Army |
| 50 | Central Pacific Air Operations Record | (1944 - 1945) | Defense operations | Army Air Force | |
| 51 | Iwo Jima and Ryukyu Islands Air Operations | (February - June 1945) | Defense operations | Army Air Force | |
| 52 | Formosa Area Operations Record | (1943 - 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 53 | 3rd Army Operations in Okinawa | (March - June 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 54 | Malay Operations Record | (November 1941 - March 1942) | Invasion operations | Army | |
| 55 | Southeast Area Air Operations Record | Phase I | (November 1941 - February 1942) | Invasion operations | Army Air Force |
| 56 | Southeast Area Air Operations Record | Phase II | (July 1942 - June 1944) | Offensive operations | Army Air Force |
| 57 | Burma Operations Record | Phase I | (November 1941 - December 1942) | Invasion operations | Army |
| 58 | Burma Operations Record | Phase II | (1943 — 1944) | Offensive operations | Army |
| 59a | Burma Operations Record | Phase III | (1944 - 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 59b | Burma Operations Record | Phase III | (April 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 60a | Burma Operations Record | Map Supplement | Deleted - combined with No. 57 | Army | |
| 60b | Burma Operations Record | Map Supplement | Deleted - combined with No. 58 | Army | |
| 61 | Burma Operations Record | Supplement No. 2 | (October - November 1943) | Defense operations | Army |
| 62 | Burma Operations Record | Supplement No. 2 | (April 1944 - January 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 63 | Burma Operations Record | Map Supplement | Deleted - maps included with No. 62 | Army | |
| 64 | Burma Air Operations Record | (January 1942 - August 1945) | Over-all operations | Army Air Force | |
| 65 | Southeast Area Air Operations Record | Phase III | (July 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army Air Force |
| 66 | The Invasion of the Netherlands East Indies | (November 1941 - March 1942) | Invasion operations | Army | |
| 67 | Palembang and Bangka Islands Operations Record | (January - February 1942) | Invasion operations | Army | |
| 68 | Report On Installations and Captured Weapons, Java and Singapore | 1942 | Army | ||
| 69 | Java-Sumatra Area Air Operations Record | (December 1941 - March 1942) | Invasion operations | Army Air Force | |
| 70 | China Area Operations Record | (Revised) | (July 1937 - November 1941) | Invasion operations | Army |
| 71 | Army Operations in China | (December 1941 - December 1943) | Offensive operations | Army | |
| 72 | Army Operations in China | (January 1944 - August 1945) | Offensive operations | Army | |
| 73 | Combat in the Tao-Erh-Chuang Area | (February - June 1938) | Offensive operations | Army | |
| 74 | Operations in the Kun-Lun-Kuan Area | (November 1939 - February 1940) | Offensive operations | Army | |
| 75 | Operations at Changsha | Deleted - contents included in No. 70 | |||
| 76 | AIR OPERATIONS IN THE CHINA AREA | (July 1937 - August 1945) | Over-all coverage | Army Air Force | |
| 77 | Japanese preparations for Operations in Manchuria | (1931–1942) | Plans and preparations | Army | |
| 78 | The Kwangtung Army in the Manchurian Campaign | (1941–1945) | Plans and preparations | Army | |
| 79 | Burma and Andaman Invasion Naval Operations | (March - April 1942) | Invasion operations | Navy | |
| 79A | Sumatra Invasion and Southwest Area Naval Mopping-Up Operations | (January - May 1942) | Invasion operations | Navy | |
| 80 | Operational Situation of the Japanese Navy in the Philippines Invasion Operations | (December 1941) | Invasion operations | Naval Air Force | |
| 81 | Philippines Area Naval Operations | Part III | (December 1944 - January 1945) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 82 | Philippines Area Naval Operations | Part I | (January - September 1944) | Defense preparations | Naval Air Force |
| 83 | Okinawa Area Naval Operations | (January - June 1945) | Defense operations | Naval Air Force | |
| 84 | Philippines Area Naval Operations | Part II | (October - December 1944) | Defense preparations | Navy |
| 85 | Preparations for Operations in Defense of the Homeland | (July 1944 - July 1945) | Plans and preparations | Navy | |
| 86 | 5th Air Fleet Operations | (February - August 1945) | Defense operations | Naval Air Force | |
| 87 | Western New Guinea and North of Australia Area Naval Operations | (April - September 1944) | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 88 | Aleutian Naval Operations | (March 1942 - February 1943) | Offensive operations | Navy | |
| 89 | Northern Area Naval Operations | (February 1943 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 90 | The "A-Go" Operations | (May - June 1944) | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 91 | The "A-Go" Operations | LOG, supplement | (May - June 1944) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 92 | Southwest Area Naval Operations | (April 1942 - April 1944) | Consolidation | Navy | |
| 93 | Midway Operations | (May - June 1942) | Offensive operations | Navy | |
| 94 | Iwo Jima Operation | (February - March 1945) | Defense operations | Naval Air Force | |
| 95 | Submarine Operations in the Philippines Area | (September 1944 - March 1945) | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 96 | Eastern New Guinea Invasion Operations | (March - September 1942) | Invasion operations | Navy | |
| 97 | Pearl Harbor Operations: General Outline of Orders and Plans | (5 November - 2 December 1941) | Offensive operations | Navy | |
| 98 | Southeast Area Naval Operations | Part I | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 99 | Southeast Area Naval Operations | Part II | (February - October 1943) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 100 | Southeast Area Naval Operations | Part III | (October 1943 - February 1944) | Defense operations | Naval Air Force |
| 101 | Naval Operations in the Invasion of Netherlands East Indies | (December 1941 - March 1942) | Invasion operation | Navy | |
| 102 | Submarine Operations | (December 1941 - April 1942) | Offensive operations | Navy | |
| 103 | Outline of Administration in Occupied Areas | (1942 - 1945) | Consolidation | Army | |
| 104 | Sources of Materials Used in Preparation of Japanese Monographs | Army | |||
| 105 | General Summary of Naval Operations | Southern Force | (November 1941 - April 1942) | Offensive operations | Navy |
| 106 | Naval Operations Against Soviet Russia | (1941 - 1945) | Plans and preparations | Navy | |
| 107 | Malaya Invasion Naval Operations | (Revised) | (December 1941 - February 1942) | Invasion operations | Navy |
| 108 | Submarine Operations in First Phase Operations | (December 1941 - April 1942) | Offensive operations | Navy | |
| 109 | Homeland Defense Naval Operations | Part I | (December 1941 - March 1943) | Plans and preparation | Navy |
| 110 | Submarine Operations in Second Phase Operations | Part I | (April - August 1942) | Offensive operations | Navy |
| 111 | Submarine Operations in Second Phase Operations | Part II | (August 1942 - March 1943) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 112 | Southeast Area Naval Operations | Part IV | (February - April 1944) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 113 | Task Force Operations | (November 1941 - April 1942) | Offensive Operation | Naval Air Force | |
| 114 | Philippine Area Naval Operations | Part IV | (January - August 1945) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 115 | Borneo Area Naval Operation | (February - July 1945) | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 116 | The Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II | (1941 - 1945) | Navy | ||
| 117 | Outline of Third Phase Operations | (February 1943 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Navy | |
| 118 | Operational History of Naval Communications | (December 1941 - August 1945) | Navy | ||
| 119 | Outline of Operations prior to the Termination of War and activities connected with the Cessation of Hostilities | (July - August 1945) | Surrender | Navy | |
| 120 | Outline of Southeast Area Naval Air Operations | Part I | (December 1941 - August 1942) | Invasion operations | Naval Air Force |
| 121 | Outline of Southeast Area Naval Air Operations | Part II | (August - October 1942) | Offensive operations | Naval Air Force |
| 122 | Outline of Southeast Area Naval Air Operations | Part III | (November 1942 - June 1943) | Defensive Operations | Naval Air Force |
| 123 | Homeland Defense Naval Operations | Part II | (March 1943 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 124 | Homeland Defense Naval Operations | Part III | (June 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Naval Air Force |
| 125 | SURFACE ESCORT OPERATIONS | December 1941 - August 1945) | Over-all operations | Navy | |
| 126 | BORNEO OPERATIONS RECORD | Volume II | Deleted - material included in No. 26 | ||
| 127 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Part IV | (November 1942 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 128 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Supplement, Part IV |
(September 1943 - April 1944) | Defense operations | Army |
| 129 | China Area Operations Record | Command of the China Expeditionary Army | (August 1943 - August 1945) | Offensive operations | Army |
| 130 | Burma Operations Record | Sixth Area Army Operations | (July 1944 - August 1945) | Offensive operations | Army |
| 131 | Burma Operations Record | Operations in Hukawng Area | (August 1943 - July 1944) | Defense operations | Army |
| 132 | Burma Operations Record | 28th Army Operations in Akyab Area | (November 1943 - September 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 133 | Burma Operations Record | Outline of Burma Area Line of Communications | (1943 - 1945) | Logistic Operations | Army |
| 134 | Burma Operations Record | 15th Army Operations in Imphal Area and Withdrawal to Northern Burma | (January 1943 - January 1945) | Over-all operations | Army |
| 135 | Okinawa Operations Record | (March - June 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 136 | North of Australia Operations Record | (January 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 137 | Philippines Operations Record | Phase III, Volume IV, General Outline of Mindoro Operations | (September 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 138 | Japanese preparations for Operations in Manchuria | (January, 1943 - August 1945) | Plans and preparations | Army | |
| 139 | Outline of South Seas Naval Operations and General Situation | (December 1941 - March 1943) | Invasion operations | Navy | |
| 140 | Outline of Southeast Area Naval Air Operations | Part IV | (July - November 1943) | Offensive operations | Naval Air Force |
| 141 | Okinawa Area Naval Operations | Supplement | (January - August 1945) | Deleted, combined with No. 83. | |
| 142 | Outline of Southeast Area Naval Air Operations | Part V | (December 1943 - May 1944) | Defense operations | Naval Air Force |
| 143 | Southeast Area Operations Record | Part I | (January - May 1942) | Invasion operations | Army |
| 144 | Political Strategy Prior to Outbreak of War | Part I | (September 1931 - January 1940) | ||
| 145 | Outline of Naval Armament and Preparations for War | Part I | (1922 - 1934) | Plans and preparations | Navy |
| 146 | Political Strategy Prior to Outbreak of War | Part II | (January - December 1940) | ||
| 147 | Political Strategy Prior to Outbreak of War | Part III | (January - December 1941) | ||
| 148 | Burma Area Operations Record | 33rd Army Operations | (April 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 149 | Outline of Naval Armament and Preparations for War | Part II | (1934 - 1939) | Plans and preparations | Navy |
| 150 | Political Strategy Prior to Outbreak of War | Part IV | (January - December 1941) | ||
| 151 | Air Operations Record Against Soviet Russia | (June 1941 - September 1945) | Plans and preparations | Army Air Force | |
| 152 | Political Strategy Prior to Outbreak of War | Part V | (1940 - 1941) | Plans and preparations | Navy |
| 153 | Homeland Operations Record | Volume IV Operations in Karafuto and China Area |
(9–22 August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 154 | Record of Operations against Soviet Russia | Eastern Front Archived 2012-09-11 at the Wayback Machine | (August 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 155 | Record of Operations against Soviet Russia | Northern and Western Fronts | (August - September 1945) | Defense operations | Army |
| 156 | Historical Review of Landing Operations of Japanese Forces | (1904 - 1945) | Offensive operations | Army | |
| 157 | Homeland Air Defense Operations Record | (Revised) | (July 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army Air Force |
| 158 | Homeland Air Defense Operations Record | CENTRAL SECTOR | Material included with No. 157 | ||
| 159 | Homeland Air Defense Operations Record | WESTERN SECTOR | Material included with No. 157 | ||
| 160 | Outline of Naval Armament and Preparations for War | Part III | (1939 -1941) | Plans and preparations | Navy |
| 161 | Inner South Sea Islands Area Naval Operations | Part I, Gilbert Islands | (November 1941 - November 1943) | Offensive operations | Navy |
| 162 | Southwest Area Operations Record | (April 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Army | |
| 163 | Submarine Operations in Third Phase Operations | Part I | (March - November 1943) | Offensive operations | Navy |
| 164 | Railway Operations Record | (1941 - 1945) | Transportation Operations | Army | |
| 165 | Java Operations Record | Part II | (Early 1944 - August 1945) | Plans and preparations | Army |
| 166 | China Incident Naval Air Operations | (July - November 1937) | Offensive operations | Naval Air Force | |
| 167 | Malay Operations Record | (January 1944 - August 1945) | Defense preparations | Army | |
| 168 | Homeland Antiaircraft Defense Operations Record | Tokai Sector | (December 1944 - August 1945) | Defense preparations | Army |
| 169 | Outline of Naval Armament and Preparations for War | Part IV | (1942) | Naval Construction | Navy |
| 170 | Homeland Antiaircraft Defense Operations Record | Kanto Sector | (June 1944 - August 1945) | Defense preparations | Army |
| 171 | Submarine Operations in Third Phase Operations | Part II | (November 1943 - March 1944) | Offensive operations | Navy |
| 172 | Outline of Naval Armament and Preparations for War | Part V | (March 1943 - April 1945) | Naval Construction | Navy |
| 173 | Inner South Seas Islands Area Naval Operations | Part II Marshall Islands | (December 1941 - February 1944) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 174 | Outline of Naval Armament and Preparations for War | Part VI | (March - June 1945) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 175 | Homeland Antiaircraft Defense Operations Record | Central Sector | (September 1944 - July 1945) | Defense preparations | Army |
| 176 | Homeland Antiaircraft Defense Operations Record | Western Sector | (June 1944 - August 1945) | Defense preparations | Army |
| 177 | Thailand Operations Record | (1941 - 1945) | Over-all operations | Army | |
| 178 | China Area Operations Record | North China | (July 1937 - May 1941) | Offensive operations | Army |
| 179 | China Area Operations Record | Central China | (1937 - 1941) | Offensive operations | Army |
| 180 | China Area Operations Record | South China | (1937 - 1941) | Offensive operations | Army |
| 181 | |||||
| 182 | |||||
| 183 | |||||
| 184 | Submarine Operations in Third Phase Operations | Part III Part IV Part V |
(March 1944 - August 1945) | Defense operations | Navy |
| 185 | Sumatra Operations Record | 25th Army | (March 1942 - August 1945) | Over-all operations | Army |
List of studies on Manchuria
| Vol. | Study |
| I | Japanese Operational Planning against the USSR (1932–1945) |
| II | Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria (1894–1945) Historical Summary |
| III | Strategic Study On Manchuria Military Topography and Geography Terrain Study |
| IV | Air Operations (1931–1945) Plans and Preparations |
| V | Infantry Operations |
| VI | Armor Operations |
| VII | Supporting Arms and Services |
| VIII | Logistics in Manchuria |
| IX | Climatic Factors |
| X | Japanese Intelligence Planning against the USSR (1934–1941) |
| XI | Small Wars and Border Problems |
| XII | Anti-Bandit Operation (1931–1941) |
| XIII | Study of Strategic and Tactical Peculiarities of Far Eastern Russia and Soviet Eastern Forces (1931–1945) |
Notes
- ^ a b Phillips, S. (2004) The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945 : The Military Struggle -Research Guide and Bibliography
- ^ The Japanese Monographs, Prepared by the Military History Section of the Headquarters, Army Forces East, Distributed by the Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army
- ^ a b Guide to Japanese Monographs and Japanese Studies on Manchuria 1945-1960, Office of the Chief of Military History, U.S. Department of the Army, Washington, 1962, 1980.