Thirteenth Area Army

Japanese Thirteenth Area Army
Active	February 1, 1945 - August 15, 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Field Army
Garrison/HQ	Nagoya
Nickname(s)	秀 (Shū = “excellence”)

The Japanese Thirteenth Area Army (第13方面軍, Dai-jyūhachi hōmen gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final stages of World War II.

History

The Japanese 13th Area Army was formed on 1945-02-01 under the Japanese First General Army as 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 13th Area Army was responsible for the Tōkai region of Japan and was headquartered in Nagoya.

It consisted mostly of poorly trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. In addition, the Japanese had organized the Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps — which included all healthy men aged 15–60 and women 17–40 — 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.

The 13th Area Army was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 without having seen combat.

List of Commanders

	Name	From	To
Commanding officer	Lieutenant General Tasuku Okada	1 February 1945	15 August 1945
Chief of Staff	Major General Masuzo Fujimura	1 February 1945	5 July 1945
Chief of Staff	Major General Yoshizo Shibata	5 July 1945	22 October 1945

References

Books

• 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. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Frank, Richard B (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Jowett, Bernard (1999). The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-354-3. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Marston, Daniel (2005). The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-882-0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• 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. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• Wendel, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook". Japanese Thirteenth Area Army.