Japanese Third Area Army
Encyclopedia
The was a field army
of the Imperial Japanese Army
during World War II
, based in southern Manchukuo
and active in combat against the Soviet Union
in the very final stages of the war.
and garrison
force to maintain security and public order in southern Manchukuo
as many veteran divisions of the Kwangtung Army were transferred to the various southern fronts in the Pacific War
. It consisted mostly of minimally-trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia
, without adequate weapons or supplies. The 3rd Area Army was headquartered in Mukden.
The units of the 3rd Area Army proved to be no match for the Red Army
when the Soviet Union invaded Manchukuo towards the end of World War II
. General Jun Ushiroku
refused orders from Kwantung Army Headquarters to retreat, and launched a counterattack along the Mukden–Port Arthur
railway, along which many Japanese civilians were fleeing. However, General Uchiroku was hampered by lack of armor and by insufficient ammunition, and by August 13, 1945, his formations were largely shattered. A mutiny by the Manchukuo Imperial Army
at Shinkyō ended his attempts to regroup. Many surviving soldiers of the 3rd Area Army, including General Ushiroku, became prisoners
in Siberia
and other parts of the Soviet Union after the surrender of Japan
on August 15, 1945.
Commanding officer
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, based in southern Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
and active in combat against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the very final stages of the war.
History
The Japanese 3rd Area Army was formed on October 29, 1943 under the control of the Kwangtung Army as a military reserveMilitary reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
and garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
force to maintain security and public order in southern Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
as many veteran divisions of the Kwangtung Army were transferred to the various southern fronts in the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. It consisted mostly of minimally-trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, without adequate weapons or supplies. The 3rd Area Army was headquartered in Mukden.
The units of the 3rd Area Army proved to be no match for the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
when the Soviet Union invaded Manchukuo towards the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. General Jun Ushiroku
Jun Ushiroku
- Notes :...
refused orders from Kwantung Army Headquarters to retreat, and launched a counterattack along the Mukden–Port Arthur
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
railway, along which many Japanese civilians were fleeing. However, General Uchiroku was hampered by lack of armor and by insufficient ammunition, and by August 13, 1945, his formations were largely shattered. A mutiny by the Manchukuo Imperial Army
Manchukuo Imperial Army
The Manchukuo Imperial Army was the armed force of the Japanese dominated puppet state of Manchukuo, serving as the land forces, along with the Manchukuo Imperial Guards...
at Shinkyō ended his attempts to regroup. Many surviving soldiers of the 3rd Area Army, including General Ushiroku, became prisoners
Japanese prisoners of war in the Soviet Union
By the end of :World War II there were from 560,000 to 760,000 Japanese POWs in the Soviet Union and Mongolia interned to work in labor camps. Of them, about 10% died , mostly during the winter of 1945–1946....
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and other parts of the Soviet Union after the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
on August 15, 1945.
Commanding officerCommanding officerThe commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
| Name | From | To | |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Naozaburo Okabe | 29 October 1943 | 25 August 1944 |
| 2 | General Jun Ushiroku Jun Ushiroku - Notes :... |
25 August 1944 | 15 August 1945 |
Chief of Staff
| Name | From | To | |
| 1 | Major General Yo Watanabe | 29 October 1943 | 26 October 1944 |
| 2 | Major General Masao Yano | 26 October 1944 | 23 March 1945 |
| 3 | Major General Kazama Otsubo | 23 March 1945 | 23 March 1945 |