The was an army

Corps

A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...

 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 the final stages 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...

.

History

The Japanese 32nd Army was formed on March 13, 1944 as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

 to deter possible landings of Allied forces

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

 in Okinawa and the surrounding Ryukyu Islands

Ryukyu Islands

The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...

. The Japanese 32nd Army had 77,000 men (39,000 infantry in 31 battalions and 38,000 artillery, armor and combat service troops) plus the 10,000 man Okinawa Naval Base Force and 42,000 Okinawan conscripts. However, many of its personnel were poorly-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...

. It was annihilated during the Battle of Okinawa

Battle of Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...

 from April to June, 1945.

Commanding officer

	Name	From	To
1	Lieutenant General Masao Watanabe Masao Watanabe was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.-Biography:Watanabe was the son of a former samurai retainer of the Kishiwada domain. His father was an elementary school teacher...	22 March 1944	8 August 1944
2	Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima Mitsuru Ushijima - Notes :...	8 August 1944	June 22, 1945 (KIA)

Chief of Staff

	Name	From	To
1	Major General Kiyoshi Kitagawa	22 March 1944	8 July 1944
2	Lieutenant General Isamu Chō Isamu Cho - Notes :...	8 July 1944	22 June 1945 (KIA)