Northeast Area Fleet
Encyclopedia
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
established during World War II
.
forces having driven the Japanese out of the Aleutian Islands in late 1943 to early 1944, an organizational structure was required to coordinate Japan’s northern defenses against the possibility that the United States would extend operations from the Aleutians into the Chishima Islands, Karafuto
and to northern Japan itself. The new Northeast Area Fleet was a combined operational command containing surviving elements of the IJN 5th Fleet
, IJN 12th Air Fleet and ground elements. As it became eventually evident that the United States had no intention of using the northern approaches to Japan as an invasion route, gradually most of its forces were reassigned to other theaters of the war. The Northeast Area Fleet itself was disbanded on December 5, 1944.
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 5 August 1943 (original) || rowspan="3"| Combined Fleet
|| 5th Fleet
, 12th Air Fleet
|-
| 1 April 1944 || 5th Fleet, 12th Air Fleet, 22nd Cruiser Division, Chishima Area Base Force
|-
| 15 August 1944 || 5th Fleet, 12th Air Fleet, Chishima Area Base Force
|-
| 5 December 1944 || colspan="2"| disbanded
{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Additional post
|-
|1|| Vice Admiral|| Michitaro Totsuka
|| August 5, 1943 - September 15, 1944|| rowspan="3"| Commander of the 12th Air Fleet
|-
|2|| Vice Admiral|| Eiji Goto|| September 15, 1944 – December 5, 1944
|-
|}
Chief of staff
{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral|| Yoshiyuki Ichimiya|| August 5, 1942 – December 5, 1944|| Chief of staff of the 12th Air Fleet
|-
|}
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
established 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...
.
History
The Northeast Area Fleet was a short-lived operational headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy, established on August 5, 1943. With United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
forces having driven the Japanese out of the Aleutian Islands in late 1943 to early 1944, an organizational structure was required to coordinate Japan’s northern defenses against the possibility that the United States would extend operations from the Aleutians into the Chishima Islands, Karafuto
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
and to northern Japan itself. The new Northeast Area Fleet was a combined operational command containing surviving elements of the IJN 5th Fleet
IJN 5th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, active during the early portions of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and again in World War II, primarily in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.-China Expeditionary Fleet:...
, IJN 12th Air Fleet and ground elements. As it became eventually evident that the United States had no intention of using the northern approaches to Japan as an invasion route, gradually most of its forces were reassigned to other theaters of the war. The Northeast Area Fleet itself was disbanded on December 5, 1944.
Transition
{| class="wikitable"! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 5 August 1943 (original) || rowspan="3"| Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
|| 5th Fleet
IJN 5th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, active during the early portions of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and again in World War II, primarily in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.-China Expeditionary Fleet:...
, 12th Air Fleet
|-
| 1 April 1944 || 5th Fleet, 12th Air Fleet, 22nd Cruiser Division, Chishima Area Base Force
|-
| 15 August 1944 || 5th Fleet, 12th Air Fleet, Chishima Area Base Force
|-
| 5 December 1944 || colspan="2"| disbanded
Commanders of the IJN Northern Area Fleet
Commander in chief{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Additional post
|-
|1|| Vice Admiral|| Michitaro Totsuka
Michitaro Totsuka
-Notes:...
|| August 5, 1943 - September 15, 1944|| rowspan="3"| Commander of the 12th Air Fleet
|-
|2|| Vice Admiral|| Eiji Goto|| September 15, 1944 – December 5, 1944
|-
|}
Chief of staff
{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral|| Yoshiyuki Ichimiya|| August 5, 1942 – December 5, 1944|| Chief of staff of the 12th Air Fleet
|-
|}