Southwest Area Fleet
Encyclopedia
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
established during World War II
.
, French Indochina
, Malaya
, and the Netherlands East Indies.
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Southern Expeditionary Fleets and the IJN 13th Air Fleet were under operational control of the Southwest Area Fleet.
After February 1945, the headquarters of the Southwest Area Fleet was isolated in the Philippines, and the IJN 10th Area Fleet
was created in Singapore
to take over operational command of its surviving forces, with the exception of the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, which was also trapped in the Philippines. Through fierce fighting during the American re-occupation of the Philippines, especially in Manila
, Cebu
and Mindanao
, the surviving elements of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet were largely annihilated by the end of May 1945.
Chief of staff
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 Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942 to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
, and the Netherlands East Indies.
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Southern Expeditionary Fleets and the IJN 13th Air Fleet were under operational control of the Southwest Area Fleet.
After February 1945, the headquarters of the Southwest Area Fleet was isolated in the Philippines, and the IJN 10th Area Fleet
IJN 10th Area Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The commander in chief of the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet based in Singapore was named commander in chief of the newly created Tenth Area Fleet on 1 February 1944...
was created in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to take over operational command of its surviving forces, with the exception of the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, which was also trapped in the Philippines. Through fierce fighting during the American re-occupation of the Philippines, especially in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
and Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, the surviving elements of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet were largely annihilated by the end of May 1945.
Organization
- Southwest Area Fleet (HQ Manila)
- First Expeditionary Fleet (Singapore)
- Second Expeditionary Fleet (Surabaya)
- Third Expeditionary Fleet (Manila)
- Fourth Expeditionary Fleet (Ambon)
- IJN 13th Air Fleet
Commanders of the IJN Southwest Fleet
Commander in chief| Rank | Name | Date | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Vice Admiral | Ibo Takahashi Ibo Takahashi - Books :... |
>- | 1 | Admiral | Shiro Takasu Shirō Takasu Admiral was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Takasu was a native of Sakuragawa Village, , and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura... |
>- | 1 | Vice Admiral | Gunichi Mikawa Gunichi Mikawa was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In... |
>- | 1 | Vice Admiral | Denshichi Okawauchi | >- |
Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Toshihisa Nakamura | >- | 2 | Vice-Admiral | Takeo Tada | >- | 3 | Rear-Admiral | Hidehiko Nishio | >- | 4 | Vice-Admiral | Kaoru Arima Kaoru Arima was an admiral and commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Early in the war with the United States, Arima commanded the battleship , one of the largest battleships ever built.-Biography:... |
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