Chapter 141 2. The battle order of the Japanese invaders in 1944

The reason why Emperor Hirohito was worried about "whether the military strength is sufficient" is because since the second half of 1943, the situation of the world anti-fascist war has undergone profound changes.After the German army suffered a disastrous defeat in Stalingrad, it was forced to shrink its front, and the Soviet army turned to counterattack.Italy announced its unconditional surrender on September 8, which greatly weakened the aggressive forces of fascism.In the Pacific War, Japan failed in the operations of Midway Island, Guadalcanal Island, and island operations in the southeast Pacific.The fascist front began to crumble.

In order to cope with this situation, on September 25, the Japanese military base camp and the government held a joint meeting to study the world situation, strategic strategies, and foreign strategies.And on September 30, the decision of the imperial meeting was made public to expand the aviation force so that the number of aircraft in 1944 reached 55,000; to strengthen the ground forces on the sea front and in Burma; to maintain the force against China at the level of 1943, but due to the limitation of national power, The level of equipment for China's armaments will be painfully reduced.

After the imperial meeting, the Japanese army failed one after another in the Pacific War. By the end of the year, the Japanese army was completely on the defensive strategically, and the Allied forces entered the stage of large-scale counter-offensive.At this time, the base camp and the Japanese government had a premonition that their sea traffic might be completely cut off. In order to maintain the connection between the Japanese mainland and Southeast Asia when the sea traffic was cut off, and destroy the US air force base in China, in January 1944, the headquarters decided to open up the mainland traffic lines in China (Ping-Han, Yue-Han, Hunan-Guangxi, etc. railway) operations.Therefore, in 1944, the strength of the Japanese invaders was adjusted around the task of reinforcing the Pacific War and opening up the communication lines in mainland China.The specific changes are as follows:

In late January, the 32nd and 35th Divisions of the North China Front Army were transferred to the South Pacific battlefield. In early February, the 1st to 14th independent infantry brigades and the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th field supplementary teams were formed, which were placed in North China And Huazhong, to take over the garrison task of the transferred troops; at the same time, the 27th Division of the Kwantung Army was transferred to Huazhong. On February 10, the headquarters of the 3rd Air Division was reorganized into the headquarters of the 5th Air Force. On May 31, the 37th Division of the 12th Army of the North China Front Army was transferred to the direct control of the Chinese Expeditionary Army. On August 26, the 37th Division was incorporated into the battle sequence of the 11th Army.

On July 4, the 26th and 62nd Divisions under the jurisdiction of the North China Front Army were transferred to the headquarters directly. On the 15th, the 26th Division was incorporated into the battle sequence of the 14th Army (in the Philippines). On July 24, the 62nd Division was incorporated into the battle sequence of the Taiwan Army. On July 10, the 3rd, 4th, and 9th Brigades of the Independent Infantry were reorganized into the 114th, 115th, 117th, and 118th Divisions. On July 17, the 114th Division was incorporated into the 1st Army; the 115th and 117th Divisions were incorporated into the 12th Army; the 118th Division was incorporated into the Mongolian Army.On the same day, the base camp decided to establish the 34th Army (also known as the Wuhan Defense Army) to take over the security tasks of the 11th Army that participated in the operation to open the Hunan-Guangxi line.

On August 26, the base camp ordered the establishment of the 6th Front Army to unify the command of the operation to get through the Hunan-Guangxi line. On September 28, the headquarters of the 20th Army of the Kwantung Army was transferred to the 6th Front Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Army. On October 19, the base camp issued the order of battle for the 20th Army. On December 11, the Chinese Dispatch Army ordered the commander of the 23rd Army to concurrently serve as the governor of Hong Kong. After the above adjustments, until December 1944, the battle order of the Chinese dispatched troops was as follows:

Commander-in-Chief, General Neiji Okamura (the former commander, Shunrokudai, was transferred to be the director of education on November 22, 1944, and Neiji Okamura arrived in Nanjing from Wuhan on December 2).Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Matsui Tahisa (January 31, 1945, Kobayashi Asan went to Lang Lieutenant General to take over), Deputy Chief of General Staff Major General Sato Kenryo (former Deputy Chief of General Staff Major General Keikawa Yasuo was transferred on December 14, 1944) Chief of Staff of the 6th Front Army), the headquarters is located in Nanjing.Under the jurisdiction of the North China Front Army, the 6th Front Army, the 13th Army, and the 5th Air Force.A total of 25 divisions, 1 tank division, 10 independent mixed brigades, 11 independent infantry brigades, 8 field supplementary teams, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 special guard team, and 1 defense team.The specific changes are as follows:

1. North China Front Army At the beginning of 1944, the Japanese army decided to transfer the 32nd and 35th Divisions of the 12th Army of the North China Front Army to the south in late January in order to support its operations in the Pacific battlefield.And on March 10, the 35th Division was incorporated into the 31st Army, and on April 4, the 32nd Division was incorporated into the 14th Army. In February, the North China Front Army formed seven independent infantry brigades, including the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, and 14th, and the 12th Infantry Brigade in order to deploy troops to participate in operations to open up mainland traffic and ensure the security of the occupied areas. Field supplementary team.The 3rd, 10th, and 14th Independent Infantry Brigades were incorporated into the 1st Army; the 1st, 4th, and 9th Independent Infantry Brigades were incorporated into the 12th Army; the 2nd Independent Infantry Brigade and the 12th Field Supplementary Team were incorporated into the Front Army directly under the Central Government.

On March 31, the Ministry of the Army of the base camp ordered the 110th Division directly under the North China Front Army, the 3rd Tank Division of the Mongolian Army, and the 37th and 52nd Divisions of the 1st Army to be incorporated into the 12th Army's battle order.The subordinate command transfer time is at 00:00 on April 5. On May 31, the 37th Division of the 12th Army was transferred to the direct control of the Chinese Expeditionary Army. The division entered Xinyang in early July. On August 26, it was incorporated into the battle sequence of the 11th Army of the 6th Front Army.

On July 4, the Japanese army transferred the 26th Division of the Mongolian Army and the 62nd Division of the 12th Army to the headquarters directly. On the 15th, the base camp incorporated the 26th Division into the battle order of the 14th Army.The division set off from Datong on the 19th, and sailed from Busan to the Philippines on August 8th. On July 24, the base camp incorporated the 62nd Division into the 32nd Army of the Taiwan Army.The garrison tasks around Lushan and Xiangcheng undertaken by the division were handed over to the 3rd Chariot Division, which sailed from Wusong Port to Okinawa on August 16.

In order to supplement its lack of troops in North China, the Japanese army ordered on July 10 to reorganize the 7th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 3rd, 4th, and 9th Independent Infantry Brigades into the 115th, 114th, 117th, and 118th Divisions.And on July 17, the 114th Division was incorporated into the 1st Army; the 115th and 117th Divisions were incorporated into the 12th Army; the 118th Division was incorporated into the battle sequence of the Mongolian Army.The above-mentioned divisions are Class C divisions, with a fixed staff of 13,045. As of December 1944, the battle order of the North China Front Army was as follows: Lieutenant General Shimomura Sada (General Neji Okamura until August 25, General Naozaburo Okabe until November 25), Chief of Staff Takahashi Lieutenant General Tan (Lieutenant General Oshiroto Sanji was appointed before October 14), Major General Okada Shigeichi (Major General Tokunaga Shikanosuke was appointed before August 1), the deputy chief of staff, the headquarters is located in Beiping, and the 1st Army ( Jurisdiction over the 69th and 114th divisions, the 3rd independent mixed brigade, the 10th and 14th independent infantry brigades), the 12th army (jurisdiction over the 110th, 115th, 117th divisions, the 3rd tank division, and the 4th cavalry brigade Regiment), Garrison Mongolian Army (under jurisdiction of the 118th Division, the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, and the 12th Field Supplementary Team), the 59th and 63rd Divisions directly under the Front Army, the 1st, 5th, 8th, and 9th Independent Mixed Brigades, and the Independent Infantry 1st and 2nd Brigades.A total of 8 divisions, 6 independent mixed brigades, 4 independent infantry brigades, 1 tank division, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 field supplementary team, and 1 special guard team. 2. The 6th Front Army. At the beginning of 1944, when the Japanese army was preparing to deploy the main forces of the 11th and 23rd armies to participate in the battle to open up the mainland communication line, in order to supplement the shortage of troops in the occupied areas, the Japanese army ordered the formation of the 5th, 7th, 8th, and 11th independent infantry successively in February. , 12, 13 Brigades, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 9th, 10th Field Supplementary Teams.The 5th, 7th, 11th, and 12th independent infantry brigades, the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 9th, and 10th field supplementary teams were incorporated into the 11th Army, and the 8th and 13th Independent Infantry Brigades were incorporated into the 23rd Army to fight. sequence. On February 1, the base camp ordered that the 116th Division of the 13th Army be transferred to the 11th Army; the 22nd Division was transferred to the 23rd Army.On the same day, the 27th Division of the Kwantung Army was transferred to the 11th Army (the division, under the command of the North China Front Army, participated in the Beijing-Han battle during the march from the Jinzhou area to Central China, arrived in Wuhan in May, and was assigned to the 11th Army to fight sequence). On March 31, the 64th Division of the 13th Army was transferred to the Chinese Dispatch Army (the division fought under the command of the 11th Army, and was incorporated into the 11th Army's battle sequence on July 25). On July 17, the base camp ordered the formation of the 34th Army (Wuhan Defense Army) to take over the management of the Wuhan area from the 11th Army.At the same time, the army was incorporated into the battle order of the Chinese dispatched army. In order to unify the command of the operation to open up the Hunan-Guangxi line, the Chinese dispatched army proposed to the base camp to set up a front army in Hunan.This opinion was adopted by the base camp, and it was decided to establish the 6th Front Army in Hunan. On August 26, the base camp issued the order of battle for the 6th Front Army, appointing General Neiji Okamura, the commander of the North China Front Army, as the commander of the 6th Front Army (after Ningji Okamura became the commander of the Chinese Expedition Army on November 22, the 6th Front Army The commander was replaced by Naozaburo Okabe), and Major General Miyazaki Monday served as the chief of staff (Miyazaki was promoted to lieutenant general shortly after Monday, and was transferred to the first head of the General Staff Headquarters on December 14, and the post of chief of staff was taken over by Major General Karagawa Yasuo ).Under the jurisdiction of the 11th Army (3rd, 13th, 34th, 37th, 58th, 116th Division), 23rd Army (22nd, 104th Division, Independent Mixed 19th, 22nd, 23rd Brigade, Independent Infantry 8th, 13th Brigade), 34th Army (39th Division, 17th Independent Brigade, 6th, 7th, 11th, and 12th Independent Infantry Brigades, 5th, 9th, and 10th Field Supplementary Teams), the 27th and 40th Brigades directly under the Front Army , 64, and 68 divisions. In September 1944, the main force of the 11th Army entered Guangxi Province to fight, and found it difficult to command the troops remaining in Hunan.For this reason, the Sixth Front Army proposed the idea of ​​adding an army headquarters, which was approved by the headquarters. On September 28, the base camp ordered the transfer of the headquarters of the 20th Kwantung Army to the 6th Front Army. On October 19, the base camp issued the battle order of the 20th Army, and appointed Lieutenant General Kazuyoshi Sakanishi as the commander of the army, under the jurisdiction of the 27th, 64th, 68th, and 116th Divisions, and the 1st and 2nd Field Supplementary Teams. On November 8, the Iwamoto Detachment (formed from the 11th Field Supplementary Team of the 13th Army as the backbone, and under the command of the 11th Army at the end of July) was incorporated into the army. As of December 1944, the battle order of the Sixth Front Army was as follows: Commander General Naozaburo Okabe, Chief of Staff Major General Tangchuan Yasuo, Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Amano Masaichi, and the headquarters in Hankou.Under the jurisdiction of the 11th, 34th, 20th, and 23rd armies, there are a total of 13 divisions, 4 independent mixed brigades, 6 independent infantry brigades, and 5 field supplementary teams. 3. The 25th Army (and the Governor's Department of the Hong Kong Occupied Territory). Commander Lieutenant General Tanaka Hisaichi (also Governor of Hong Kong), Chief of Staff Major General Uzawa Shanganobu (also Chief of Staff of the Hong Kong Governor's Department).The army was reorganized into the 8th Brigade of the Independent Infantry on February 1, 1944; the 13th Brigade of the Independent Infantry was newly reorganized on February 15. On February 1, the headquarters incorporated the 22nd Division of the 13th Army into the Army battle order (the 22nd Division originally belonged to the 13th Army); after the establishment of the 6th Front Army on August 26, the army was incorporated into the 6th Front Army battle order. On November 14, the army headquarters moved to Laibin County, Guangxi, and participated in the battle to capture Nanning.After the capture of Nanning, the 22nd Division remained in Guangxi under the command of the commander of the 11th Army according to the order of the base camp, and the rest of the troops were withdrawn to Guangdong in early December. On December 11, according to the order of the base camp, the commander of the army and the governor of Hong Kong, the chief of staff of the army and the chief of staff of the governor of Hong Kong.On the same day, the base camp ordered the Hong Kong Defense Force to be incorporated into the battle sequence of the 6th Front Army and attached to the 23rd Army. After the above changes, until December 1944, the 25th Army governed the 22nd and 104th Divisions, the 19th, 22nd, and 23rd Brigades were independently mixed, the 8th and 13th Independent Infantry Brigades, and the Hong Kong Defense Force (affiliated). 4. The 13th Army. Since the formation of the 13th Army, it has been undertaking security tasks in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and other provinces.In order to carry out operations to open up the mainland communication line, the base camp transferred the 116th Division under the army to the 11th Army in February 1944; transferred the 22nd Division to the 23rd Army. On March 31, the base camp transferred the 64th Division to the direct control of the Chinese Expeditionary Army (the 64th Division was formally incorporated into the 11th Army's battle order on July 25).In order to make up for the lack of strength of the 13th Army, the base camp organized the newly formed 6th Independent Infantry Brigade, the 4th and 11th Field Supplementary Teams into the 13th Army's battle sequence in late January and late February. In late May, the 11th Field Supplementary Team sent most of its troops to form the Iwamoto Detachment to participate in the operation to open up the Hunan-Guangxi line, and was put under the command of the 11th Army. The 11th Field Supplementary Team had only one brigade remaining.As of December 1944, the order of battle of the 13th Army was as follows: Commander Lieutenant General Yongjin Zuobizhong (the original commander Shimomura was scheduled to be transferred to the commander of the Western Army in March 1944, and the commander of the North China Front Army in November), and the chief of staff, Major General Yamamoto Toshiro (assumed office on November 22, 1944).The headquarters is located in Shanghai, under the jurisdiction of the 60th, 61st, 65th, and 70th divisions, the 6th independent infantry brigade, and the 4th and 11th field supplementary teams. 5. Formation of the 5th Air Force. On March 10, 1944, the headquarters ordered to reorganize the headquarters of the 3rd Air Division into the headquarters of the 5th Air Force. On the 15th, the base camp issued the battle order of the 5th Air Force Command and incorporated it under the Chinese Expeditionary Army.According to the order compiled this time, the commander of the 5th Air Force went down to ponder Lieutenant General and Chief of Staff Major General Hashimoto Hidenobu.Under the jurisdiction of Kobayashi Takatomo, the head of the 1st flight group, and Hayashi Saburo, the head of the 2nd flight group.In order to increase the air power of the Chinese battlefield, on June 26, 1944, the base camp transferred the headquarters of the 8th Flying Regiment from New Guinea to China. On August 17, the 22nd and 60th flight teams were sent from China, and the 29th flight team was sent from Taiwan to China.As of March 1945, the 5th Air Force's order of battle was as follows: Commander of the 5th Air Force, Lieutenant General Shimoyama, Chief of Staff, Major General Ryosuke Nakanishi (the former Chief of Staff, Major General Hashimoto Hidenobu, was transferred to the head of the 9th Division of the Southern Army on October 2, 1944), and the headquarters was located in Nanjing.