Organization of Imperial Japanese Army forces in the Pacific

Conformation of Japanese forces in Pacific lands

Commanders-in-Chief of South Seas Detachment

• Korechika Anami:-General, to Southern Area Theater, where he directed operations in western New Guinea and Halmahera area
• Tomitaro Horii:-Commanding General, South Seas Detachment
• Minoru Sasaki:-Commanding General, Nanto (Southeast) Detachment (New Georgia operations)

Chief of Staff in South Seas Detachment

• Takeshi Mori:-Chief of Staff, Nineteenth Army (region north of Australia)
• Masutaro Nakai:-Chief of Staff, 20th Division, (arrived at Wewak, New Guinea)
• Suichi Miyazaki:-Chief of Staff, Seventeenth Army(Rabaul)

Commanders in Operative units, South Seas Detachment

• Kiyotake Kawaguchi:-participied how commander in general offensive on Guadalcanal Island.
• Atazo Adachi:-Eighteenth Army Commander (New Guinea),
• Tomitaro Horii:-55th Infantry Group Commander, (dispatched to Rabaul and New Guinea),
• Haruyoshi Hyakutate:- ranking Army general officer in the Papua and Solomons area until theEighth Area Army was activated; thereafter directed operations in Solomons region (Bougainville)
• Kiyonao Ichiki:-Regimental Commander,28th Infantry, killed in action on Guadalcanal
• Tadamichi Kuribayashi:-109th Division Commander (Ogasawara Group), combat action and killed in action, Iwo Jima,
• Suichi Miyazaki:-departed Rabaul for Seventeenth Army Command Post (Guadalcanal), withdrew from Guadalcanal, arrived Bougainville
• Masutaro Nakai:- 20th Infantry Group Commander (MajGen) (directed road construction in Finisterre Mountain Range, Nakai Detachment Commander, Kaiapit sector, (covered 51st Division's withdrawal from Lae; defended Finisterre Range); attacked Kesewi, covered withdrawal of 20th and 51st Divisions, Cape Gumbi), Commander, Sepic River Crossing Unit (when main army forces moved to Wewak sector); commanded advance unit of 20th Division, toward Aitape-Acting Division Commander, 20th Division, after Division Commander killed, defended But coast, LtGen, withdrew bulk of Division to sector south of mountains, engaged Australian forces,
• Hidemitsu Nakano:-51st Division Commander, (engaged in Lae and Salamaua operations
• Hideyoshi Obata:-Thirty-first Army Commander (Central Pacific), killed in action, Guam,
• Fusataro Teshima:-Second Army Commander (western New Guinea).
• Goro Mano:-Commander,41st Division, (Wewak)
• Takeo Ito,Commanding Officer 40th Independent Mixed Brigade, New Ireland
• Akisaburo Futami: Chief of Staff 17th Army, New Britain
• Kumaichi Teramoto:led the Fourth Air Army was composed of 6th and 7th Air Divisions in New Guinea and Admiraltly Archipielago
• Rikao Yamagata:Commander the Yamagata Detachment dispatched to the Buna area
• Minoru Sasaki: Commander of The Nanto (Southeast) Detachment was defending the airstrip at Munda
• Yoshikazu Harada : General Officer Commanding 2nd South Seas Detachment, Caroline Islands
• Keiji Igeta: Chief of Staff 31st Army, Marianas
• Kanenobu Ijuin: Commanding Officer 51st Independent Mixed Brigade, Caroline Islands
• Sadao Inoue: General Officer Commanding 14th Division,Palau Islands
• the Seventeenth Army,to be commanded by Haruyoshi Hyakutake in New Guinea
• Heisuke Abe:General Officer Commanding 41st Division, New Guinea
• Hatazo Adachi: General Officer Commanding 18th Army, New Guinea
• Korechika Anami: Commander in Chief 2nd Area Army, New Guinea
• Jusei Aoki: General Officer Commanding 20th Division, New Guinea
• Kikutaro Aotsu: Commanding Officer Infantry Group 41st Division, New Guinea
• Tomitaro Horii: General Officer Commanding South Sea Detachment, New Guinea
• Kiyonao Ichiki, who commanded the Ichiki Detachment dispatched to Guadalcanal
• Major-General Chiku: Commanding Officer Northern Section Elefante Area Bougainville,Solomon Islands
• Shunkichi Ikeda: General Officer Commanding 35th Division, New Guinea
• Tsutomi Akinaga: Chief of Staff 17th Army, Solomon Islands and General Officer Commanding 6th Division, Solomon Islands
• Seikichi Hyakutate: General Officer Commanding 17th Army, Solomon Islands
• Shun Iwasa: Commanding Officer Infantry Group 6th Division, Solomon Islands
• Hitoshi Imamura: Commander in Chief 8th Area Army, New Guinea-Solomons Island

Operative Units detached in New Guinea

• 27th Special Base Unit (Wewak)
• 18th Guard Unit (Manokwari)
• 19th Guard Unit (Biak)
• 90th Guard Unit (Hollandia)
• Nakai Detachment
• Sepic River Crossing Unit
• 55°Infantry Group
• 20th Division
• 51st Division
• Tank Company/222nd Infantry Regiment(Biak)-First Lieut. Iwasa
• Tank Unit/36th Division (Sarmi Area) -Captain Fujimura
• Tank Platoon/Kure 5th SNLF

Air Squadrons in New Guinea

• Japanese Navy

• 2° Air Group
• Tinian (1st unit) Air Group

Operative Units in Rabaul fortress-Solomon Islands

• 1st Base Unit (Buin)
• 82nd Guard Unit (Bougainville)
• 87th Guard Unit (Buka)
• 88th Guard Unit (Bougainville)
• Sasebo 6th SNLF (Bougainville)
• Kure 7th SNLF (Bougainville)
• 8th Base Unit (Rabaul)
• 14th Base Unit (Kavieng)
• 81st, 84th, 85th, 86th Guard Units (Rabaul)
• Yokosuka 8th SNLF (Rabaul)
• Ichiki Detachment (28th Infantry unit)
• 10th Independent Mountain Gun Regiment (3 batteries only) (Guadalcanal)-Lt. Col. Kitayama
• 20th Independent Mountain Gun Battalion(Guadalcanal)-Lt. Col. Kaji
• 4th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment(Guadalcanal)-Col. Akamatsu
• 2nd Battery/7th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment(Guadalcanal)-1st Lt. Tani
• 2nd Battery/21st Independent Field Heavy Artillery Battalion(Guadalcanal)-Captain Tanaka
• 2nd Field Artillery Regiment(Guadalcanal)-Col. Ishizaki
• 3 Batteries/38th Mountain Gun Regiment(Gudalcanal)
• 1st Independent Tank Company(Guadalcanal)-Captain Maeda
• 38th Division(Guadalcanal)-Tadayoshi Sano

Air Squadrons in Rabaul Fortress-Solomon Islands

• Japanese Navy

• 204° Air Group
• 253rd Air Group
• Genzan Air Group
• Tainan Air Group
• Kanoya Air Group
• 11th Air Flotilla(hidro fighters)

See also

• Organization of Japanese fortifications in New Guinea area