Jo Iimura

Infobox Military Person
name= Jo Iimura
lived= 20 May 1888 - 21 February 1976
placeofbirth=Ibaraki prefecture, Japan
placeofdeath=


caption=Japanese General Jo Iimura
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=
serviceyears=1909 -1945
rank=General
commands= IJA 5th Army, IJA Southern Army, IJA 2nd Area Army
unit=
battles= Second Sino-Japanese War
Pacific War
awards=
family=
laterwork=nihongo|Jo Iimura|飯村穣| Iimura Jo|extra= 20 May 1888 - 21 February 1976 was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific War.

Biography

A native of Ibaraki prefecture, Iimura graduated from the 21st class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1909, and was assigned to the Imperial Guards 3rd Regiment. Simultaneously, he also attended class work at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, graduating in March 1917 with a degree in French. He then entered the 33rd class of the Army Staff College, emerging in 1919 as a captain in the infantry. After a short assignment with the Chosen Army in Korea and as an instructor at the Army Staff College, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned as military attaché to Turkey. [Budge, The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia]

After Iimura returned to Japan, he was promoted to colonel in August 1932 and served in various staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He was given a field position as commander of the IJA 61st Infantry Regiment in March 1935. [Ammenthorp, The Generals of World War II]

With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Iimura was promoted in March 1937 to major general. He was Commandant of the Army Staff College from 1938-1939, and transferred to Manchukuo to become Chief of Staff) of the Kwangtung Army from 1939-1940. He subsequently became commander in chief of the IJA 5th Army in Manchukuo from 1941-1943. [Wendel, Axis History Database]

Iijuma was recalled to Japan in 1943 to resume his position as Commandant of the Army Staff College, but with the situation continuing to deteriorate for the Japanese in the southern front of the Pacific War, he was reassigned to a combat command as Chief of Staff of the IJA Southern Army in 1944, and Commander in Chief of the IJA 2nd Area Army, based in the Celebes, Netherlands East Indies from 1944-1945. [/Wendel, Axis History Database]

He returned to Japan shortly before the end of the war to assume command of the Tokyo Defense Army and Tokyo Divisional District in anticipation of the American invasion of the Japanese home islands. He was appointed Provost Marshal immediately before the end of the war in 1945.

References

Books

*cite book
last = Fuller
first = Richard
coauthors =
year = 1992
title = Shokan: Hirohito's Samurai
publisher = Arms and Armor
location = London
id = ISBN: 1-85409-151-4

External links

*cite web
last = Ammenthorp
first = Steen
url = http://www.generals.dk/general/Iimura/Jo/Japan.html
title = Iimura Jo
work = The Generals of World War II
*cite web
last = Budge
first = Kent
url = http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/I/i/Iimura_Jo.htm
title = Iimura Jo
work = Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
*cite web
last = Wendel
first = Marcus
url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6890
title = IJA 5th Army
work = Axis History Database
*cite web
last = Wendel
first = Marcus
url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6757
title = IJA Central Army
work = Axis History Database

Notes