Fifty-Fifth Army (Japan)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Japanese Fifty-Fifth Army


caption=
dates= 1945-04-08 - 1945-08-15　
country= Empire of Japan
allegiance=
branch= Imperial Japanese Army
type= Infantry
role= Corps
garrison=
nickname=
battles=Operation Downfallcommand structure
name= Japanese 55th Army
date=1945
parent=Japanese Fifteenth Area Army
subordinate=
* 11th Infantry Division (Kochi)
* 155th Infantry Division (Kochi)
* 205th Infantry Division (Kochi)
* 344th Infantry Division (Kochi)
* 121st Independent Mixed Brigade (Tokushima)
* 45th Armored Regiment (Tokushima)
* 47th Armored Regiment (Matsuyama)
* 10th Artillery Headquarters (Kochi)

The nihongo|Japanese 55th Army|第55軍 |Dai-gojyūgo gun was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.

History

The Japanese 55th Army was formed on 8 April 1945 under the Japanese 15th Area Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in Shikoku during Operation Downfall. From 15 June, the commander of the 55th Army was also commander in chief of all Japanese forces on Shikoku, and received his appointment directly from Emperor Hirohito.

The Japanese 55th Army was based in Kochi city, Kochi Prefecture. Despite its prestigious status of reporting directly to the emperor, as with other emergency army corps raised during this time, it consisted mostly of poorly-trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. It was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945 without having seen combat.

List of Commanders

References

*cite book
last = Drea
first = Edward J.
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1998
chapter = Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan
title = In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army
publisher = University of Nebraska Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-8032-1708-0
*cite book
last = Frank
first = Richard B
coauthors =
year = 1999
title = Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire
publisher = Random House
location = New York
id = ISBN 0-679-41424-X
*cite book
last = Jowett
first = Bernard
coauthors =
year = 1999
title = The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45)
publisher = Osprey Publishing
location =
id = ISBN 1841763543
*cite book
last = Madej
first = Victor
coauthors =
year = 1981
title = Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945
publisher = Game Publishing Company
location =
id = ASIN: B000L4CYWW
*cite book
last = Marston
first = Daniel
coauthors =
year = 2005
title = The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima
publisher = Osprey Publishing
location =
id = ISBN 1841768820
*cite book
last = Skates
first = John Ray
coauthors =
year = 1994
title = The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb Downfall
publisher = University of South Carolina Press
location = New York
id = ISBN 0-87249-972-3

External links

*cite web
last = Wendel
first = Marcus
url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7700
title = Axis History Factbook
work = Japanese Fifty-Fifth Army