Fifty-Seventh Army (Japan)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Japanese Fifty-Seventh 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 57th Army
date=1945
parent=Japanese Sixteenth Area Army
subordinate=
* 86th Infantry Division (Shibushi)
* 154th Infantry Division (Tsuma)
* 156th Infantry Division (Honjo)
* 98th Independent Mixed Brigade (Koyama)
* 109th Independent Mixed Brigade (Tanegashima)
* 5th Independent Armored Regiment (Honjo)
* 6th Independent Armored Regiment (Kirishima)
* 1st Artillery Headquarters (Miyazaki)

The nihongo|Japanese 57th Army|第57軍 |Dai-gojyūnana gun was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.

History

The Japanese 57th Army was formed on 8 April 1945 under the Japanese 16th Area Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in southern Kyūshū during Operation Downfall. The Japanese 57th Army was based in Takarabe town, Kagoshima Prefecture. It consisted mostly of poorly-trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia.

Although the Japanese were able to raise large numbers of new soldiers, equipping them was more difficult. By August, the Japanese Army had the equivalent of 65 divisions in the homeland but only enough equipment for 40 and only enough ammunition for 30. [Frank, "Downfall", p. 176.] 　

The Japanese did not formally decide to stake everything on the outcome of the Battle of Kyūshū, but they concentrated their assets to such a degree that there would be little left in reserve. By one estimate, the forces in Kyūshū had 40% of all the ammunition in the Home Islands. [Frank, "Downfall", p. 177.]

In addition, the Japanese had organized the Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps — which included all healthy men aged 15–60 and women 17–40 — to perform combat support, and ultimately combat jobs. Weapons, training, and uniforms were generally lacking: some men were armed with nothing better than muzzle-loading muskets, longbows, or bamboo spears; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had. [Frank, "Downfall", p. 188–9. Bauer and Coox, "OLYMPIC VS KETSU-GO".]

The 57th Army 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=7702
title = Axis History Factbook
work = Japanese Fifty-Seventh Army

Notes