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    Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43
    Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43
    Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43
    Ebook232 pages1 hour

    Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43

    By Gordon L. Rottman

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    About this ebook

    The 1941 Japanese Pacific onslaught saw the defeat of Allied forces on all fronts, with the Philippines, Netherlands East Indies, and Commonwealth possessions falling under their control.

    During 1942-43, the Japanese consolidated their gains and redeployed forces in an attempt to break the Southern Lifeline between America and Australia. These plans were affected by the defeat at Midway, which forced the Japanese onto the defensive. This book examines Japanese forces employed in the follow-on conquests of 1942-43, and describes how unit organization, weaponry, and equipment were found lacking in the harsh environment of the Solomon Islands and on New Guinea.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateJul 20, 2013
    ISBN9781472804662
    Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43
    Author

    Gordon L. Rottman

    Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments before retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.

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      Book preview

      Japanese Army in World War II - Gordon L. Rottman

      measurements

      Introduction

      Japan’s successful conquest of the South Pacific and Southwest Asia from December 8, 1941 through to June 1942 saw few setbacks. The commencement of the Pacific War (Taiheiyo Senso), coupled with the China Incident (Shina Jihen) on-going since 1931, was what Japan called the Greater Southeast Asia War (Dai Toa Senso Senkum)—more commonly known as World War II. The Southern Operations that began the Pacific War comprised a complex series of widely scattered operations aimed at neutralizing American, Commonwealth, and Dutch forces, seizing regions rich in economic resources, and securing an outer defense line for the Greater Southeast Asia Co-prosperity Sphere (Dai Toa Kyoei-Ken).

      The American bastion of the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), and Commonwealth possessions of the Gilbert, Bismarck, and Solomon islands were occupied, and troops were landed on Eastern New Guinea. Commonwealth forces were driven from Malaya, Thailand and most of Burma, and Hong Kong and Singapore were taken by the Japanese. All of the objectives were secured with light to moderate losses well within the projected timeframe, with the notable exception of the Philippines. Rather than securing the vast archipelago within the allotted 50 days, it required five months. In addition, the occupation resulted in heavy losses and required reinforcements to be sent in.

      The Southern Operation, or Z Operation, was conducted by the Southern Army under the command of Gen Count Terauchi Hisaichi (also listed as Juichi) headquartered in Saigon, French Indochina. Under his command were four armies, 11 divisions, and six brigade equivalents plus substantial support, service, and air units. Additional units were deployed during the course of the Southern Operation.

      At the beginning of the war the Imperial Japanese Army (Dai Nippon Teikoku Rikugun, or simply Kogun, herafter abbreviated to IJA) consisted of 51 divisions and 59 brigade equivalents. Surprisingly only nine new divisions had been organized in 1940 and one in 1941, with most intended for China rather than in preparation for facing the Allied counteroffensive. Numerous brigade equivalents, service, and air units had been raised though, as were independent mixed brigades (IMBs) and garrison units to secure occupied territories. Only seven infantry divisions were activated in the spring of 1942.

      With the Philippines, Malaya, NEI, Bismarcks, and the Solomons secured, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) planned further conquests, having longer-ranged goals than the IJA. Rabaul on New Britain would be a base from which to continue the conquest. The IJA thought of Rabaul only as an out-guard for the naval base at Truk in the Carolines. The IJN, in cooperation with the IJA, desired to seize Port Moresby on the south coast of Papua in May; Midway and the western Aleutian Islands in June, hoping for a decisive engagement with the US Pacific Fleet; New Caledonia in July; and Fiji and Samoa in August. The goal was to break the Southern Lifeline between America and Australia. Future plans were even more ambitious, with proposals to invade Hawaii, northern Australia, and Ceylon.

      The first book in this series, Battle Orders 9: Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941–42, covers the period from the beginning of the Greater East Asia War in December 1941 to the war’s turning point in June 1942, the Battle of Midway. Future proposed volumes in this series will cover the 1944–45 defense of the Philippines and Central and West Pacific operations in 1943–45.

      The Southeastern Area was under the operational control of the IJN. Following the US invasion of Guadalcanal, the IJA’s presence in the area vastly increased. The Japanese airfields, and seaplane and naval bases are shown on this map.

      Combat mission

      While the IJN still anticipated the decisive engagement with the US Pacific Fleet and further expansion to secure the conquered regions, the Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ, Daikairei Dai) prepared for the Western powers’ counteroffensive. A National Defense Zone would be established in Burma and down through the NEI, western New Guinea, the Caroline and Marshall Islands (Japanese Mandated Territory), with an anchor point on remote Wake Island in the north. Eastern New Guinea, outside the Zone, would be secured, as would the Gilberts, Bismarcks, and Solomons to serve as buffer zones.

      1942–43 expansion

      The war saw only a modest expansion of the infantry force with the activation of the 58th, 59th, 60th, 68th, 69th, 70th, and 71st divisions during 1942. These were lightly equipped security divisions raised in China, with the exception of the 71st, a standard B infantry division organized in Manchuria. The security divisions were organized from the 18th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 16th, and 20th IMBs, respectively. The 71st Division’s cadre was provided by the 140th Infantry Regiment and Hunchan Garrison Unit. These divisions lacked artillery and reconnaissance units, and possessed eight infantry battalions and only minimal engineer and service units. Only one new independent mixed brigade, 1st IMB, was raised in 1942 in Japan. By the end of 1942, Japan fielded 58 infantry divisions and 54 brigade equivalents as opposed to the 51 divisions and 59 brigade equivalents it possessed in December 1941. Three modest tank divisions were also raised in 1942. Since most of the IMBs absorbed into the new divisions had five independent infantry battalions (IIBs), and coupled with replacing combat losses, there was little increase in combat strength. It was more of a reallocation of manpower.

      Even with combat losses the IJA experienced little difficulty equipping the new units. The security divisions lacked artillery and were allotted fewer heavy infantry weapons than infantry divisions. While they did possess significant numbers of 7.5cm regimental guns, they had no 7cm battalion guns. Stocks of 7.5cm regimental guns were adequate as it had once been the standard mountain gun, but was relegated to its new role when replaced in 1934 and large numbers were on-hand. The 71st Division received a mountain artillery regiment. Only 130 artillery pieces over 10.5cm were produced in 1942, 250 10cm weapons (actually 10.5cm), and 2,130 smaller caliber pieces (7.5cm and below). Motor transport and engineer equipment were also in short supply and production would continue to drop. Tank production was 634 lights and 531 mediums, with 26 self-propelled guns. Light tank production was intentionally reduced at the end of 1942 with only a slight increase in medium tank production. There was a major increase in tankette production through 1942, which totalled 442, compared to 88 in 1941.

      The Imperial Japanese Army had expanded greatly well before the outbreak of the Pacific War, in response to the China Incident. Recruiting standards were maintained through to 1942, but were then lowered to provide manpower for new units and to replace combat losses.

      Even after the Allies shifted to the offensive in late 1942, Japan organized only 12 more temporary infantry divisions in 1943: 30th in Korea; 1st Guards, 42d, 43d, 46th, 47th and 61st in Japan; and 31st, 62d, 63d, 64th and 65th in China. The 30th and 31st were organized from regiments reassigned from six triangularized square divisions to become standard B divisions themselves. The 42d, 43d, 46th, 47th, and 61st divisions absorbed the 62d, 63d, 66th, 67th, and 61st three-regiment Independent Infantry Groups respectively, as standard B divisions. The 62d, 63d, 64th, and 65th divisions were converted from the 4th, 15th, 12th, and 13th IMBs respectively, as security divisions. Those raised in Japan were mainly sent to garrison occupied territories, but two went to China. Eleven IMBs were raised in 1943: the 23d, and the 25th–34th. Most absorbed existing independent garrison units, field replacement units, and drafts from various divisions. They mainly garrisoned the NEI and the Philippines. The 1st–4th Amphibious Brigades were also organized in 1943 with the mission of defending islands. These will be discussed in the forthcoming Battle Orders title on the Japanese Army in the Central and West Pacific, 1943–45 along with sea operations divisions.

      The IJA was still very much equipped as per an army of the 1930s. It relied extensively on horse transport, which in China had not proved to be a liability. Here a 7.5cm Type 41 (1908) infantry gun unit enters Tientsin, China.

      The production of equipment and some categories of armament fell in 1943. The IJA received fewer trucks than it had lost in action, or had sunk on ships, or had become worn out. Only 1,540 7.5cm and smaller-caliber artillery pieces were produced, 110 10cm pieces, and 90 15cm or larger-caliber pieces. Infantry guns and antitank guns were in short supply. Mortar production did increase. Medium tank production had increased slightly to 554, but only 232 lights and 14 self-propelled guns were built. Tank production would be slashed even more drastically by the end of 1943 though, but the numbers of tankettes, having proved themselves well-suited to security duty in China, would increase, with 615 built. There was little need for tanks in the Pacific and steel production was needed for ships and other weapons. Limited tank development continued though.

      Parachute-retarded fragmentation bombs being dropped on one of Rabaul’s five airfields. The neutralization of Rabaul on New Britain was a main Allied goal throughout 1942 and 1943. The Japanese made every effort to retain the base, but its aircraft and shipping were destroyed, and it was cut off from external support. The Allies by-passed the base, and it could do little but hold out until the war’s end.

      Plans for the Solomons and New Guinea

      With the Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, New Ireland, and the Admiralty Islands) successfully occupied between late January and early April 1942, the IJA and IJN prepared to conduct further operations to the south. Rabaul on New Britain would be developed as a major naval and air base to protect the southern approaches to the Mandates and from which to launch further operations to the south and southeast. To provide out-guards for Rabaul, Tulagi near Guadalcanal in the Solomons and the Lae-Salamaua area on Northeast New Guinea would be occupied by the IJN.

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