[South Seas Western Command]
22-454: [Burma] [Malaya, Singapore, Sumatra] [Philippines] [Thailand] [New Guinea, Solomon Islands] [Borneo] [Dutch East Indies] [French Indochina] The Southern Expeditionary Army Group ( 南方軍 , Nanpō gun ) was a general army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II . It was responsible for all military operations in South East Asian and South West Pacific campaigns of World War II. Its military symbol
44-719: A field marshal or a full general . The initial General Army was the Japanese Manchurian Army , formed from 1904 to 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War as a temporary command structure to coordinate the efforts of several Japanese armies in the campaign against Imperial Russia . In terms of a permanent standing organization, the Japanese Army created the Kantōgun , usually known in English as
66-491: A general or lieutenant general . There is much confusion between the similarly numbered Area Armies and Armies in historical records, as many writers often did not make a clear distinction when describing the units involved. The Japanese Army ( 軍 , gun ) corresponded to an army corps in American or British military terminology. It was usually commanded by a lieutenant general . Merak, Banten Port of Merak
88-598: A result, Japanese forces were re-organized into three separate overseas operational commands: ( Manchuria , China and Southeast Asia ), with the Japanese home islands forming a fourth. Towards the end of World War II, the home island command (i.e. the General Defense Command ) was restructured geographically into the First General Army in the east, Second General Army in the west, and
110-512: A variety of large military formations that corresponded to the army group , field army , and corps in the militaries of Western nations . The General Army ( 総軍 , Sō-gun ) was the highest level in the organizational structure of the Imperial Japanese Army. It corresponded to the army group in western military terminology. Intended to be self-sufficient for indefinite periods, the general armies were commanded by either
132-608: Is a seaport located in the Pulo Merak District of the city of Cilegon , Banten , on the northwestern tip of Java , Indonesia . The port and district are named after the green peafowl , which once lived in the region, but now only lives in the nearby Ujung Kulon National Park . The port is connected to Jakarta via the Jakarta-Merak Toll Road and is also connected to the Bakauheni port which
154-523: Is a hypermart mall and some shanty shops. Karaoke bars for sailors are not hard to find. The port is a key transport link between Java and Sumatra and is a major service provider for the heavy passenger and commercial ferry traffic from Merak to Bakauheni across the Sunda Strait on the southern tip of Sumatra . Ferry services are operated by ASDP Indonesia Ferry . Growth in demand for ferry services has been rapid in recent years. The facilities at
176-581: Is located at the south of the Trans-Sumatran Highway . In 1883, the original settlement was completely destroyed by a series of tsunamis generated by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in the Sunda Strait . The largest wave at Merak was estimated to be at least 41 metres (135 ft) high. Approximately 2,700 people lost their lives, including virtually all of the town's inhabitants at that time. A large thermal electric power plant
198-456: Is located close to Merak where coal barges handle large quantities of coal. A new LPG jetty handles liquid gases for distribution in Banten province, tankage has been built at Merak. The town of Cilegon is about 15–20 kilometres (9.3–12.4 mi) from Merak port. There is heavy truck traffic on the road from Cilegon to Merak so the road is often in poor condition. In downtown Cilegon there
220-702: The Air General Army in charge of military aviation . With the official Japanese surrender in September 1945, all of the general armies were dissolved, except for the First General Army, which continued to exist until November 30, 1945, as the 1st Demobilization Headquarters . Area Armies ( 方面軍 , Hōmen-gun ) in Japanese military terminology were equivalent to field armies in western militaries. Area Armies were normally commanded by
242-762: The Kwantung Army, to manage its overseas deployment in the Kwantung Territory and Manchukuo from 1906. Subsequent general armies were created in response to the needs of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II , in which increased overseas deployment called for an organizational structure that could respond quickly and autonomously from the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in Tokyo . As
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#1732766159800264-521: The Philippines, beginning on X-Day , by the 5th Army Air Force Division and the 11th Naval Air Fleet . At this time, Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy units were to land on Batan Island , Luzon (at Aparri, Cagayan , Vigan , and Legazpi City ), and at Davao , Mindanao , and to seize airfields. Following the elimination of American air support, the main body of the IJA 14th Army
286-692: The Sakaguchi detachment and 2nd Kure Special Naval Landing Force occupied Tarakan . They secured Balikpapan on January 23. On 10 February Bandjermasin , the capital of Dutch Borneo was occupied. The Eastern invasion group included the Sasebo Combined Naval Landing Force and 1st Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Force. They left Davao on January 9 and during the early morning of January 11, arrived at and occupied Menado . The Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force then attacked and occupied Kendari on January 23. Makassar
308-598: The commander of 16th Army Lt. General Hitoshi Imamura arrived at Takao , Taiwan from his base at Saigon . He received an order to hasten the invasion preparation toward Java . But due to shipping shortages, he had to adjust the plans. On January 21, he arrived at Manila to inspect the Imperial Japanese Army 48th Division and to have discussion with the commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy 3rd Fleet . The Netherlands East Indies
330-491: The main force. On February 28 midnight the 230th Infantry Regiment landed on Eretan Wetan on Java. The center group was composed of IJA 48th Division , left for Java on February 8, 1942 from Lingayen Gulf, in the Philippines. On February 25, the convoy arrived at Balikpapan and the Sakaguchi detachment (56th Regiment Group) joined the force. They landed at Kragan on Java by midnight February 28. Earlier on January 11,
352-457: The port are now very badly overstretched. The ageing ferry fleet and poor supporting infrastructure are major restrictions on the port's efficiency. Long delays for passengers, buses and trucks waiting to board the ferries are common, especially at peak times of the year such as holiday periods when daily demand rises to over 2,000 cars and up to 500 buses per day. It is not unusual for trucks to bank up for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) or more from
374-467: The port on the Jakarta-Merak Toll Road and be held up in queues for two or three days. It is partly because of problems of this kind that consideration is being given to the very ambitious Sunda Strait Bridge project. Merak port also provides services for Indonesia's largest concentration of petrochemical facilities located nearby along the Merak peninsula. More than 40 petrochemical plants operate near
396-693: Was NA . The Southern Expeditionary Army Group was formed on November 6, 1941, under the command of Gensui Count Terauchi Hisaichi , with orders to attack and occupy Allied territories and colonies in South East Asia and the South Pacific . Plans for an invasion of the Philippines were finalized on November 13–15, by Lt General Masaharu Homma , Lt General Hideyoshi Obata , Vice Admiral Ibō Takahashi and Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara . These plans called for air attacks against
418-614: Was captured on 9 February by the Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force. All these are on Celebes island. The 1st Kure Special Naval Landing Force and 228th Infantry Regiment from 38th Army and Airplane Carrier Division 2 from Japan, reached Ambon on January 30. Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army Army ( 軍 , gun ) was a term in the Imperial Japanese Army used in different ways to designate
440-424: Was carried aboard 56 transport ships and left for Java on February 18. By midnight on February 28, the ships landed at Merak and Bantam Bay on Java island. Following the surrender of Hong Kong , the 228th, 229th and 230th Infantry Regiments from the IJA 38th Division were also deployed to Netherlands East Indies separately. On February 13, the 229th and 230th assaulted Palembang on Sumatra and then joined
462-470: Was invaded in a three-prong attack by using 3 groups: western, center and eastern group. The IJA 2nd Division of the IJA 16th Army , which was assembled in Taiwan , was ordered on January 25 to move in to Cam Ranh Bay and became the main force of western invasion group. At Cam Ranh Bay, the troops were trained for the tropical jungle warfare . On the 30th, the attack order was announced. The western group
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#1732766159800484-475: Was to land at Lingayen Gulf , while another force landed at Lamon Bay . These forces were then to attack Manila in a pincer attack . After this, the islands of Manila Bay were to be taken. In the resulting Battle of the Philippines (1942) , Japanese forces accomplished their primary objectives. On July 22, 1941, Japanese forces, called Indochina Expeditionary Army invaded Vichy French Indochina and occupied its naval and air bases. On January 18, 1942,
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