The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia

Japanese General Defense Command

In the December 1941 Japanese order of battle, the General Defense Command had responsibility for all Army formations in the home islands and Korea. It also had responsibility for recruitment and training, which took place in depot divisions whose numbers corresponded to the numbers of the regular divisions they supported.

Order of battle, 7 December 1941:

General Defense Command (Yamada; at Tokyo)

	Ship Transport Command				Presumably responsible for the Army merchant shipping pool

	Northern District Army (Hamamoto; at Obihiro)
		7 Division (Koito)
			28 Regiment (at Aslito)		2000 men
		Karafuto Independent Mixed Brigade (at Karafuto)
		Karafuto Reserve Brigade (at Karafuto)
		Chishima Regiment (in the Kuriles)

	Central District Army (Fujii; at Osaka)
		53 Division (Baba; at Kyoto)
		54 Division (Katamura; at Himeji)
		4 Depot Division (Seki)
		5 Depot Division
		55 Depot Division
		6 Tank Regiment
		1 Air Division (Abe)			A training unit
		13 Air Regiment (at Kakogawa)
			9 Ki-27 Nate

	Western District Army (Fujie; at Fukuoka)
		6 Depot Division (Kayashima)
		56 Depot Division (Sakai)
		1 Tank Regiment
		26 Engineer Regiment

	Eastern District Army (Tanaka; at Tokyo)
		52 Division (Mugikura)
		2 Depot Division (Terakura)
		3 Depot Division (Kushibuchi)
		51 Depot Division
		57 Depot Division (Osako)
		Imperial Guards Brigade
		17 Air Brigade (Nakanishi; at Chofu)
			5 Air Regiment
				25 Ki-27 Nate
			144 Air Regiment
				19 Ki-27 Nate

	Korea Army (Nakamura; at Seoul)
		19 Division (Kozuki; at Rashin)
		20 Division (Nagatsu; at Pusan)
		23 Engineer Regiment

References

Bradley et al. (1992)

http://www.freeport-tech.com/WWII (accessed 2002; now defunct)

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