Southwest Area Fleet

The Southwest Area Fleet (南西方面艦隊, Nansei Hōmen Kantai) was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.

Southwest Area Fleet
ActiveApril 10, 1942 – 15 Sep 1945
CountryEmpire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Navy
Battle honoursPacific Theatre of World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Shirō Takasu

History

The Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942, to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the Philippines, French Indochina, Malaya, and the Netherlands East Indies.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Southern Expeditionary Fleets and the IJN 13th Air Fleet were under operational control of the Southwest Area Fleet.

After February 1945, the headquarters of the Southwest Area Fleet was isolated in the Philippines, and the IJN 10th Area Fleet was created in Singapore to take over operational command of its surviving forces, with the exception of the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, which was also trapped in the Philippines.[1] Through fierce fighting during the American re-occupation of the Philippines, especially in Manila, Cebu and Mindanao, the surviving elements of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet were largely annihilated by the end of May 1945.

Organization
  • Southwest Area Fleet (HQ Manila)
    • First Expeditionary Fleet (Singapore)
    • Second Expeditionary Fleet (Surabaya)
    • Third Expeditionary Fleet (Manila)
    • Fourth Expeditionary Fleet (Ambon)
    • IJN 13th Air Fleet

Commanders of the IJN Southwest Fleet

[2]

Commander in chiefDatesPrevious PostNext PostNotes
1Vice-Admiral
Takahashi Ibō
高橋伊望		10 April
1942		15 September
1942		Commander-in-chief
3rd Fleet		Also Commander-in-chief
2nd Southern Exepeditionary Fleet
2Vice-Admiral
Takasu Shirō
高須四郎		15 September
1942		18 June
1944		Attendant
Navy General Staff		Naval CouncilorAlso Commander-in-chief
2nd Southern Exepeditionary Fleet until 15 April 1943
3Vice-Admiral
Mikawa Gunichi
三川軍一		18 June
1944		1 November
1944
4Vice-Admiral
Ōkawachi Denshichi		1 November
1944		15 September
1945

Chief of staff

RankNameDate
1Vice-AdmiralToshihisa Nakamura10 Apr 1942 – 10 Oct 1942
2Vice-AdmiralTakeo Tada10 Oct 1942 – 15 Mar 1944
3Rear-AdmiralHidehiko Nishio15 Mar 1944 – 1 Nov 1944
4Vice-AdmiralKaoru Arima1 Nov 1944 – 6 Sep 1945

References

Notes
  1. D'Albas, Death of a Navy
  2. Wendel, Axis History Database

Books
  • D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X.
  • Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1.
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