Twentieth Army (Japan) Explained

Unit Name:Japanese Twentieth Army
Dates:September 10, 1941 - July 15, 1946
Country:Empire of Japan
Branch:Imperial Japanese Army
Type:Infantry
Role:Corps

The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

History

The Japanese 20th Army was formed on September 10, 1941 under the Kwantung Army in Heilongjiang province in northern Manchukuo as a garrison and border patrol force. It came under the administrative control of the Japanese First Area Army on July 4, 1942. On October 19, 1944, it was transferred to central China and came under the command of the Japanese Sixth Area Army to provide a garrison force for areas left under defended by the movement of troops further south in Operation Ichi-Go. From April 9, 1945 - June 7, 1945 it carried out the offensive in the Battle of West Hunan, the last major Japanese offensive of the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which time it suffered significant casualties.[1] After the surrender of Japan, the 20th Army came under control of the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China and was assigned to the maintenance of public order until it was officially disbanded on July 15, 1946 at Hengyang, Hunan province.

Historical controversy

Some of western works has a difficulty distinguishing Twentieth Army from Eleventh Army (Japan) belonging to the same Japanese Sixth Area Army group.[2]

List of Commanders

Commanding officer

Name From To
111 September 1941 11 March 1943
211 March 1943 8 April 1944
38 April 1944 September 1945

Chief of Staff

Name From To
12 October 1941 1 July 1942
21 July 1942 7 February 1944
37 February 1944 15 June 1945
415 June 1945 September 1945

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Hsu Long-hsuen, and Chang Ming-kai. History of the Sino Japanese War (1937-1945). 2nd ed. Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China: Chung Wu Publishing Co., 1972. p. 457
  2. http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/945JDAF.PDF Japanese China Expeditionary Army Forces in China Late April 1945