| Unit Name: | Southwest Area Fleet |
| Dates: | April 10, 1942 - 15 Sep 1945 |
| Battle Honours: | Pacific Theatre of World War II |
| Notable Commanders: | Shirō Takasu |
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.
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.
| Commander in chief | Dates | Previous Post | Next Post | Notes | |||
| 1 | Vice-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 | ||
| 2 | Vice-Admiral Takasu Shirō 高須四郎 | 15 September 1942 | 18 June 1944 | Attendant Navy General Staff | Naval Councilor | Also Commander-in-chief 2nd Southern Exepeditionary Fleet until 15 April 1943 | |
| 3 | Vice-Admiral Mikawa Gunichi 三川軍一 | 18 June 1944 | 1 November 1944 | ||||
| 4 | Vice-Admiral Ōkawachi Denshichi | 1 November 1944 | 15 September 1945 | ||||
Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | |
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Toshihisa Nakamura | 10 Apr 1942 – 10 Oct 1942 |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Takeo Tada | 10 Oct 1942 – 15 Mar 1944 |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Hidehiko Nishio | 15 Mar 1944 – 1 Nov 1944 |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Kaoru Arima | 1 Nov 1944 – 6 Sep 1945 |