Thirty-Sixth Army (Japan)

The Japanese 36th Army (第36軍, Dai-sanjyūroku gun) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II.

History

The Japanese 36th Army was formed on July 21, 1944 under the Japanese 12th Area Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to counter the projected invasion of the Japanese capital region by Allied forces during Operation Downfall. It was based in Urawa city, Saitama prefecture to the north of the Tokyo metropolitan area, from which it could be used to reinforce units to either the north or south of Tokyo as necessary.

The Japanese 36th Army consisted mostly of poorly trained reservists, conscripted students and Volunteer Fighting Corps home guard militia. It was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 without having seen combat.

List of commanders

Commanding officer

Chief of Staff

References

• Drea, Edward J. (1998). "Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan". In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-1708-0. 
• Frank, Richard B (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X. 
• Jowett, Bernard (1999). The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-354-3. 
• Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW. 
• Marston, Daniel (2005). The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-882-0. 
• Skates, John Ray (1994). The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb Downfall. New York: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-972-3. 

External links

• Wendel, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook". Japanese Thirty-Sixth Army.