China Expeditionary Army

Not to be confused with Chinese Expeditionary Force a Chinese National Revolutionary Army unit.

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China Expeditionary Army

Japanese: 支那派遣軍,
Shina hakengun

Japanese Occupation - Map

Active| 12 September 1939 – 15 August 1945
Country|  Empire of Japan
Allegiance| Emperor of Japan
Branch|  Imperial Japanese Army
Type| Army Group
Size| 1,050,000 personnel
Garrison/HQ| Nanjing
Nickname(s)| Eishudan (栄集団, Prosperous)
Engagements| Second Sino-Japanese War

Military unit

China Expeditionary General Army (1945)

Parent unit|

Imperial General Headquarters

Components|

* North China Area Army
* Japanese First Army
* 114th Infantry Division
* IJA 3rd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 10th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 14th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* Japanese Twelfth Army
* 110th Infantry Division
* 115th Infantry Division
* IJA 3rd Armored Division
* IJA 4th Cavalry Brigade
* IJA 3rd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 10th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 14th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* Mongolia Garrison Army
* 118th Infantry Division
* IJA 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade
* Japanese Forty-Third Army
* 47th Infantry Division
* IJA 5th Independent Mixed Brigade
* IJA 9th Independent Mixed Brigade
* IJA 1st Independent Infantry Brigade
* IJA 1st Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 8th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 9th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 2nd Independent Infantry Brigade
* Japanese Sixth Area Army
* Japanese Eleventh Army
* 58th Infantry Division
* IJA 22nd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 88th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* Japanese Twentieth Army
* 64th Infantry Division
* 68th Infantry Division
* 116th Infantry Division
* IJA 81st Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 82nd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 86th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 87th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* 132nd Infantry Division
* IJA 17th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 83rd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 84th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 85th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 5th Independent Infantry Brigade
* IJA 7th Independent Infantry Brigade
* IJA 12th Independent Infantry Brigade
* Japanese Thirteenth Army
* 60th Infantry Division
* 61st Infantry Division
* 65th Infantry Division
* 69th Infantry Division
* 161st Infantry Division
* IJA 90th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 92nd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 6th Independent Infantry Brigade
* Japanese Sixth Army
* 70th Infantry Division
* 133rd Infantry Division
* IJA 62nd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 89th Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 91st Mixed Infantry Brigade
* Japanese Twenty-Third Army
* 104th Infantry Division
* 129th Infantry Division
* 130th Infantry Division
* IJA 23rd Mixed Infantry Brigade
* IJA 8th Independent Infantry Brigade
* IJA 13th Independent Infantry Brigade
* 3rd Infantry Division
* 13th Infantry Division
* 27th Infantry Division
* 34th Infantry Division
* 40th Infantry Division
* 131st Infantry Division
* IJA 13th Aviation Brigade

The China Expeditionary Army (Shina hakengun) was a general army of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1939 to 1945.

The China Expeditionary Army was established in September 1939 from the merger of the Central China Expeditionary Army and Japanese Northern China Area Army, and was headquartered in the pro-Japanese Reorganized National Government's capital city of Nanjing. The China Expeditionary Army was responsible for all Japanese military operations in China and was the main fighting force during the Second Sino-Japanese War, with over 1 million soldiers under its command at its peak. The China Expeditionary Army was dissolved upon the Surrender of Japan in August 1945.

In military literature, the China Expeditionary Army is often referred to by the initials "CEA".[1]

## History

[edit]

After the Lugou Bridge Incident, the Japanese China Garrison Army was reinforced with the Shanghai Expeditionary Army. This force was further supplemented by the Japanese Tenth Army, and marched inland from Shanghai to occupy Hangzhou. In October 1937, this force was renamed the Japanese Central China Area Army. After the fall of Nanjing, the Central China Expeditionary Army was formed. On September 12, 1939 by Army Order 362, the China Expeditionary Army was formed with the merger of the Central China Expeditionary Army with the Northern China Area Army. It was headquartered in Nanjing throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The North China Area Army was maintained as a subordinate unit headquartered in Beijing and was responsible for operations in the north China plains from the Yellow River to the Great Wall, including Inner Mongolia.

The Japanese Sixth Area Army covered central and southern China, and several independent armies reporting directly to the central command in Nanjing were used for garrison, strategic reserve and for specific operations.

By the war's end it consisted of 1,050,000 men in one armored and 25 infantry divisions. It also contained over 22 Independent brigades; 11 infantry, 1 cavalry, and 10 mixed (combined infantry, artillery, armor and support units). Towards the end of the war much of its ammunition reserve and many of its units had been transferred into the Pacific Theater leaving the China Expeditionary Army weak and undermanned.

The China Expeditionary Army surrendered on August 15, 1945 but its troops remained armed to provide security until Allied troops arrived.

## Commanders

[edit]

### Commanding officer

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (June 2018)

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| Name | From | To

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1 | General Toshizō Nishio | 12 September 1939 | 1 March 1941
2 | Field Marshal Shunroku Hata | 1 March 1941 | 23 November 1944
3 | General Yasuji Okamura | 23 November 1944 | 15 August 1945

### Chief of Staff

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (June 2018)

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| Name | From | To

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1 | General Seishirō Itagaki | 4 September 1939 | 7 July 1941
2 | Lieutenant General Jun Ushiroku | 7 July 1941 | 17 August 1942
3 | General Masakazu Kawabe | 17 August 1942 | 18 March 1943
4 | Lieutenant General Takuro Matsui | 18 March 1943 | 1 February 1945
5 | Lieutenant General Asasaburo Kobayashi | 1 February 1945 | 15 August 1945

## See also

[edit]

* Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army

## References

[edit]

* Dorn, Frank (1974). The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor. MacMillan. ISBN 0-02-532200-1.
* Harries, Meirion (1994). Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. Random House; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-679-75303-6.
* 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.

## External links

[edit]

* Wendel, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook". China Expeditionary Army.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Jowett, The Japanese Army 1931-45

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

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