Japanese Eighth Area Army

Disabled Japanese tank at Biak

Active| November 16, 1942 – August 15, 1945
Country| Empire of Japan
Branch| Imperial Japanese Army
Type| Infantry
Role| Field Army
Garrison/HQ| Rabaul
Nickname(s)| 剛(Gō = “strength”)
Engagements| Solomon Islands campaign
New Guinea campaign

Military unit

Japanese Eighth Area Army (1945)

Parent unit|

Southern Expeditionary Army Group

Components|

* Japanese 17th Army
* Japanese 18th Army
* 38th division
* IJA 39th Independent Mixed Brigade
* IJA 40th Independent Mixed Brigade
* IJA 65th Independent Infantry Brigade
* IJA 9th Artillery Headquarters

The Japanese Eighth Area Army (第8方面軍, Dai-hachi hōmen gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

## History[edit]

The Japanese 8th Area Army was formed on November 16, 1942 under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group for the specific task of opposing landings by Allied forces in Japanese-occupied Solomon Islands and New Guinea.[1] It had its headquarters at Rabaul, New Britain and saw considerable combat in the Solomon Islands campaign, Bougainville campaign and New Guinea campaign.[2]

## List of Commanders[edit]

| Name | From | To

|
|
|

Commanding officer | General Hitoshi Imamura | 9 November 1942 | 15 August 1945
Chief of Staff | Major General Rimpei Katō | 9 November 1942 | 15 August 1945

## References[edit]

### Books[edit]

* McGee, William L (2002). The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943: From Guadalcanal to Bougainville--Pacific War Turning Point, Volume 2. BMC Publications. ISBN 0-9701678-7-3.
* 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.
* Nalty, Bernard (1999). War in the Pacific: Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay : The Story of the Bitter Struggle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3199-3.
* Rottman, Gordon (2005). Japanese Army in World War II: Conquest of the Pacific 1941-42 (Battle Orders). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-789-1.
* Rottman, Gordon (2002). Japanese Army in World War II: "The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43" (Battle Orders). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-870-7.

## External links[edit]

* Wendel, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook". Japanese Eighth Area Army.

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ McGee, The Solomons Campaigns, 1942-1943
2. ^ Nalty, War in the Pacific: Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay