Twelfth Army (Japan)

Japanese Twelfth Army

Active| November 7, 1938 - August 15, 1945
Country| Empire of Japan
Branch| Imperial Japanese Army
Type| Infantry
Role| Corps
Garrison/HQ| Zhengzhou
Nickname(s)| Jin ("Benevolence")

Military unit

Japanese Twelfth Army (1938)

Parent unit|

Northern China Area Army

Components|

* 21st Infantry Division
* 114th Infantry Division

Japanese Twelfth Army (1941)

Parent unit|

Northern China Area Army

Components|

* 32nd Infantry Division
* 35th Infantry Division
* 5th independent mixed brigade
* 6th independent mixed brigade
* 7th independent mixed brigade
* 10th independent mixed brigade

Japanese Twelfth Army (1945)

Parent unit|

Northern China Area Army

Components|

* 110th Infantry Division
* 115th Infantry Division
* IJA 3rd Armored Division
* IJA 4th Cavalry Brigade

The Japanese 12th Army (第12軍, Dai-jyūni gun) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

## History

[edit]

The Japanese 12th Army was formed on November 7, 1938 under the North China Area Army as a garrison force for the occupation the provinces North China. It served primary as a training and reserve unit, and participated in counter-insurgency operations.

The 59th division famous for its wartime atrocities was attached to the Twelfth Army from February 1942 till May 1945.

The 12th Army was demobilized at Zhengzhou, Henan Province on the surrender of Japan.

## List of Commanders

[edit]

### Commanding officers

[edit]

| Name | From | To

|
|
|

1 | Lieutenant General Kamezo Suetaka | 9 November 1938 | 12 September 1939
2 | Lieutenant General Sadataka Iida | 12 September 1939 | 1 March 1941
3 | Lieutenant General Ichiji Dobashi | 1 March 1941 | 1 March 1943
4 | Lieutenant General Seiichi Kita | 1 March 1943 | 7 February 1944
5 | Lieutenant General Eitaro Uchiyama | 5 February 1944 | 7 April 1945
6 | Lieutenant General Takashi Takamori | 7 April 1945 | 15 August 1945

### Chief of Staff

[edit]

| Name | From | To

|
|
|

1 | Lt. General Asasaburo Kobayashi | 9 November 1938 | 1 December 1939
2 | Lt. General Yoshio Hongo | 1 December 1939 | 2 December 1940
3 | Lt. General Masafumi Yamauchi | 2 December 1940 | 15 October 1941
4 | Major General Etsujiro Kono | 15 October 1941 | 10 December 1942
5 | Major General Tadao Teragaki | 10 December 1942 | 16 October 1944
6 | Lt. General Makoto Nakayama | 16 October 1944 | 1 September 1945

## References

[edit]

* Dorn, Frank (1974). The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41: From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor. MacMillan. ISBN 0-02-532200-1.
* Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW.

## External links

[edit]

* Wendel, Marcus. "Axis History Factbook". Japanese Twelfth Army.