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This website is created to present and organize my research about the Rikukaigun – the Army and the Navy of the Japanese Empire during 1868-1945 period.
For now it's focused mainly on organizational questions, but not limited to them. Both my original research, translations and original documents will be posted here.
If you have questions, corrections, additions, feel free to contact me.
A short primer on the organization of the IJA and the IJN
Imperial Japanese Army and Navy organizations comparison
General map of East Asia and Pacific
To thank first visitors of this website I've posted online pdf
version of my
book: "“Samurais” of the Japanese fleet. Destroyers of the “Matsu” and
“Tachibana” classes" (published in 2013).
Due to the large amount of data the data base will be uploaded in parts. First I’ll post the data on officers of IJN ships, which served in the navy during the Pacific War of 1941-1945. So far I’ve uploaded two parts: 1. Aircraft carriers, seaplane carriers/tenders, converted seaplane tenders, and 2. Battleships.
To be continued.
14 April 2024 - added 1943 USN intelligence report "Organization and rank in the Japanese Army And Navy Air Services". Despite its errors, is interesting period document, showing current US knowledge on Japanese Navy and Army air services.
9 April 2024 - added
translation of the Japanese article
"Regarding the organization of 244th Air Group
7 April 2024 - added OOB and table of tactical organization of IJN standard one-battalion Special Naval Landing Force of the Naval District (1938).
31 March
15 February 2024 - added general map of East Asia and Pacific for better overall orientation in the enormous Asia-Pacific area, where Japanese military operated.
IJA updates:
List of the IJA divisions and divisional-sized formations, that existed in the IJA.
Man-hours required to produce one unit of weapons in Japanese Army Kokura Arsenal - I've already posted some weapons' prices, now man-hours to produce some of them.
4 January 2024 - website went online.
Besides the information about the author the following materials are posted:
A short primer on the organization of the IJA and the IJN
Imperial Japanese Army and Navy organizations comparison
Links to the web sites with useful information on the Imperial Japanese military
Japanese language and other reference resources
Japanese calendar systems and Methods of designating weapons and equipment
List of the IJA general armies, area armies, armies and corps - list of all corps-level and above formations, that existed in the IJA.
Japanese Army order of battle before the Manchurian Incident - IJA order of battle as for 1 January 1931.
Organization and armament of the type "C" infantry regiment (August 1943) - organization and equipment from original TOEs, as laid out in the Mobilization plan for 1944.
IJA rank names 1937-1945 - description of the changes in the IJA rank system and the table of all the rank names by the end of the Pacific War.
Prices of the IJA weapons - various prices of weapons and equipment.
List of the IJN general fleets, area fleets and fleets - list of all fleet-level and above formations, that existed in the IJN.
IJN rank names 1942-1945 - description of the changes in the IJN rank system and the table of all the rank names by the end of the Pacific War.
Prices of the IJN weapons - various prices of weapons and equipment.
Data on IJN pilots and planes - data on the availability of pilots and planes of the IJN Air Force 1941-1945 period from the Japanese official history of WW II (translated by Eugen Pinak).
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