Seventeenth Army (Japan)

Japanese Seventeenth Army

General Kanda signs surrender
Active May 18, 1942 – August 15, 1945
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Corps
Garrison/HQ Rabaul
Nickname(s) 　Oki (沖 Offshore)
Engagements Solomon Islands campaign

The Japanese 17th Army (第17軍 Dai-jū nana gun) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

History

The Japanese 17th Army was formed on May 18, 1942 under the Japanese Eighth Area Army of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group for the specific task of opposing landings by Allied forces in Japanese-occupied Solomon Islands. It was initially headquartered on Rabaul and participated in the New Guinea, Guadalcanal, and Solomon Islands campaigns of the South West Pacific theatre of World War II.[1]

After General Hitoshi Imamura took over command of the Japanese Eighth Area Army the 17th Army was responsible solely for the Solomons, primarily on Bougainville.[2] It was trapped on Bougainville and cut off from reinforcements and re-supply during the Bougainville campaign (1943–45), and was forced to live off the land, hiding in jungle caves for most of the rest of the war.[3]

List of commanders

Commanding officer

Name From To
1 Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake 18 May 19421 April 1945
2 Lieutenant General Masatane Kanda 1 April 194515 August 1945

Chief of Staff

Name From To
1 Major General Akisaburo Futami 5 May 19421 October 1942
2 Lieutenant General Chuichi Miyazaki 1 October 194211 May 1943
3 Lieutenant General Tsutomu Akinaga 11 May 194311 September 1943
4 Major General Chikara Akinaga 11 September 19431 April 1945
5 Major General Isaoshi Makata 1 April 19451 September 1945

Notes

  1. ↑ Smith, Bloody Ridge, p. 25.
  2. ↑ Hayashi, Kogun, pp. 224–225.
  3. ↑ Gailey, Bougainville.

References

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