Thirty-Seventh Army (Japan)

Japanese Thirty-Seventh Army
Active 11 April 1942 – 15 August 1945
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Corps
Garrison/HQ Kuching, Sarawak
Nickname(s) Nada (灘, Bay)
Engagements Borneo campaign

The Japanese 37th Army (第37軍, Dai-sanjyūnana gun) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

History

The Japanese 37th Army was formed as Borneo Defence Army, a garrison force organised on 11 April 1942 under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group following the Japanese invasion and occupation of the British protectorates of Sarawak, Brunei, North Borneo on the island of Borneo.

On 12 September 1944, with the threat of possible landings of Allied forces to retake the former colonial territories in Southeast Asia increasing, the organisational structure of the Southern Expeditionary Army changed, and the Borneo Defence Army was re-designated the Japanese Thirty-Seventh Army.

The Japanese 37th Army was undermanned and poorly equipped, with most equipment and experienced units shifted toward more critical areas of the Southwest Pacific front. Nonetheless, it put up a stiff resistance to landings by Australian troops in the Borneo campaign of 1945, notably at the Battle of North Borneo and Operation Oboe Six.

The Japanese 37th Army was demobilised at the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945 at Kuching.

List of commanders

Commanding officer

NameFromTo
1General Toshinari Maeda11 April 19425 September 1942Borneo Defence Army
2General Masataka Yamawaki5 September 194222 September 1944Borneo Defence Army
3Lieutenant General Masao Baba26 December 1944September 1945Japanese 37th Army

Chief of Staff

NameFromTo
1Major General Satoshi Makoto11 April 194222 September 1944Borneo Defence Army
2Lieutenant General Keishin Managi22 September 194424 February 1945Japanese 37th Army
3Major General Shigeru Kuroda24 February 1945September 1945Japanese 37th Army

See also

References

Books

  • Frank, Richard B. (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X. OCLC 40783799.
  • Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937–1945. Allentown, PA: Game Publishing Company. OCLC 8930220.
  • Wendel, Marcus. "Borneo Defence Army". Axis History Factbook.
  • Wendel, Marcus. "Japanese Thirty-Seventh Army". Axis History Factbook.
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