Country Empire of Japan Role Field Army Nickname(s) 秀 (Shū = “excellence”) Branch Imperial Japanese Army | Type Infantry Garrison/HQ Nagoya Headquarters Nagoya | |
Active February 1, 1945 - August 15, 1945 Similar Japanese Sixteenth Area Army, Imperial Japanese Army, Japanese Twelfth Area Army, Japanese Seventeenth Area Army, Japanese Eighteenth Area Army | ||
The Japanese Thirteenth Area Army (第13方面軍, Dai-jyūhachi hōmen gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final stages of World War II.
History
The Japanese 13th Area Army was formed on 1945-02-01 under the Japanese First General Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of Allied forces in central Honshū during Operation Downfall (or Operation Ketsugō (決号作戦, Ketsugō sakusen) in Japanese terminology). The Japanese 13th Area Army was responsible for the Tōkai region of Japan and was headquartered in Nagoya.
It consisted mostly of poorly trained reservists, conscripted students and home guard militia. In addition, the Japanese had organized the Patriotic Citizens Fighting Corps — which included all healthy men aged 15–60 and women 17–40 — to perform combat support, and ultimately combat jobs. Weapons, training, and uniforms were generally lacking: some men were armed with nothing better than muzzle-loading muskets, longbows, or bamboo spears; nevertheless, they were expected to make do with what they had.
The 13th Area Army was demobilized at the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 without having seen combat.