Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Organization of Japanese defensive units in Okinawa

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

Organization of Japanese defensive units in Okinawa prior to the American invasion.

Contents

The defense of Okinawa Island was weakened when the 9th Division was transferred to Taiwan. Ground forces on the island ended up with only the 24th and 62nd Divisions and the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade as the core of the Thirty-second Army commanded by Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima

Commander of Okinawan defensive forces

  • Mitsuru Ushijima - Commander of Japanese Army forces in Okinawa
  • Isamu Cho - Sub Commander of Japanese Army forces in Okinawa

    • Deployable land units

  • Thirty-second Army - Mitsuru Ushijima
  • 24th Division - Tatsumi Amamiya
  • 62nd Division - Takeo Fujioka
  • Keiichi Arikawa: Commanding Officer Infantry Group 62nd Division,Okinawa
  • Kunisaki Detachment
  • 44th Independent Mixed Brigade
  • 9th Division (transferred to Taiwan)
  • 27th Tank Regiment - Lieut. Colonel Murakami

    • Japanese Navy

  • Tokushima Air Group
  • Others Air Groups

    • Japanese Army

    For the Okinawa campaign, the Army planned to commit a total of 970 planes:

  • Homeland (Kyushu, Shikoku)
  • Sixth Air Army—220
  • Tokko units—300
  • Taiwan Area:
  • 8th Air Division—200
  • Tokko units—250

    • Japanese Special Forces in Okinawa

    Later elements of the Giretsu (Heroic) Airborne Unit were dropped upon North and Central Airfields, engaged in hand-to-hand fighting, and for a time seized control of both strips.

    References

    Organization of Japanese defensive units in Okinawa Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA