The 51st Army ( 第 51 軍 ) is a military unit of the Japanese Imperial Army operating during World War II .
| 51st Army | |
|---|---|
| 第 51 軍 | |
 Estimated Allied landing zone during Operation Downfall | |
| Years of existence | April 18, 1945 - August 15, 1945 |
| A country |  Japan empire |
| Subordination |  Imperial army |
| Type of | infantry |
| Dislocation | |
| Nicknames | Victory ( 建 Ken ) |
| Participation in | Operation Downfall |
Formed on April 18, 1945 under the command of Lieutenant General Kangoro Noda , it was subordinated to the 12th front . The main objective was to counteract the Allied invasion in the central part of Honshu Island as part of their Downfall operation .
The army was mainly deployed in Ibaraki Prefecture and, due to its location, was supposed to guard the northern approaches to Tokyo and the Kanto region . Most of her soldiers consisted of poorly trained reservists, recently drafted youth and militias.
After the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, the army was disbanded without ever taking part in hostilities.
Composition
- 44th Infantry Division
- 151st Infantry Division
- 221st Infantry Division
- 115th Separate Mixed Brigade
- 116th Separate Mixed Brigade
- 7th Separate Tank Brigade
- Army artillery and units of direct subordination:
Literature
- Drea, Edward J. (1998). "Japanese Preparations for the Defense of the Homeland & Intelligence Forecasting for the Invasion of Japan." In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-1708-0 .
- Frank, Richard B (1999). Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41424-X .
- Jowett, Bernard (1999). The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-354-3 .
- Madej, Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing Company. ASIN: B000L4CYWW.
- Marston, Daniel (2005). The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-882-0 .
- Skates, John Ray (1994). The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb Downfall. New York: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 0-87249-972-3 .