Commonwealth Corps
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth Corps was the name given to a proposed British Commonwealth
army
formation, which was scheduled to take part in the planned Allied invasion of Japan
in during 1945 and 1946. The corps was never formed however, as the Japanese surrender
obviated any need for it. Under the proposals the corps would have comprised Australian
, British
, Canadian and New Zealand
forces.
By July 1945, United Kingdom
leaders were proposing that five Commonwealth divisions
be assembled in India
, and that they be committed to the invasion of Japan from March 1946, a few months after the first planned landings by United States
forces. The corps was to be accompanied by a 15-squadron tactical air force
known as Tiger Force
, consisting mostly of Royal Australian Air Force
and Royal New Zealand Air Force
squadrons. However, the Australian Advisory War Council
did not endorse this plan, instead feeling that the Australia's heavy involvement in the Pacific War
meant that Australian Army
units should be involved in the initial landing, whilst it was also considering the attachment of units to US formations.
By the time of the Potsdam Conference
however, General Douglas MacArthur
—as commander of Allied land forces for the proposed invasion—was insisting that: the total Commonwealth land forces involved should be only three divisions; a combined Commonwealth corps
should be formed and that it would operate as part of a US Army; it should use only US equipment and logistics; it should be kept in reserve rather than taking part in initial landings and; it should not include Indian Army
units, due to "linguistic and administrative complications". Besides questions of American national prestige, which undoubtedly weighed heavily, behind these conditions was a desire to simplify the lines of communication
and the logistic support arrangements of the invasion force. Indeed once established in Japan MacArthur intended to switch his strategic lines of communication direct to America.
On 8 August, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke
proposed that the corps comprise one Australian, one British and one Canadian division, as well as two New Zealand brigade
s. The corps was to be formed in the United States and train there for six months before deployment, and would have also been organised along the lines of a US corps and utilise American equipment. It is generally considered that the corps was to have included the British 3rd Infantry Division
, and two new divisions being formed for the purpose of the invasion: the Australian 10th Infantry Division and the 6th Canadian Infantry Division.
British leaders were proposing that the corps be led by Lieutenant General Sir Charles Keightley
, a British officer. The Australian government disagreed with the appointment of an officer with no experience fighting the Japanese however, and instead proposed Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead
for the command. Regardless the details of the corps' deployment were still being discussed when the war was ended by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
. It seems clear, however, that the Commonwealth land forces would not have been used in the initial landings on Kyūshū
under Operation Olympic. Instead they would most likely have been used during the landings on Honshū
near Tokyo
, scheduled to begin on 1 March 1946 under Operation Coronet
, and which would have also included a French Corps. Regardless, some sources state that that MacArthur was proposing the further reduction of the Commonwealth land forces to an elite division. However, considering the likelihood of extremely high casualties in any such invasion, it must be considered likely that a much larger number of Commonwealth troops would have become involved following the landings.
.
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
formation, which was scheduled to take part in the planned Allied invasion of Japan
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
in during 1945 and 1946. The corps was never formed however, as the Japanese surrender
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
obviated any need for it. Under the proposals the corps would have comprised Australian
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
, British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, Canadian and New Zealand
New Zealand Army
The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
forces.
By July 1945, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
leaders were proposing that five Commonwealth divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
be assembled in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, and that they be committed to the invasion of Japan from March 1946, a few months after the first planned landings by United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
forces. The corps was to be accompanied by a 15-squadron tactical air force
Tactical Air Force
The term Tactical Air Force was used by the air forces of the British Commonwealth during the later stages of World War II, for formations of more than one fighter group. A tactical air force was intended to achieve air supremacy and perform ground attack missions...
known as Tiger Force
Tiger Force (air)
Tiger Force, also known as the Very Long Range Bomber Force, was the name given to a World War II British Commonwealth long-range heavy bomber force, formed in 1945, from squadrons serving with RAF Bomber Command in Europe, for proposed use against targets in Japan...
, consisting mostly of Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
and Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
squadrons. However, the Australian Advisory War Council
Advisory War Council (Australia)
The Advisory War Council was an Australian Government body during World War II. The AWC was established on 28 October 1940 to draw all the major political parties in the Parliament of Australia into the process of making decisions on Australia's war effort and was disbanded on 30 August...
did not endorse this plan, instead feeling that the Australia's heavy involvement in the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
meant that Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
units should be involved in the initial landing, whilst it was also considering the attachment of units to US formations.
By the time of the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
however, General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
—as commander of Allied land forces for the proposed invasion—was insisting that: the total Commonwealth land forces involved should be only three divisions; a combined Commonwealth corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
should be formed and that it would operate as part of a US Army; it should use only US equipment and logistics; it should be kept in reserve rather than taking part in initial landings and; it should not include Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
units, due to "linguistic and administrative complications". Besides questions of American national prestige, which undoubtedly weighed heavily, behind these conditions was a desire to simplify the lines of communication
Lines of Communication
"Lines of Communication" is an episode from the fourth season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Franklin and Marcus attempt to persuade the Mars resistance to assist Sheridan in opposing President Clark...
and the logistic support arrangements of the invasion force. Indeed once established in Japan MacArthur intended to switch his strategic lines of communication direct to America.
On 8 August, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
proposed that the corps comprise one Australian, one British and one Canadian division, as well as two New Zealand brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s. The corps was to be formed in the United States and train there for six months before deployment, and would have also been organised along the lines of a US corps and utilise American equipment. It is generally considered that the corps was to have included the British 3rd Infantry Division
British 3rd Infantry Division
The 3rd Mechanised Division, known at various times as the Iron Division, 3rd Division or as Iron Sides; is a regular army division of the British Army...
, and two new divisions being formed for the purpose of the invasion: the Australian 10th Infantry Division and the 6th Canadian Infantry Division.
British leaders were proposing that the corps be led by Lieutenant General Sir Charles Keightley
Charles Keightley
General Sir Charles Frederic Keightley, GCB, GBE, DSO was a senior officer in the British Army during and following World War II.-Military career:...
, a British officer. The Australian government disagreed with the appointment of an officer with no experience fighting the Japanese however, and instead proposed Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead
Leslie Morshead
Lieutenant General Sir Leslie James Morshead KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian soldier, teacher, businessman, and farmer, with a distinguished military career that spanned both world wars...
for the command. Regardless the details of the corps' deployment were still being discussed when the war was ended by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
. It seems clear, however, that the Commonwealth land forces would not have been used in the initial landings on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
under Operation Olympic. Instead they would most likely have been used during the landings on Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
near Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, scheduled to begin on 1 March 1946 under Operation Coronet
Operation Coronet
During World War II, two operations in the Pacific theater were called Operation Coronet.* an early planning name for Operation Chronicle, which was executed in June 1943...
, and which would have also included a French Corps. Regardless, some sources state that that MacArthur was proposing the further reduction of the Commonwealth land forces to an elite division. However, considering the likelihood of extremely high casualties in any such invasion, it must be considered likely that a much larger number of Commonwealth troops would have become involved following the landings.
Canadian
The Canadian Army Pacific Force was organized on the lines of a standard infantry division, with nine infantry battalions. However, to ease logistic concerns, U.S. military equipment was to be adopted, as well as U.S. Army organization. Therefore, three battalions were formed into "regiments" rather than brigades, and "cannon companies" were formed rather than anti-tank units. The battalions were named in Canadian fashion, rather than numbered, and the division was patterned after the 1st Canadian Infantry Division1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Infantry Division was a formation mobilized on 1 September 1939 for service in the Second World War. The division was also reactivated twice during the Cold War....
.