IJN 3rd Fleet
Encyclopedia
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, which was created on six separate occasions.
as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for front-line combat service. These vessels were used primarily for training and for coastal patrol duties. The IJN 3rd Fleet came under the aegis of the Combined Fleet
for the duration of the Russo-Japanese War
from March 1904. Although initially derided as a "dinosaur fleet", the IJN 3rd fleet proved invaluable at the Battle of Tsushima
and the Invasion of Sakhalin
. It was disbanded on 20 December 1905.
, to safeguard Japanese civilians and property on the Chinese mainland
and (if necessary) to conduct emergency evacuation. It was nicknamed the "South China Fleet" since its area of activity was initially envisioned to be the South China Sea
, although for the most part its cruiser
s patrolled the Yangtze River
and other large rivers in China, and its headquarters was based in the Japanese concession in Shanghai
. It was disbanded on 25 December 1915.
. However, with the Russian Revolution and the proclamation of the communist Soviet Union, the mission of the IJN 3rd Fleet was changed to that of patrols of the coast of Russia and support of the Siberian Intervention
by Japanese ground forces in support of anti-Bolshevik
forces. The IJN 3rd Fleet was disbanded on 1 December 1922, and many of its vessels were scrapped almost immediately under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty
.
. The buildup took the form of three separate expeditionary fleets, consisting primarily of cruisers and gunboats to patrol the Chinese coast and major riverways and to support the landings of Japanese ground forces. With the outbreak of general war (the Second Sino-Japanese War
) in 1937, the IJN 3rd Fleet came under the aegis of the China Area Fleet. It was disbanded on 15 November 1939; however, some of the organizational and command structures for ground forces under the First China Expeditionary Fleet remained in place until August 1943.
, its headquarters was based in Palau
and its mission expanded to include the invasions of Java
, Borneo
and other islands of the Netherlands East Indies. It was superseded by the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet under the aegis of the Southwest Area Fleet
on 10 March 1942.
as an aircraft carrier
task force modeled after similar units in the United States Navy
. It was centered on the new aircraft carriers and . It played an important role during the Pyrrhic victory
at the Battle of Santa Cruz
, in which the American aircraft carrier was sunk, but at the cost of many of the best air crews in the Japanese Navy. After March 1944, the IJN 3rd Fleet was effectively merged with the IJN 2nd Fleet
, and suffered through the disastrous Battle of the Philippine Sea
, losing all of its aircraft carriers, including the newly commissioned . With the loss of the battleship
s and at the Battle off Cape Engaño, the IJN 3rd Fleet effectively ceased to exist. It was officially disbanded on 15 December 1944.
Chief of Staff
{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || colspan="2" | Dates
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral || Shizuka Nakamura|| style="text-align:right;"| 28 December 1903 || style="text-align:right;"| 12 January 1905
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral || Koshi Saito|| style="text-align:right;"| 12 January 1905 || style="text-align:right;"| 2 November 1905
|-
|X|| || Disbanded || style="text-align:right;"| 20 December 1905 || style="text-align:right;"| 13 December 1915
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral || Shichitaro Takagi|| style="text-align:right;"| 13 December 1915 || style="text-align:right;"|1 April 1916
|-
|2|| Rear-Admiral || Tokutaro Hiraga|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 April 1916 || style="text-align:right;"| 19 March 1917
|-
|3|| Vice-Admiral || Hisatsune Iida|| style="text-align:right;"| 19 March 1917 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1917
|-
|4|| Vice-Admiral || Shichigoro Saito|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1917 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1918
|-
|5|| Vice-Admiral || Shinzaburo Furukawa|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1918 || style="text-align:right;"| 10 June 1919
|-
|6|| Vice-Admiral || Kosaburo Uchida|| style="text-align:right;"| 10 June 1919 || style="text-align:right;"| 20 November 1920
|-
|7|| Rear-Admiral || Hisamori Taguchi|| style="text-align:right;"| 20 November 1920 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1921
|-
|8|| Vice-Admiral || Naomoto Komatsu|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1921 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1922
|-
|X|| || Disbanded || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1922 || style="text-align:right;"| 2 February 1932
|-
|1|| Admiral || Shigetarō Shimada
|| style="text-align:right;"| 2 February 1932 || style="text-align:right;"| 28 June 1932
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral || Shigeru Kikuno|| style="text-align:right;"| 28 June 1932 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 April 1933
|-
|3|| Rear-Admiral || Seizaburo Mitsui|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 April 1933 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1933
|-
|4|| Admiral || Shirō Takasu
|| style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1933 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1934
|-
|5|| Vice-Admiral || Eijiro Kondo|| style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1934 || style="text-align:right;"| 2 December 1935
|-
|6|| Vice-Admiral || Seiichi Iwamura|| style="text-align:right;"| 2 December 1935 || style="text-align:right;"| 16 November 1936
|-
|7|| Vice-Admiral || Rokuzo Sugiyama|| style="text-align:right;"| 16 November 1936 || style="text-align:right;"| 25 April 1938
|-
|8|| Vice-Admiral || Jinichi Kusaka
|| style="text-align:right;"| 25 April 1938 || style="text-align:right;"| 23 October 1939
|-
|9|| Admiral || Shigeyoshi Inoue
|| style="text-align:right;"| 23 October 1939 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1939
|-
|X|| || Disbanded || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1939 || style="text-align:right;"| 10 April 1941
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral || Toshihisa Nakamura|| style="text-align:right;"| 10 April 1941 || style="text-align:right;"| 10 March 1942
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral || Ryunosuke Kusaka|| style="text-align:right;"| 14 July 1942 || style="text-align:right;"| 23 November 1942
|-
|3|| Vice-Admiral || Sadayoshi Yamada
|| style="text-align:right;"| 23 November 1942 || style="text-align:right;"| 6 December 1943
|-
|4|| Rear-Admiral || Keizo Komura
|| style="text-align:right;"| 6 December 1943 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 October 1944
|-
|5|| Rear-Admiral || Sueo Obayashi|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 October 1944 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1944
|}
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, which was created on six separate occasions.
Russo-Japanese War
First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General HeadquartersImperial General Headquarters
The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime...
as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for front-line combat service. These vessels were used primarily for training and for coastal patrol duties. The IJN 3rd Fleet came under the aegis of the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
for the duration of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
from March 1904. Although initially derided as a "dinosaur fleet", the IJN 3rd fleet proved invaluable at the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
and the Invasion of Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
. It was disbanded on 20 December 1905.
South China Fleet
The IJN 3rd Fleet was revived on 24 December 1908 as an expeditionary force during the Chinese Republican RevolutionXinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
, to safeguard Japanese civilians and property on the Chinese mainland
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and (if necessary) to conduct emergency evacuation. It was nicknamed the "South China Fleet" since its area of activity was initially envisioned to be the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, although for the most part its cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s patrolled the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and other large rivers in China, and its headquarters was based in the Japanese concession in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. It was disbanded on 25 December 1915.
World War I
The IJN 3rd Fleet was reconstituted on the same day as the dissolution of the "South China Fleet", initially as a training force to supplement Japan's contribution to the World War I war effort under the Anglo-Japanese AllianceAnglo-Japanese Alliance
The first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
. However, with the Russian Revolution and the proclamation of the communist Soviet Union, the mission of the IJN 3rd Fleet was changed to that of patrols of the coast of Russia and support of the Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
by Japanese ground forces in support of anti-Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
forces. The IJN 3rd Fleet was disbanded on 1 December 1922, and many of its vessels were scrapped almost immediately under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
.
First China Expeditionary Fleet
The IJN 3rd Fleet was again raised on 2 February 1938 as part of Japan's emergency buildup for forces after the Shanghai IncidentJanuary 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
. The buildup took the form of three separate expeditionary fleets, consisting primarily of cruisers and gunboats to patrol the Chinese coast and major riverways and to support the landings of Japanese ground forces. With the outbreak of general war (the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
) in 1937, the IJN 3rd Fleet came under the aegis of the China Area Fleet. It was disbanded on 15 November 1939; however, some of the organizational and command structures for ground forces under the First China Expeditionary Fleet remained in place until August 1943.
Southern Expeditionary Fleet
The IJN 3rd Fleet was recreated once again on 10 April 1941 with the additional designation "Southern Expeditionary Fleet" for the specific task of invading the Philippine islands. At the time of the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, its headquarters was based in Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
and its mission expanded to include the invasions of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
and other islands of the Netherlands East Indies. It was superseded by the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet under the aegis of the Southwest Area Fleet
Southwest Area Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942 to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the...
on 10 March 1942.
World War II
The sixth (and final) incarnation of the IJN 3rd Fleet was formed on 14 July 1942 immediately after the disastrous Battle of MidwayBattle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
as an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
task force modeled after similar units in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. It was centered on the new aircraft carriers and . It played an important role during the Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
at the Battle of Santa Cruz
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or in Japanese sources as the , was the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the fourth major naval engagement fought between the United States Navy and the Imperial...
, in which the American aircraft carrier was sunk, but at the cost of many of the best air crews in the Japanese Navy. After March 1944, the IJN 3rd Fleet was effectively merged with the IJN 2nd Fleet
IJN 2nd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the...
, and suffered through the disastrous Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
, losing all of its aircraft carriers, including the newly commissioned . With the loss of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s and at the Battle off Cape Engaño, the IJN 3rd Fleet effectively ceased to exist. It was officially disbanded on 15 December 1944.
Commanders of the IJN 3rd Fleet
Commander in chief| Rank | Name | Dates | ||
| 1 | Admiral | Shichiro Kataoka | 28 December 1903 | 20 December 1905 |
| X | Disbanded | 20 December 1905 | 13 December 1915 | |
| 1 | Admiral | Kakuichi Murakami Murakami Kakuichi - Notes :... |
13 December 1915 | 6 April 1917 |
| 2 | Admiral | Ryokitsu Arima | 6 April 1917 | 1 December 1918 |
| 3 | Admiral | Teijiro Kuroi | 1 December 1918 | 1 December 1919 |
| 4 | Admiral | Kaneo Nomaguchi | 1 December 1919 | 1 December 1920 |
| 5 | Admiral | Kozaburo Oguri | 1 December 1920 | 1 December 1921 |
| 6 | Admiral | Baron Kantarō Suzuki Kantaro Suzuki Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, member and final leader of the Taisei Yokusankai and 42nd Prime Minister of Japan from 7 April-17 August 1945.-Early life:... |
1 December 1921 | 27 July 1922 |
| 7 | Vice-Admiral | Naoe Nakano | 27 July 1922 | 1 December 1922 |
| 8 | Disbanded | 1 December 1922 | 2 February 1932 | |
| 1 | Admiral | Kichisaburō Nomura Kichisaburō Nomura -External links:... |
2 February 1932 | 28 June 1932 |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Seizo Sakonji | 28 June 1932 | 1 December 1932 |
| 3 | Admiral | Mitsumasa Yonai Mitsumasa Yonai was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and politician. He was the 37th Prime Minister of Japan from 16 January to 22 July 1940.-Early life & Naval career:... |
1 December 1932 | 15 September 1933 |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Shinjiro Imamura | 15 September 1933 | 15 November 1934 |
| 5 | Admiral | Gengo Hyakutake Gengo Hyakutake was a career officer and admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy.-Biography:Born to a low-ranking samurai of Saga Domain, Hyakutake’s elder brother Saburō Hyakutake was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and his younger brother Harukichi Hyakutake was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army... |
15 November 1934 | 1 December 1935 |
| 6 | Admiral | Koshirō Oikawa Koshiro Oikawa was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and Naval Minister during World War II.-Biography:Oikawa was born into a wealthy family in rural Koshi County, Niigata Prefecture, but was raised in Morioka city, Iwate prefecture in northern Japan.... |
1 December 1935 | 1 December 1936 |
| 7 | Admiral | Kiyoshi Hasegawa | 1 December 1936 | 25 April 1938 |
| 8 | Admiral | Koshirō Oikawa Koshiro Oikawa was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and Naval Minister during World War II.-Biography:Oikawa was born into a wealthy family in rural Koshi County, Niigata Prefecture, but was raised in Morioka city, Iwate prefecture in northern Japan.... |
25 April 1938 | 15 November 1939 |
| X | Disbanded | 15 November 1939 | 10 April 1941 | |
| 1 | Admiral | Ibō Takahashi Ibo Takahashi - Books :... |
10 April 1941 | 10 March 1942 |
| X | Disbanded | 10 March 1942 | 14 July 1942 | |
| 1 | Admiral | Chuichi Nagumo Chuichi Nagumo was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:... |
14 July 1942 | 11 November 1942 |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Jisaburō Ozawa Jisaburo Ozawa was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. Many military historians regard Ozawa as one of the most capable Japanese flag officers.-Biography:... |
11 November 1942 | 15 November 1944 |
Chief of Staff
{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || colspan="2" | Dates
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral || Shizuka Nakamura|| style="text-align:right;"| 28 December 1903 || style="text-align:right;"| 12 January 1905
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral || Koshi Saito|| style="text-align:right;"| 12 January 1905 || style="text-align:right;"| 2 November 1905
|-
|X|| || Disbanded || style="text-align:right;"| 20 December 1905 || style="text-align:right;"| 13 December 1915
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral || Shichitaro Takagi|| style="text-align:right;"| 13 December 1915 || style="text-align:right;"|1 April 1916
|-
|2|| Rear-Admiral || Tokutaro Hiraga|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 April 1916 || style="text-align:right;"| 19 March 1917
|-
|3|| Vice-Admiral || Hisatsune Iida|| style="text-align:right;"| 19 March 1917 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1917
|-
|4|| Vice-Admiral || Shichigoro Saito|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1917 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1918
|-
|5|| Vice-Admiral || Shinzaburo Furukawa|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1918 || style="text-align:right;"| 10 June 1919
|-
|6|| Vice-Admiral || Kosaburo Uchida|| style="text-align:right;"| 10 June 1919 || style="text-align:right;"| 20 November 1920
|-
|7|| Rear-Admiral || Hisamori Taguchi|| style="text-align:right;"| 20 November 1920 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1921
|-
|8|| Vice-Admiral || Naomoto Komatsu|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1921 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1922
|-
|X|| || Disbanded || style="text-align:right;"| 1 December 1922 || style="text-align:right;"| 2 February 1932
|-
|1|| Admiral || Shigetarō Shimada
Shigetaro Shimada
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He also served as Navy Minister-Biography:A native of Tokyo, Shimada graduated from the 32nd class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1904...
|| style="text-align:right;"| 2 February 1932 || style="text-align:right;"| 28 June 1932
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral || Shigeru Kikuno|| style="text-align:right;"| 28 June 1932 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 April 1933
|-
|3|| Rear-Admiral || Seizaburo Mitsui|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 April 1933 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1933
|-
|4|| Admiral || Shirō Takasu
Shirō Takasu
Admiral was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Takasu was a native of Sakuragawa Village, , and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura...
|| style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1933 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1934
|-
|5|| Vice-Admiral || Eijiro Kondo|| style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1934 || style="text-align:right;"| 2 December 1935
|-
|6|| Vice-Admiral || Seiichi Iwamura|| style="text-align:right;"| 2 December 1935 || style="text-align:right;"| 16 November 1936
|-
|7|| Vice-Admiral || Rokuzo Sugiyama|| style="text-align:right;"| 16 November 1936 || style="text-align:right;"| 25 April 1938
|-
|8|| Vice-Admiral || Jinichi Kusaka
Jinichi Kusaka
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Fellow Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka was his cousin.-Biography:A native of Ishikawa Prefecture, Kusaka graduated from the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, ranked 21st in a class of 179 cadets...
|| style="text-align:right;"| 25 April 1938 || style="text-align:right;"| 23 October 1939
|-
|9|| Admiral || Shigeyoshi Inoue
Shigeyoshi Inoue
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was commander of the Japanese 4th Fleet and later served as Vice-Minister of the Navy. A noted naval theorist, he was a strong advocate of naval aviation within the Japanese Navy...
|| style="text-align:right;"| 23 October 1939 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1939
|-
|X|| || Disbanded || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1939 || style="text-align:right;"| 10 April 1941
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral || Toshihisa Nakamura|| style="text-align:right;"| 10 April 1941 || style="text-align:right;"| 10 March 1942
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral || Ryunosuke Kusaka|| style="text-align:right;"| 14 July 1942 || style="text-align:right;"| 23 November 1942
|-
|3|| Vice-Admiral || Sadayoshi Yamada
Sadayoshi Yamada
- Notes :...
|| style="text-align:right;"| 23 November 1942 || style="text-align:right;"| 6 December 1943
|-
|4|| Rear-Admiral || Keizo Komura
Keizo Komura
was a Vice Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Komura was born in Nakanojo, Gunma prefecture. He graduated from the 45th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy in 1917, ranked 10th in his class of 89 cadets. As midshipman, Komura served on the cruiser and...
|| style="text-align:right;"| 6 December 1943 || style="text-align:right;"| 1 October 1944
|-
|5|| Rear-Admiral || Sueo Obayashi|| style="text-align:right;"| 1 October 1944 || style="text-align:right;"| 15 November 1944
|}