Imperial Volunteer Corps
Encyclopedia
were armed civil defense
units planned in 1945 in the Empire of Japan
as a last desperate measure to defend the Japanese home islands against the projected Allied
invasion during Operation Downfall
(Ketsugo Sakusen) in the final stages of World War II
.
They were the Japanese equivalent of the German
Volkssturm
. Its Commander-in-Chief
was former Prime Minister
General Koiso Kuniaki.
of Japanese Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso passed a law establishing the creation of unarmed civil defense units, . With the assistance of the Taisei Yokusankai
political party
, the tonarigumi
and Great Japan Youth Party, units were created by June 1945.
The Kokumin Giyūtai was not combatant, but working unit for fire service, food production and evacuation. All male civilians between the ages of 12 to 65 years, and females of 12 to 45 years were members. They received training on fire fighting
techniques and elementary first aid
.
. In June, the cabinet passed a special conscription
law, and named the militia units .
The Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai would be organized, if the allied landing unit close to the Japanese homeland. Governors of Prefectures
could conscript all male civilians between the ages of 15 to 60 years, and unmarried females of 17 to 40 years. Commanders were appointed from retired military personnel and civilians with weapons experience.
Combat training sessions were held. But, the Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai was primarily assigned to support tasks such as construction, transportation and rationing.
The Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai was intended as main reserve along with a "second defense line" for Japanese forces to sustain a war of attrition
against invading forces. After the allied invasion, these forces were intended to form resistance or guerilla warfare cells in cities, towns or mountains.
Within Japan proper, the Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai were never used in combat, except in South Sakhalin
(the Battle of Okinawa
occurred before its formal inception). And the similar units organized in Japanese exterior provinces were used in battle. The units in Chosen
, Kwangtung
and Manchukuo
sustained heavy casualties in combat against the Soviet Union
during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria during the last days of World War II.
The Kokumin Giyūtai was abolished by order of the American occupation forces
after the surrender of Japan
.
In actuality, mostly only much less sophisticated arms were available:
Other nations:
Civil defense
Civil defense, civil defence or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state from military attack. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mitigation, preparation, response, or emergency evacuation, and recovery...
units planned in 1945 in the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
as a last desperate measure to defend the Japanese home islands against the projected Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
invasion during Operation Downfall
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...
(Ketsugo Sakusen) in the final stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
They were the Japanese equivalent of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Volkssturm
Volkssturm
The Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard.-Origins and...
. Its Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
was former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
General Koiso Kuniaki.
Volunteer Corps
In March 1945, the cabinetCabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of Japanese Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso passed a law establishing the creation of unarmed civil defense units, . With the assistance of the Taisei Yokusankai
Taisei Yokusankai
The was Japan's para-fascist organization created by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe on October 12, 1940 to promote the goals of his Shintaisei movement...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, the tonarigumi
Tonarigumi
The was the smallest unit of the national mobilization program established by the Japanese government in World War II. It consisted of units consisting of 10-15 households organized for fire fighting, civil defense and internal security. -History & Development:...
and Great Japan Youth Party, units were created by June 1945.
The Kokumin Giyūtai was not combatant, but working unit for fire service, food production and evacuation. All male civilians between the ages of 12 to 65 years, and females of 12 to 45 years were members. They received training on fire fighting
Fire fighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
techniques and elementary first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
.
Reformation as Militia
In April 1945, the Japanese cabinet resolved on reforming Kokumin Giyūtai into civilian militiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. In June, the cabinet passed a special conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
law, and named the militia units .
The Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai would be organized, if the allied landing unit close to the Japanese homeland. Governors of Prefectures
Prefectures of Japan
The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
could conscript all male civilians between the ages of 15 to 60 years, and unmarried females of 17 to 40 years. Commanders were appointed from retired military personnel and civilians with weapons experience.
Combat training sessions were held. But, the Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai was primarily assigned to support tasks such as construction, transportation and rationing.
The Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai was intended as main reserve along with a "second defense line" for Japanese forces to sustain a war of attrition
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
against invading forces. After the allied invasion, these forces were intended to form resistance or guerilla warfare cells in cities, towns or mountains.
28,000,000 Combat Capable
Some 28,000,000 men and women were considered “combat capable” by the end of June 1945 . At this stage of the war, the lack of modern weaponry and ammunition meant that most were armed with swords or even bamboo spears.Within Japan proper, the Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai were never used in combat, except in South 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...
(the Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
occurred before its formal inception). And the similar units organized in Japanese exterior provinces were used in battle. The units in Chosen
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
, Kwangtung
Kwantung Leased Territory
The Kwantung Leased Territory was a territory in the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula in Inner Manchuria that existed from 1898 to 1945. It was one of the numerous territorial concessions that the Empire of China was compelled to award to foreign countries at the end of the 19th century...
and Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
sustained heavy casualties in combat against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria during the last days of World War II.
The Kokumin Giyūtai was abolished by order of the American occupation forces
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
after the surrender of Japan
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...
.
Equipment
The Kokumin Giyu Sentōtai units were theoretically armed with weapons including:- Type 94 8 mm Pistol
- Type 30 rifleType 30 RifleThe Type 30 Rifle Arisaka was a bolt-action rifle that was the standard infantry rifle of the Japanese infantry from 1897 to 1905. It was the first rifle in the Arisaka family as well as the first to chamber the 6.5x50mm Arisaka round...
- Type 38 rifleType 38 rifleThe is a bolt-action rifle. For a time it was the standard rifle of the Japanese infantry. It was known also as the Type 38 Year Meiji Carbine in Japan. An earlier, similar weapon was the Type 30 Year Meiji Rifle, which was also used alongside it. Both of these weapons were also known as the...
- Type 44 Cavalry RifleType 44 Cavalry RifleThe Type 44 Cavalry Rifle is a Japanese bolt-action rifle. This rifle is also often referred to as a Type 44 Carbine. It was a development of the Arisaka Type 38 Cavalry Rifle, the main difference being the bayonet is a needle type and it can be folded backwards and locks underneath the barrel...
- Type 1 Heavy Machine GunType 1 Heavy Machine Gunwas a heavy machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War starting from 1941. It was sometimes used as a light anti-aircraft gun during the war in the Pacific. It is essentially a smaller, lighter version of the Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun. It employs the same principles...
- Type 5Type 5 15 cm AA GunThe was a large caliber anti-aircraft gun developed by the Imperial Japanese Army during the final days of World War II. It was intended to replace the earlier Type 3 12 cm AA Gun in civil defense against American air raids.-History and development:...
Anti-aircraft gun - Type 4 20 cm Rocket LauncherType 4 20 cm Rocket LauncherThe was a 203 mm rocket mortar used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the final stages of World War II.-Development and design:The Type 4 rocket mortar was developed in the final stages of World War II by the Japanese Army Technical Bureau, as a low-cost, easy to produce weapon, which had an...
- Type 10 Grenade DischargerType 10 Grenade Dischargerwas a Japanese smoothbore, muzzle loaded weapon used during the Second World War. It first entered service in 1921. The Type 10 has a range of 175 meters, greater than other grenade dischargers of that time. It had a range control device at the base of the barrel in the form of a graduated thimble...
- Type 89 Grenade DischargerType 89 Grenade DischargerThe , inaccurately known as a knee mortar by Allied forces, is a Japanese grenade launcher or light mortar that was widely used in the Pacific during the Second World War.-Background:...
- Ceramic hand grenadeHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s - "Lunge AT Mine" (anti-tank mine on bamboo pole)
In actuality, mostly only much less sophisticated arms were available:
- "Molotov Cocktails"
- Simple bamboo or wood spears
- SwordKatanaA Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
s, bayonets, knivesKnifeA knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools... - Antiquated firearms
See also
- Matsushiro Underground Imperial HeadquartersMatsushiro Underground Imperial HeadquartersThe was a large underground bunker complex built during the Second World War in the Matsushiro suburb of Nagano, Japan.. The facility was to be used by Emperor Hirohito, his family, and the Imperial General Headquarters to direct Japanese armed forces fighting against the Allied invasion of...
- KamikazeKamikazeThe were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
- Japanese holdoutJapanese holdoutJapanese holdouts or stragglers were Japanese soldiers in the Pacific Theatre who, after the August 1945 surrender of Japan that marked the end of World War II, either adamantly doubted the veracity of the formal surrender due to strong dogmatic or militaristic principles, or were not aware of it...
Other nations:
- British Home GuardBritish Home GuardThe Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
- Black BrigadesBlack BrigadesBlack Brigades were one of the Fascist paramilitary groups operating in the Italian Social Republic , during the final years of World War II, and after the signing of the Italian Armistice in 1943...
- VolkssturmVolkssturmThe Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard.-Origins and...