Thirty-Fifth Army (Japan)
Encyclopedia
The was an army
of the Imperial Japanese Army
during the final days of World War II.
in anticipation of Allied
attempts to invade and retake Mindanao
and the Visayan islands in central and southern Philippines. It was under the overall command of the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army. Initially intended as a garrison
force intended to withstand a long-term war of attrition
, as the war situation on the Pacific front
grew increasingly desperate for Japan, the Imperial General Headquarters
ordered the bulk of the IJA 35th Army to Leyte
as reinforcement to Japanese forces in the Battle of Leyte
to fought against the combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops. As the battle was lost, surviving units were given independent command authority, and were ordered to go to ground and wage a guerilla campaign on their respective islands for as long as possible. The IJA 35th Army was officially disbanded on April 19, 1945. Some individual Japanese stragglers
did not give up until the 1970s.
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...
of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
during the final days of World War II.
History
The Japanese 35th Army was raised on July 26, 1944 in the Japanese-occupied PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in anticipation of 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...
attempts to invade and retake Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and the Visayan islands in central and southern Philippines. It was under the overall command of the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army. Initially intended as a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
force intended to withstand a long-term war of attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
, as the war situation on the Pacific front
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...
grew increasingly desperate for Japan, the Imperial General Headquarters
Imperial 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...
ordered the bulk of the IJA 35th Army to Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
as reinforcement to Japanese forces in the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
to fought against the combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops. As the battle was lost, surviving units were given independent command authority, and were ordered to go to ground and wage a guerilla campaign on their respective islands for as long as possible. The IJA 35th Army was officially disbanded on April 19, 1945. Some individual Japanese stragglers
Japanese holdout
Japanese 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...
did not give up until the 1970s.
Commanding Officer
| Name | From | To | |
| 1 | General Sōsaku Suzuki | 28 July 1944 | 14 June 1945 |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Gyosaku Morozumi | 14 June 1944 | 19 April 1945 |
Chief of Staff
| Name | From | To | |
| 1 | Major General Yoshiharu Tomochika | 28 July 1944 | 14 November 1944 |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Takaji Wachi Takaji Wachi - Notes :... |
14 November 1944 | 20 February 1945 |
| 3 | Major General Yoshiharu Tomochika | 20 February 1945 | 19 April 1945 |