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Imperial Japanese Naval Landing Forces refers to a number of naval infantry units in the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
(IJN) organized for offensive operations and for the defense of Japanese naval facilities both overseas and in the Japanese home islands.
Units
mperial Japanese Naval Landing Forces consisted of the following units:
*Naval Landing Force or 海軍陸戦隊 ''Kaigun-rikusen-tai''; also referred to as naval shore parties. These were ad hoc units formed from ship's crews for temporary use ashore.
*
Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces
The Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF; ja, 海軍特別陸戦隊, Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai) were naval infantry units of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and were a part of the IJN Land Forces. They saw extensive service in the Second Sino ...
or 海軍特別陸戦隊 ''Kaigun-tokubetsu-rikusen-tai'': the Imperial Japanese Navy’s
naval infantry. Battalion sized units formed at the Naval Corps for both offensive and defensive operations. There was also two
Special Naval Landing Forces Paratrooper units, which were composed of sailors with special training for airborne operations. Though often referred to as "Japanese Marines," the ''Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai'' were entirely under the control of the Imperial Japanese Navy as opposed to a quasi-independent military branch such as the United States’
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
or the United Kingdom's
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
and should not be confused with the Imperial Japanese Marine Corps which briefly existed between 1871 and 1876.
**Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force or 上海海軍特別陸戦隊 ''Shanghai-kaigun-tokubetsu-rikusen-tai'': the sole permanent Special Naval Landing Force, established in Shanghai following the January 28th Incident in 1932. The unit had an authorized strength of approximately 2000 men and was organized into a brigade made up of several battalions and smaller special weapons units.
**Combined Special Naval Landing Force or 連合特別陸戦隊 ''Rengō-tokubetsu-rikusen-tai'': a headquarters unit which combined several Special Naval Landing Force units into a brigade sized unit with greater firepower.
*Base Force or 根拠地隊 ''Konkyochi-tai'' and The Special Base Force or 特別根拠地隊 ''Tokubetsu-konkyochi-tai'' provided a variety of services both administrative and tactical in areas outside Japan proper, Korea, and Formosa. The Japanese raised around fifty of these units which ranged in size from 250 to 1500 men depending on location and function. The Base Force could also include afloat units.
*Defense Units or 防備隊 ''Bōbi-tai'': units of from 250 to 2000 men organized for defense of naval installations and areas of strategic importance within Japan. Some Defense Units included artillery emplacements and some controlled the
minefields
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
in Japanese waters.
*Guard Units or 警備隊 ''Keibi-tai'': 100 to 1500 men units responsible for ground defense of
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
facilities. They were frequently assigned to Base Forces and Special Base Forces. The Japanese raised around one hundred of these units. Many of these units played a notable part in the defense of Japanese held islands during the later stages of the war, such as the Iwo Jima Keibi-tai consisting of 1000 men led by Captain Samaji Inouye.
*Anti-Aircraft Defense Units or 防空隊 ''Bōkū-tai'':
Anti-aircraft artillery
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
units of 200–350 men. There were three types which differed based on the number and kind of anti-aircraft weapons assigned. Type A includes AA artillery and machine-guns, Type B machine-guns only, and Type C machine-guns and machine-cannon. The Japanese formed over two hundred of these units which were primarily located in areas outside Japan,
Formosa
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territorie ...
, and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. They were usually assigned to Base Forces, Special Base Forces, Special Naval Landing Forces, and Guard Forces.
*Construction Battalions or 設営隊 ''Setsuei-tai'' built and repaired naval facilities of all kinds, including airstrips, barracks, ammunition bunkers, and fuel depots on remote islands as well as Japan's major naval bases. Most personnel were civilian employees and unarmed. The units also included naval engineers overseeing the operations and sailors guarding the unit, both being lightly armed for defense. The Construction Battalions often made use of local labor whose service was compulsory.
*Communications Units or 通信隊 ''Tsūshin-tai'' of 100–2,000 men were stationed ashore to provide communications between Japan's widespread naval installations and to and from the fleets and ships at sea.
*''
Tokkeitai'' or 特警隊 Navy
military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
units carried out ordinary military police functions in naval installations and occupied territories; they also worked with the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
's
Kempeitai
The , also known as Kempeitai, was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945 that also served as a secret police force. In addition, in Japanese-occupied territories, the Kenpeitai arrested or killed those suspecte ...
military police, the
Keishi-chō civil police and
Tokkō secret units on matters concerning security, intelligence collection, and counter intelligence.
*Anti Aircraft Artillery Batteries or 高射砲中隊 ''Koshaho Chutai'' were units of forty or fifty men organized for the air defense of important installations and were subordinate to Air Defense Sectors which in turn were subordinate to Defense Units. These batteries were separate from the previously mentioned ''Bobitai''. Several hundred of them were in existence at the end of the war.
*Naval Corps or 海兵団 ''
Kaiheidan
''Kaiheidan'' (海兵団, translation: Naval Corps) were units in the Imperial Japanese Navy that were primarily responsible for the training and education of enlisted and non-commissioned officer personnel. In particular, they trained the new ...
'' were units in each of the four naval districts (
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
,
Kure
is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan ...
,
Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
and
Maizuru
is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Pref ...
) that were responsible for training of enlisted and non-commissioned officer personnel for the navy.
See also
*
Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade
*
Amphibious Brigades (Imperial Japanese Army) The were marines brigades of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. They were established in 1943. Although the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia had been completed at the time of their founding, the Imperial General Headquarters saw the ...
References
;References
;Sources
* ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991,
* ''Cincpac-Cincpoa Bulletin 11-45: Japanese Naval Ground Forces''
* ''Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces, 1937-1945, Vol I'', by Leland Ness, Helion & Company, Ltd., Solihull, {{ISBN, 978-1-909982-00-0
Imperial Japanese Navy
Disbanded marine forces