In
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, is a
military unit and may be literally translated as "
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
", "
task force", "
division (of ships)", "
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
" or "
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
". The terms "
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
" and "
flotilla
A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' (fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet.
Composition
A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class ...
", while sometimes used as translations of ''sentai'', are also used to refer to larger formations.
Imperial Japanese aviation ''sentai''
The term was used during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by the
military of the Empire of Japan
The military history of Japan covers a vast time-period of over three millennia - from the Jōmon ( 1000 BC) to the present day. After a long period of clan warfare until the 12th century, there followed feudal wars that culminated in milita ...
for
Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...
(IJAAS) and
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS)
military aviation
Military aviation comprises military aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling aerial warfare, including national airlift ( air cargo) capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a war the ...
units equivalent to a group or wing in other air forces. However, the term had slightly different meanings in the IJAAS and the IJNAS.
An IJAAS ''Sentai'' was made up of two to four
squadrons (''chūtai''). In the IJAAS, two or more ''Sentai'' comprised a ''hikōdan'' (air
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
). In the later stages of World War II, the IJAAS abolished ''chūtai'' and divided its ''sentai'' into ''
hikōtai'' (flying units) and ''seibitai'' (maintenance units). A ''sentai'' commander (''sentaichō'') was generally a
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
.
In the IJNAS, a ''sentai'' was a larger unit: a ''
Kōkūtai
A ''Kōkūtai'' () was a term used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) to designate a military aviation unit, similar to the Air Groups in other air arms and services of the time. (''Group'' in the British Royal Air Force, ''Grupp ...
'' was the equivalent of an IJAAS ''sentai''. Several ''sentai'' made up a ''kantai'' (air fleet). In the IJNAS, a ''Sentaichō'' was usually a
naval captain.
Imperial Japanese naval ''sentai''
''Sentai'' in the Japanese Navy were prescribed by the document ''Naval military command No. 10, dated 30 November 1914.
Paraphrased, they were defined as follows:
*: comprising two or more warships of the same
type.
*: comprising two or more
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s,
seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
s or air groups.
*: comprising two or more
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s, possibly with a
light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
as a squadron
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
.
*: comprising two or more
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s, with a
submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines.
Development
Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and ...
or cruiser as submarine squadron leader, and some submarine divisions. The ''1st Sensui Sentai'' was formed on 1 April 1919 from the former ''4th Suirai Sentai''.
*: comprising two or more
landing ship
An amphibious warfare ship (or amphib) is an amphibious vehicle warship employed to land and support ground forces, such as marines, on enemy territory during an amphibious assault.
Specialized shipping can be divided into two types, most crud ...
divisions. First unit the ''1st Yusō Sentai'' was organized on 25 September 1944.
*: comprising a
mother ship
A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft.
Examples include bombers converted to carry experimental airc ...
and individual suicide weapons, such as ''
Kaiten
were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.
History
In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered s ...
'', ''
Kairyū'', ''
Kōryū'' and ''
Shin'yō''. The first such unit was the ''1st Tokkō Sentai'', organized on 20 March 1945.
Cultural references
The is a franchise of Japanese
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
television dramas produced by
Toei and
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
that uses the word ''sentai'' to describe a group of three or more costumed
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es who often pilot fictional
robotic vehicles to fight
kaiju.
See also
*
Senshi (disambiguation)
Bibliography
*Series 100 year histories from
Meiji Era
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...
, Ministry of the Navy, printed by Hara Shobō (Japan)
**Vol. 173, ''Histories of Naval organizations #3 (1)'', original printing in 1939, reprint in May 1971
**Vol. 174, ''Histories of Naval organizations #3 (2)'', original printing in 1939, reprint in July 1971
External links
*
Mark Kaiser, 1997-98, "Unit structure of IJA Air Force"
*
* {{cite web, last1=Dunn, first1=Peter, title=Japanese Navy Air Force (JNAF) operating in the Australia area during WW2, url=http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/jnaf/jnaf.htm, website=Australia @ War
Military units and formations of Japan in World War II
ja:戦隊