The was a fleet of 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) created as a mobile strike force in response to hostilities with
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, and saw action in every IJN military operation until the end of
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
History
Established on 27 October 1903, the 2nd Fleet was created by the
Imperial General Headquarters
The was part of the Supreme War Council and was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime. In terms of function, it was approximately equivalent to the United States ...
as a mobile strike force of
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several ...
s and
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 ...
s to pursue the
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...
's
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, ...
-based cruiser squadron while the remaining bulk of the Japanese fleet (the
IJN 1st Fleet
The was the main battleship fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
History
First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 1st Fleet was created during the Russo-Japanese War when the Imperial General Headquarters divided the Readiness Fleet in ...
) continued to blockade
Port Arthur in hopes of luring the
battleship
A battleship is a large armour, armored warship with a main artillery battery, battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1 ...
s of the Russian Pacific Fleet into an open sea classic
line of battle
The line of battle is a tactic in naval warfare in which a fleet of ships forms a line end to end. The first example of its use as a tactic is disputed—it has been variously claimed for dates ranging from 1502 to 1652. Line-of-battle tacti ...
confrontation.
As the main mobile force in the IJN, the 2nd Fleet saw the bulk of all future IJN combat operations from the time of its inception until IJN dissolution at the end of World War II.
Order of Battle at time of Pearl Harbor
Based at
Samah,
Hainan Island
Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slight ...
4th Division
:
CA ''
Takao'' (fleet flagship)
:CA ''
Atago''
:CA ''
Chōkai''
:CA ''
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...
''
5th Division
:
CA ''
Haguro'' (flagship)
:CA ''
Myōkō''
:CA ''
Nachi''
7th Division
:
CA ''
Kumano'' (flagship)
:CA ''
Mikuma''
:CA ''
Mogami''
:CA ''
Suzuya''
8th Division
:
CA ''
Tone'' (flagship)
:CA ''
Chikuma''
Other
:
AD ''Kamikaze Maru''
2nd Destroyer Squadron
::
CL ''
Jintsū'' (flagship)
:8th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Arashio''
::DD ''
Asashio''
::DD ''
Michishio''
::DD ''
Ōshio''
:15th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Hayashio''
::DD ''
Kuroshio
The , also known as the Black or or the is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...
''
::DD ''
Natsushio''
::DD ''
Oyashio''
:16th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Amatsukaze''
::DD ''
Hatsukaze''
::DD ''
Tokitsukaze''
::DD ''
Yukikaze''
:18th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Arare
Arare may refer to:
*Norimaki Arare or Arale Norimaki, the main character in ''Dr. Slump'' media
*Arare (food), a bite-sized Japanese rice cracker
*Japanese destroyer Arare, a warship sunk in 1942
{{disambig ...
''
::DD ''
Kagerō''
::DD ''
Kasumi''
::DD''
Shiranuhi''
4th Destroyer Squadron
::
CL ''
Naka'' (flagship)
:2nd Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Harusame''
::DD ''
Murasame''
::DD ''
Samidare''
::DD ''
Yudachi''
:4th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Arashi
is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency. The members are Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. Arashi officially formed on September 15, 199 ...
''
::DD ''
Hagikaze''
::DD ''
Maikaze''
::DD ''
Nowaki''
:9th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Asagumo''
::DD ''
Minegumo''
::DD ''
Natsugumo''
::DD ''
Yamagumo''
:24th Destroyer Division
::DD ''
Kawakaze''
::DD ''
Suzukaze''
::DD ''
Umikaze''
::DD''
Yamakaze''
Order in the Malayan Campaign
Distant Cover Force
Closed Cover Force
Invasion Force
Commanders of the IJN 2nd Fleet
References
Books
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Notes
{{IJN
2
Military units and formations established in 1903
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
1945 disestablishments in Japan