List of Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy

2nd Air Fleet

The organized to defend National Defence Zone with 1st Air Fleet. They were in charge of Philippine air defense. However, their airplane has disappeared in November 1944 because they fought against Halsey Fleet from the front.

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 15 June 1944 (original) || 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...

|| 141st NAG, 345th NAG, 762nd NAG
|-
| 10 July 1944 || Combined Fleet

Combined Fleet

The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....

|| 21st Air Flotilla, 25th Air Flotilla

25th Air Flotilla

The was a combat aviation unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. The flotilla, mainly consisting of land-based bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft, reported to the IJN's 11th Air Fleet. As originally organized, the flotilla's core units were the...

, 141st NAG, 221st NAG, 341st NAG, 762nd NAG, 763rd NAG,
Kyūshū NAG
|-
| 8 January 1945 || colspan="3"| disbanded

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral|| Shigeru Fukudome

Shigeru Fukudome

- Notes :...

|| 15 June 1944 ||
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral|| Ushie Sugimoto|| 15 June 1944 ||
|-
|2|| Rear-Admiral|| Tomozō Kikuchi|| 27 October 1944 ||
|-
|}

3rd Air Fleet

The was in charge of air defense of Eastern Japan.

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 10 July 1944 (original) || Combined Fleet || 27th Air Flotilla
|-
| 15 December 1944 || Combined Fleet || 25th Air Flotilla, 27th Air Flotilla, 131st NAG, 210th NAG, 252 NAG

252 Air Group

was a fighter aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The unit's name is translated into English as the "252 Air Group" instead of "252nd Air Group" because each numeral in the unit's name was a discrete identifier of information pertaining to the...

, 343rd NAG, 601st NAG, 706th NAG, 722nd NAG, 752nd NAG, 801st NAG 1023rd NAG
|-
| 25 May 1945 || Combined Fleet || 13th Air Flotilla, 25th Air Flotilla, 27th Air Flotilla
|-
| 15 October 1945 || colspan="3"| disbanded

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral|| Shun'ichi Kira|| 10 July 1944 ||
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral|| Kinpei Teraoka|| 17 November 1944 ||
|-
|3|| Vice-Admiral|| Sadayoshi Yamada

Sadayoshi Yamada

- Notes :...

|| 26 August 1945 ||
|-
| x|| vacant post|| || 1 October 1945 ||
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral|| Kanzō Miura|| 10 July 1944 || WIA on 30 July 1944
|-
|x|| vacant post|| || 31 July 1944 ||
|-
|2|| Captain|| Tarō Taguchi|| 1 August 1944 ||
|-
|x|| vacant post|| || 26 December 1944 ||
|-
|3|| Captain|| Chūzaburō Yamazumi|| 1 January 1945 ||
|-
|4|| Captain|| Chihaya Takahashi|| 26 August 1945 ||
|-
|x|| vacant post|| || 1 October 1945 ||
|-
|}

5th Air Fleet

The was in charge of air defense of Western Japan.

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 10 February 1945 (original) || Combined Fleet || 203rd NAG, 701st NAG, 721st NAG, 762nd NAG, 801st NAG, 1022nd NAG,
Kyūshū NAG, Nansei-Shotō NAG
|-
| 25 May 1945 || Combined Fleet || 12th Air Flotilla, 72nd Air Flotilla, Takuma NAG, 171st NAG, 634th NAG, 701st NAG, 721st NAG, 762nd NAG, 801st NAG, 931st NAG
Kyūshū NAG, San'in NAG, Nansei-Shotō NAG, Naikai NAG, Saikai NAG
|-
| 10 October 1945 || colspan="3"| disbanded

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral|| Matome Ugaki || 10 February 1945 || KIA on 15 August 1945
|-
|x|| vacant post|| || 16 August 1945 ||
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral|| Ryūnosuke Kusaka || 17 August 1945 ||
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Captain
Rear-Admiral|| Toshiyuki Yokoi || 10 February 1945
1 May 1945 ||
|-
|}

10th Air Fleet

The was training unit.

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 1 March 1945 (original) || Combined Fleet || 11th CAG, 12th CAG, 13th CAG
|-
| 1 June 1945 || Combined Fleet || Kasumigaura NAG, Yatabe NAG, Hyakurihara NAG, Jinmachi NAG, 2nd Kōriyama NAG, Matsushima NAG, Tōkyō NAG, Genzan NAG

Genzan Air Group

was an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Pacific campaign of World War II.-History:...

|-
| 10 October 1945 || colspan="3"| disbanded

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral|| Minoru Maeda || 1 March 1945 ||
|-
|x|| vacant post|| || 1 October 1945 ||
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral|| Chikao Yamamoto || 1 March 1945 ||
|-
|2|| Captain
Rear-Admiral|| Shigenori Kami || 20 June 1945
15 September 1945 || LODD on 15 September 1945
|-
|x|| vacant post|| || 16 September 1945 ||
|-
|}

11th Air Fleet

The was organized to summarize a strategy of naval air groups at first.

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 15 January 1941 (original) || Combined Fleet || 21st Air Flotilla, 22nd Air Flotilla, 24th Air Flotilla
|-
| 10 December 1941 || Combined Fleet || 21st Air Flotilla, 22nd Air Flotilla, 23rd Air Flotilla,
DesDiv. 34 (Destroyer Akikaze

Japanese destroyer Akikaze

was a destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following the end of World War I. The Minekaze class of destroyer were considered advanced for their time; these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s...

, Hakaze

Japanese destroyer Hakaze

was a destroyer, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War.-History:...

, Tachikaze

Japanese destroyer Tachikaze

), Auxiliary aircraft transport Lyons Maru, Keiyō Maru, Kamogawa Maru,
1st Yokosuka SNLF

Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces

The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces , were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy and were a part of the IJN Land Forces...

, 2nd Yokosuka SNLF
|-
| 14 July 1942 || Combined Fleet || 22nd Air Flotilla, 24th Air Flotilla, 25th Air Flotilla, 26th Air Flotilla,
DesDiv. 34, Auxiliary aircraft transport Lyons Maru, Keiyō Maru, Nagoya Maru
|-
| 24 December 1942 || Southeast Area Fleet

Southeast Area Fleet

The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Southeast Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy combining the remaining surface elements of the IJN 8th Fleet with the IJN 11th Air Fleet, the No.5 Special Base Unit...

|| 22nd Air Flotilla, 24th Air Flotilla, 25th Air Flotilla, 26th Air Flotilla, Atsugi NAG, Toyohashi NAG, 802nd NAG,
Seaplane tender Akitsushima

Japanese seaplane tender Akitsushima

The was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy, serving during the World War II from 1942 until being sunk in September 1944.-Design:In 1938, the IJN wanted to use their large-sized flying boats more effectively, because the Kawanishi H6K was the only aircraft able to hit the Pearl Harbor...

, Destroyer Akikaze, Tachikaze
Auxiliary aircraft transport Lyons Maru, Keiyō Maru, Nagoya Maru, Goshū Maru, Mogamigawa Maru, Fujikawa Maru
|-
| 1 January 1944 || Southeast Area Fleet || 25th Air Flotilla, 26th Air Flotilla, 151st NAG,
Seaplane tender Akitsushima, Destroyer Akikaze, Tachikaze
|-
| 15 August 1944 || Southeast Area Fleet || 958th NAG, 105th Air Base Unit
|-
| 6 September 1945 || colspan="3"| Surrendered to Australia at Rabaul.

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral|| Eikichi Katagiri || 15 January 1941 ||
|-
|2|| Vice-Admiral|| Nishizō Tsukahara || 10 September 1941 ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 3|| rowspan="2"| Vice-Admiral|| rowspan="2"| Jin'ichi Kusaka

Jinichi Kusaka

, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Fellow Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka was his cousin.-Biography:A native of Ishikawa Prefecture, Kusaka graduated from the 37th class of the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy, ranked 21st in a class of 179 cadets...

|| 1 October 1942 ||
|-
| 24 December 1942 || Commander of the Southeast Area Fleet
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral|| Takijirō Ōnishi || 15 January 1941 ||
|-
|2|| Rear-Admiral|| Munetaka Sakamaki || 10 February 1942 ||
|-
|3|| Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral|| Yoshimasa Nakahara || 24 December 1942
1 November 1943 || Chief of staff of the Southeast Area Fleet
|-
|4|| Rear-Admiral|| Ryūnosuke Kusaka || 29 November 1943 || Chief of staff of the Southeast Area Fleet
|-
|5|| Rear-Admiral|| Sadatoshi Tomioka

Sadatoshi Tomioka

- Notes :...

|| 6 April 1944 || Chief of staff of the Southeast Area Fleet
|-
|rowspan="2"|6|| rowspan="2"|Vice-Admiral|| rowspan="2"| Naosaburō Irifune || 7 November 1944 || Chief of staff of the Southeast Area Fleet
Commander of the 8th Base Force
|-
|1 December 1944 || Chief of staff of the Southeast Area Fleet
|-
|}

12th Air Fleet

The was in charge of an air cover of the Northeast Area Fleet

Northeast Area Fleet

The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Northeast Area Fleet was a short-lived operational headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy, established on August 5, 1943...

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 18 May 1943 (original) || Combined Fleet || No units, they were existence only in the documents.
|-
| 5 August 1943 || Northeast Area Fleet

Northeast Area Fleet

|| 24th Air Flotilla, 27th Air Flotilla, 51st Air Flotilla,
Horomushiro

Paramushir

Paramushir , is a volcanic island in the northern portion of Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is separated from Shumshu by the very narrow Second Kuril Strait in the northeast , from Antsiferov by the Luzhin Strait to the southwest, from Atlasov in the...

Communication Unit, 5th Weather Observation Unit
|-
| 1 April 1944 || Northeast Area Fleet || 27th Air Flotilla, 51st Air Flotilla,
Horomushiro Communication Unit, 5th Weather Observation Unit, 41st Air Base Unit
|-
| 5 December 1944 || Combined Fleet || 452nd NAG, Hokutō NAG, Chishima

Kuril Islands

The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...

Base Force
|-
| 1 March 1945 || Combined Fleet || Hokutō NAG, Chishima Base Force
|-
| 30 November 1945 || colspan="3"| disbanded

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|rowspan="2"|1|| rowspan="2"|Vice-Admiral|| rowspan="2"|Michitarō Tozuka

Michitaro Totsuka

-Notes:...

|| 18 May 1943 ||
|-
| 5 August 1943 || Commander of the Northeast Area Fleet
|-
|rowspan="3"|2|| rowspan="3"|Vice-Admiral|| rowspan="3"|Eiji Gotō || 15 September 1944 || Commander of the Northeast Area Fleet
|-
| 5 December 1944 ||
|-
| 15 February 1945 || Commander of the Ōminato Guard District

Ominato Guard District

The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in northern Honshu before and during World War II. Located in Mutsu Bay, The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in northern Honshu before and during World War II. Located in Mutsu Bay, The was the major navy base for...

|-
| 3|| Vice-Admiral|| Kanji Ugaki || 15 March 1945 || Commander of the Ōminato Guard District
|-
| x|| vacant post|| || 1 October 1945 ||
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|rowspan="3"|1|| rowspan="3"|Rear-Admiral|| rowspan="3"|Yoshiyuki Ichimiya || 18 May 1943 ||
|-
| 5 August 1943 || Chief of staff of the Northeast Area Fleet
|-
| 5 December 1944 ||
|-
|2|| Rear-Admiral|| Tsuyoshi Matsumoto || 6 February 1945 ||
|-
|3|| Rear-Admiral|| Zensuke Kanome || 15 February 1945 || Chief of staff of the Ōminato Guard District
Commander of the Ōminato Transportation Department
|-
| x|| vacant post|| || 1 October 1945 ||
|-
|}

13th Air Fleet

The was in charge of an air cover of Southwest Area Fleet

Southwest Area Fleet

The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942 to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the...

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 20 September 1943 (original) || Combined Fleet || No units, they were existence only in the documents.
|-
| 1 January 1944 || Southwest Area Fleet

Southwest Area Fleet

|| 23rd Air Flotilla, 28th Air Flotilla, 732nd NAG
|-
| 15 August 1944 || Southwest Area Fleet || 28th Air Flotilla, 381st NAG, 102nd Air Base Unit, 104th Air Base Unit
|-
| 15 December 1944 || Southwest Area Fleet || 28th Air Flotilla, Malay NAG, Tōin NAG
|-
| 5 February 1945 || 10th Area Fleet || 23rd Air Flotilla, 28th Air Flotilla, 11th NAG, 12th NAG, 13th NAG, 31st NAG, 936th NAG, Malay NAG, Tōin NAG
|-
| 1 June 1945 || 10th Area Fleet || 28th Air Flotilla, 31st NAG, 381st NAG
|-
| 12 September 1945 || colspan="2"| Surrendered to United Kingdom in Singapore.

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral
Admiral|| Shirō Takasu

Shirō Takasu

Admiral was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Takasu was a native of Sakuragawa Village, , and graduated from the 35th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where his classmates included future admirals Nobutake Kondō and Naokuni Nomura...

|| 20 September 1943
1 March 1944 || Commander of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|rowspan="2"|2|| rowspan="2"|Vice-Admiral|| rowspan="2"|Gun'ichi Mikawa

Gunichi Mikawa

was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In...

|| 18 July 1944 || Commander of the Southwest Area Fleet
|-
| 15 August 1944 || Commander of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|3|| Vice-Admiral|| Denshichi Ōkawachi || 1 November 1944 || Commander of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|4|| Vice-Admiral|| Minoru Tayui || 8 January 1945 || Commander of the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|rowspan="2"|5|| rowspan="2"|Vice-Admiral|| rowspan="2"|Shigeru Fukudome

Shigeru Fukudome

- Notes :...

|| 13 January 1945 || Commander of the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
| 5 February 1945 || Commander of the 10th Area Fleet and the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral|| Takeo Tada || 20 September 1943
1 November 1943 || Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|2|| Rear-Admiral
Vice-Admiral|| Hidehiko Nishio || 1 March 1944
15 October 1944 || Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet
|-
|rowspan="2"|3|| rowspan="2"|Rear-Admiral|| rowspan="2"|Kaoru Arima

Kaoru Arima

was an admiral and commander in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Early in the war with the United States, Arima commanded the battleship , one of the largest battleships ever built.-Biography:...

|| 1 November 1944 || Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and the 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
Commander of the 31st Special Base Force
|-
| 17 November 1944 || Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|rowspan="2"|4|| rowspan="2"|Rear-Admiral|| rowspan="2"|Bunji Asakura || 8 January 1945 || Chief of staff of the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
| 5 February 1945 || Chief of staff of the 10th Area Fleet and the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
|-
|}

14th Air Fleet

The was in charge of an air cover of Central Pacific Area

Central Pacific Area Fleet

The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Central Pacific Area Fleet was a short-lived operational headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy, established on March 4, 1944...

Structure (extract)

{| class="wikitable"
! Date !! Higher unit !! Lower units
|-
| 4 March 1944 (original) || Central Pacific Area Fleet

Central Pacific Area Fleet

|| 22nd Air Flotilla, 26th Air Flotilla, Seaplane tender Akitsushima
|-
| 5 May 1944 || Central Pacific Area Fleet || Seaplane tender Akitsushima
|-
| 8 July 1944 || colspan="2"|HQ was annihilated
|-
| 18 July 1944 || colspan="2"|disbanded
|-

Commander in chief

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Note, additional post
|-
|1|| Vice-Admiral
Admiral|| Chūichi Nagumo

Chuichi Nagumo

was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and one time commander of the Kido Butai . He committed suicide during the Battle of Saipan.-Early life:...

|| 4 March 1944
8 July 1944 || Commander of the Central Pacific Area Fleet
KIA on 8 July 1944
|-
|x|| vacant post || || 9 July 1944 ||
|-
|}

Chief of staff

{| class=wikitable
! || Rank|| Name || Date || Additional post
|-
|1|| Rear-Admiral
VIce-Admiral|| Hideo Yano|| 4 March 1944
8 July 1944 || Chief of staff of the Central Pacific Area Fleet
KIA on 8 July 1944
|-
|x|| vacant post || || 9 July 1944 ||
|-
|}

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