Organization of Japanese fortifications in New Guinea area
Encyclopedia
Japanese Invasion of the New Guinea sector
On the first of January 1942, Admiral Nagumo's Carrier Fleet departed from Hiroshima BayHiroshima Bay
is a bay in the Inland Sea, Japan. Administratively, the bay is divided between Hiroshima and Yamaguchi Prefectures. The bay's shore is a Ria. Its surface area is about 1,000 km², with a mean depth of 25 meters.-Municipalities:*Kure, Hiroshima...
, with four carriers: Akagi
Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi
Akagi was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , originally begun as an . She was converted while still under construction to an aircraft carrier under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty...
, Kaga
Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga
Kaga was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , named after the former Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture...
, Shōkaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku
Shōkaku was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. Along with her sister ship , she took part in several key naval battles during the Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands...
and Zuikaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku
Zuikaku was a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her complement of aircraft took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor that formally brought the United States into the Pacific War, and she fought in several of the most important naval battles of the war, finally being sunk...
to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
to support Admiral Kajioka's invasion force in the New Guinea sector.
Later supported by bombardments from Navy embarked aircraft, Naval detachment forces landed on February 23, 1942, in Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
at the northwesterly point of New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, Admiralty Archipelago at same meridian of another important Japanese Base, Truk, in the South Pacific Mandate
South Pacific Mandate
The was the Japanese League of Nations mandate consisting of several groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean which came under the administration of Japan after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.-Early history:Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, after the start of World...
.
Immediately the Navy engineers groups aiding with Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
civil workers and some India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and now Australian and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
prisoners commenced the construction of the most important Japanese Bases in the area with five adequate airfields:
- LakunaiLakunai AirfieldLakunai Airfield was an aerodrome located near Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The airfeild was later known as Rabaul Airport. It is located at the foot of Tavurvur volcano, near Matupit Island...
- KeravatKeravat AirfieldKeravat Airfield was an aerodrome located near Keravat, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese in World War II during September 1943. Keravat was later neutralized by Allied air bombing from 1944...
- Vunakanau
- RapopoRapopo AirfieldRapopo Airfield was an aerodrome located at Lesson Point, Blanche Bay near Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese during World War II in December 1942. Rapopo was later neutralized by Allied air bombing from 1944...
- ToberaTobera AirfieldTobera Airfield was an aerodrome located near Tobera, near Keravat, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese in World War II during August 1943. Tobera was later neutralized by Allied air bombing from 1944...
Other localities was captured by the Japanese on the island were Talasea
Talasea
Talasea is a village on the Talasea Peninsula, West New Britain Province....
, Sag Sag, Gasmata
Gasmata
Gasmata is a village on the southern coast of New Britain, Papua New Guinea located at 6° 16' 60S 150° 19' 60E. It is serviced by Gasmata Airport.The Imperial Japanese occupied the village between 8–9 February 1942 during World War II...
and Kokopo
Kokopo
Kokopo is the capital of East New Britain in Papua New Guinea. The capital was moved from Rabaul in 1994 when the volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted. As a result, the population of the town increased more than sixfold from 3,150 in 1990 to 20,262 in 2000....
.
In subsequent operations, Naval detachments took Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
, at the northeast of New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
. This place offered another adequate naval base and airfield too. Other sites in area were Lawagan and Muliama. Forces also landed in New Hannover and Hermit Island.
Rabaul and Kavieng were important points of coordination in subsequent Army and Navy operations, there being a short distance between proper New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.
When finalizing the Java Campaign, Japanese forces commenced the occupation of Northwest New Guinea in the first five weeks of February. The Carrier group of Admiral Chuichi 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:...
was realizing some air incursions over Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
and Salamaua
Salamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
with the purpose of weakening the local defense.
On the morning of March 8, 1942, Japanese forces disembarked in Huon Bay, Lae and Salamaua. These towns possessed one little airfield. The reason for the airfield was Gold Mines. On-site were two small private companies.
Japanese saw in such towns the last important point for an eastern defensive chain, coordinated with Rabaul and Kavieng. Also one springboard in the direction to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, a great port on the south coast, and an Australian administrative center.
In the following days, the Japanese continued their conquests - in the North coasts in a westerly direction, until Hollandia, in Humboldt Bay
Teluk Yos Sudarso
Yos Sudarso Bay also known earlier as Humboldt Bay is a small bay in Indonesia. It is on the north coast of New Guinea, about 50 kilometers west of the border between Indonesia's province of Papua and the country of Papua New Guinea...
, and taking Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
, Wewak
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
, Bogia
Bogia
Borgia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Lepetellidae....
, Hansa Bay
Hansa Bay
Hansa Bay is a bay located on the north coast of Papua New Guinea, in Madang Province, between Madang and Wewak, north east of Bogia.- World War II history :...
, Sarang, Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
, Melamu, Bibi, Sialum, Finch Harbor, until Buna
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
, Tufi
Tufi
Tufi is a town located on the south eastern peninsula of Cape Nelson, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. Tufi is located on a tropical fjord of Cape Nelson surrounded by many uncharted reefs. The area is also famous for its production of tapa cloth....
, Gona
Gona
-History:Gona was the site of an Anglican church and mission.During World War II, Imperial Japanese troops invaded on 21–22 July 1942 and established it as a base. Three missionaries were captured at Gona, Father James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkins. The two women and a six year old boy were...
, Baniara, Morobe
Morobe, Papua New Guinea
Morobe is a small coastal village located in Morobe Bay, in the south of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.-History:An administrative post for the protectorate of German New Guinea, it was occupied by Australian troops of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force in 1914 during World...
and Kokoda
Kokoda
Kokoda is a station town in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is famous as the northern end of the Kokoda Track, site of the eponymous Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. In that campaign, it had strategic significance because it had the only airfield along the Track...
- all localities in the East sector.
Other forces captured in Northwest area at Sarmi
Sarmi
Count Ferdinando Sarmi was the head of the Sarmi fashion design house in New York City.-Early years:Ferdinando Sarmi was born into a wealthy Italian family. He expressed interest in fashion as a youth but was discouraged from pursuing a design career by his father...
, Demta Nuboai, Bosnek (in Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
Island), Serui (in Yapen
Yapen
Yapen is an island of western New Guinea, Indonesia. The Yapen Strait separates Yapen and the Biak Islands to the north. It is in Cenderawasih Bay. To the west is Mios Num Strait between it and Mios Num Island, and the east Kurudu Island. The southeast are the Amboi Islands and the southwest...
island) among others. They advanced to the Southwest sector to take up to Tanahmerah
Tanahmerah
Not to be confused with Tanahmerah Bay, Tanahmerah is a town on the Digul river within the interior of Western New Guinea. The town acted as a Dutch penal colony during the period when Indonesia was a colony of Holland....
, near at Digul River
Digul River
The Digul is a major river in southern Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea.The swamplands upstream were known by the name "Boven Digul" and hosted a penal colony at Tanahmerah in the early 20th century, when Indonesia was a colony of Holland...
in the interior.
When the Japanese stay commenced they created new airfields and expanded the existing ones, for use as airbases in subsequent campaigns.
Proper Japanese Fortification System in New Guinea area
Japanese Army pilots would be accompanied by ground personnel flying in transports and bombers. The bulk of the ground staff, andequipment would go by ship. The regular air route from Japan would
go by way of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Davao
Davao
Davao refers to several closely related places in Mindanao in the Philippines. The term is used most often to refer to the city.*Davao Region, an administrative region*Davao del Norte province*Davao del Sur province*Davao Oriental province...
, Menado, and Amboina to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
.
The most important fighting period when the New Guinea air war
was concentrated in a zone roughly running from Lae on the Huon Gulf to Wewak. Inland it stretched over the Markham Valley
Markham Valley
Markham Valley is a geographical area in New Guinea. It is described as "Flatter than a pancake for miles and miles in all directions, until it runs into the mountains that surround it on three sides" and "Always hot, and usually bone dry." The Highlands Highway runs through the valley. The Markham...
and Ramu Valley and extended eastward across the Vitiaz Straights to western New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
.
Rabaul remained a focal point of aerial conflict for several
months but its airspace was contested by the Japanese navy
Japanese Navy
Japanese Navy can refer to:* the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1947* the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, 1947 – present...
and Allied units operating from the Solomons.
Most Army combat aircraft were based at the four airfields of the Wewak-But complex (called Wewak, Boram, But, Rapopo, Tobera
Tobera
Tobera is situated near Keravat, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Tobera was used as an airstrip during World War II. Relics remain on the airstrip showing it was an airstrip....
and Dagua
Dagua
Dagua is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.- Corregimientos :1. Santa María2. El Salado3. El Chilcal4. Providencia5. El Danubio6. La Cascada7. La Elsa8. El Queremal9. El Limonar10. Los Alpes...
by the Allies). Forward airfields at Alexishafen and Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
were in use as were rear area bases at Hollandia, Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
and Wakde
Wakde
Wakde is an island of Indonesia, part of the province of West Papua, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas.Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, Wakde served as an airbase...
Island. Tuluvu (Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester
Cape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
) on New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, Hyane (Momote) in the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
and a few other fields could support limited operations or emergency landings. Hollandia and Rabaul also lacked an operational warning radar systems
Others airfields are Aitape No 2 (called Tadji
Tadji
Tadji may refer to:*Tadji, Iraq, town in Iraq*Tadji, Papua New Guinea, town in Papua New Guinea...
by the Allies)
Hollandia (No. 3 Airfield, called Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
by the Allies), Sarmi
Sarmi
Count Ferdinando Sarmi was the head of the Sarmi fashion design house in New York City.-Early years:Ferdinando Sarmi was born into a wealthy Italian family. He expressed interest in fashion as a youth but was discouraged from pursuing a design career by his father...
, Windensi, Babo, Kokas, Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
, Tual and others.
The Navy airfields were located in Rabaul, Talasea
Talasea
Talasea is a village on the Talasea Peninsula, West New Britain Province....
, Namatanai
Namatanai
Namatanai is a town on the island province of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea. It is the second largest settlement on the island and connected to the largest and provincial capital of Kavieng by the Boluminski Highway. In 2005, Namantanai was estimated to have a population of 1300 people.During...
Lakunai, Keravat, Vukanau, Kolopo, Muliama, Kavieng, Buna
Buna, Papua New Guinea
Buna is a village in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It was the site in part, of the Battle of Buna-Gona during World War II, when it constituted a variety of native huts and a handful of houses with a airstrip...
, Gona
Gona
-History:Gona was the site of an Anglican church and mission.During World War II, Imperial Japanese troops invaded on 21–22 July 1942 and established it as a base. Three missionaries were captured at Gona, Father James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkins. The two women and a six year old boy were...
, Gavuvu, Lae and Salamaua, Dobodura
Dobodura
Dobodura armata is a species of beetle in the family Carabidae, the only species in the genus Dobodura....
between other points.
The Aircraft were shipped from Japan to the Philippines at the Dutch Indies for finally arriving disarmed, or in takeoff to New Guinea bases or take off from Navy Carrier. (For example, the carrier Shoho
Shoho
was a after Kan'ei and before Keian. This period spanned the years from December 1644 through February 1648. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1644 : The era name was changed to Shōhō to mark the enthronement of the new emperor Go-Kōmyō...
shipped 30 Mitsubishi A6M to Rabaul base; sometimes the Army used landing craft escort carriers Ko, Otsu and Hei for transport of planes directly from Japan to the New Guinea area.) The spare parts, oil, munitions, gasoline, repair tools were shipped by fast transport vessel "Yi-Go", transport submarine "Maru-Yu", landing craft carrier "Shinshu Maru
Shinshu Maru
Shinshu Maru was a ship of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. She was the world's first landing craft carrier ship to be designed as such, and a pioneer of modern-day amphibious assault ships.-Design features:...
", tank landing ship "SS-Tei", personnel landing craft "Shohatsu", vehicle landing craft "Daihatsu", vehicle landing craft "Toku-Daihatsu", vehicle landing craft "Mokusei-Daihatsu" and other Army transport vessels or regular civil transport boats.
The pumice hills of Rabaul, and other sectors were perforated with over 500 km of tunnels, including 15 hospitals (one such being 4 km in length, and having capacity for 2,500 patients). Indian P.O.W's captured at Singapore, and local inhabitants were used as labour for digging the tunnels - extreme hardship and many deaths resulted.
Also the Japanese constructed some pillboxes and other surface fortifications for their defensive AT-Cannons and Heavy Machine guns positions along with Light (20 or 25mm), medium or Heavy (75 or 88mm) Anti aircraft defenses in these fortresses. Some examples were:
- The Barge Tunnel at Karavia
- Pillbox on the beach between Praed Point and Nodup
- Japanese tunnel entrances cut into the pumice hillside immediately behind the town of Rabaul
In Rabaul and Kavieng were existing important naval bases for receiving material and personnel from Japan. The capacity was enlarged with Lae and Salamaua, the naval bases in the East New Guinea area. Another important port was Hollandia.
Army Air Groups sometimes protected certain convoys in Wewak Harbor and the Hollandia area. Similarly Navy Groups provided some cover for naval convoys in these areas too. In 1943 there were about 110,000 Japanese troops based in Rabaul base.
Army Aircraft in New Guinea Campaign
Japanese Army aircraft in New Guinea Campaign were:- Long Range Reconnaissance plane Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah"
- Fighter Nakajima Ki-43 I/II Hayabusa "Oscar"
- Fighter Kawasaki Ki-61 I Hien "Tony"
- Heavy fighter Kawasaki Ki-45 KAI Toryu "Nick"
- Short recon plane Tachikawa Ki-36 "Ida"
- Light Bomber Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily"
- Light Bomber Mitsubishi Ki-51 "Sonia"
- Heavy Bomber Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally"
- Heavy Bomber Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu "Helen"
- Transport Mitsubishi Ki-57 "Topsy"
Japanese Army Air units
- 6th Army Flying Division (New Guinea Air Army's fighter Command)
- 4th Air Army
- 22nd Air Army
- 2nd chutai
- 3rd chutai
- 248th Sentai
- 4th Sentai
- 12th Sentai
- 13th Sentai
- 59th Sentai
- 78th Sentai
- 6th Sentai
- 26th Sentai
- 19th Sentai
- 22nd Sentai
- 24th Sentai
- 7th Sentai
- 68th Sentai
- 63rd Sentai
- 33rd Sentai
- 77th Sentai
- 14th Sentai
- 18th Sentai
Japanese Army Land Forces in Rabaul and New Guinea
- 1st Base Unit (Buin)
- 87th Guard Unit (Buka)
- 8th Base Unit (Rabaul)
- 14th Base Unit (Kavieng)
- 81st, 84th, 85th, 86th Guard Units (Rabaul)
- 27th Special Base Unit (Wewak)
- 18th Guard Unit (Manokwari)
- 19th Guard Unit (Biak)
- 90th Guard Unit (Hollandia)
- Nakai Detachment (Buna)
- Sepic River Crossing Unit (Sepic river area)
- 55° Infantry Group
- 20th Division
- 51st Division
- Tank Company/222nd Infantry Regiment(Biak) - First Lieut. Iwasa
- Tank Unit/36th Division (Sarmi Area) - Captain Fujimura
- 82nd Guard Unit (later detached to Bougainville)
- 88th Guard Unit (later detached to Bougainville)
- Ichiki Detachment (28th Infantry unit) (later detached to Guadalcanal)
- 10th Independent Mountain Gun Regiment (3 batteries only) (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Lt. Col. Kitayama
- 20th Independent Mountain Gun Battalion (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Lt. Col. Kaji
- 4th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment (laterdetached to Guadalcanal) - Col. Akamatsu
- 2nd Battery/7th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment (later detached to Guadalcanal) - 1st Lt. Tani
- 2nd Battery/21st Independent Field Heavy Artillery Battalion (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Captain Tanaka
- 2nd Field Artillery Regiment (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Col. Ishizaki
- 3 Batteries/38th Mountain Gun Regiment (later detached to Guadalcanal)
- 1st Independent Tank Company (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Captain Maeda
- 38th Division (later detached to Guadalcanal) - Tadayoshi Sano
Japanese Navy Aircraft in New Guinea Campaign
Japanese Navy Aircraft in New Guinea Campaign was:- Long Range Reconnaissance plane Mitsubishi Ki-46 "Dinah"
- Long Range Reconnaissance plane Nakajima J1N1-C "Irving"
- Short range Reconnaissance plane C5M2 "Babs"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A5M4 "Claude"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A6M2 Reisen "Zero"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A6M3 (Mk 22) Reisen "Zero"
- Fighter Mitsubishi A6M3 (Mk 32) Reisen "Hamp"
- Night Fighter Nakajima J1N1-S "Irving"
- Medium Bomber Mitsubishi G3M2 "Nell"
- Medium Bomber Mitsubishi G4M2 "Betty"
- Land Based Dive bomber Aichi D3A2 "Val"
- Land Based Torpedo bomber Nakajima B5N2 "Kate"
- Land Based Bomber Mitsubishi B5M1 "Mabel"
- Hidro Fighter Nakajima A6M2-N "Rufe"
- Hidro Reconnaissance Aircraft Aichi E13A1 "Jake"
- Hidro Reconnaissance Plane Mitsubishi F1M2 "Pete"
- Long Range Flying Boat Kawanishi H6K2 "Mavys"
- Long Range Flying Boat Kawanishi H8K2 "Emily"
- Transport Showa/Nakajima L2D2 "Tabby"
Japanese Navy units
- 6th Air Fleet
- 23rd Koku Sentai
- 253rd Air Group
- Tainan Air GroupTainan Air Groupwas a fighter aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The flying portion of the unit was heavily involved in many of the major campaigns and battles of the first year of the war...
- Tainan Air Group (1st unit)
- 3rd Air Group
- Genzan Air GroupGenzan Air Groupwas 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:...
- 2nd Air Group
- Kanoya Air Group
- Takao Air Group
- Mihoro Air Group
- 204th Air Group
- Chitose Air Group
- Yokohama Air GroupYokohama Air Groupwas an aircraft and airbase garrison unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the Pacific campaign of World War II.-History:The Yokohama Air Group was formed in Yokohama, Japan on October 1, 1936 as a patrol unit equipped with six Navy Type 91 Hiro H4H flying boats...
- 11th Air Flotilla
- 251st Air Group
- 751st Air Group
Japanese Navy Land Forces in Rabaul and New Guinea
- Tank Platoon/Kure 5th SNLF (New Guinea)
- Yokosuka 8th SNLF (Rabaul)
- Sasebo 6th SNLF (later detached to Bougainville)
- Kure 7th SNLF (later detached to Bougainville)