Fifty-Eighth Army (Japan)

The Fifty-Eighth Army (第58軍, Dai-gojūhachi Gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during the final stages of World War II.

History

The Fifty-Eighth Army was formed on June 30, 1945, under the command of the Western District Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the Empire of Japan to deter potential landings by Allied forces during Operation Downfall (or Operation Ketsugo in Japanese). It was based in Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu.

It consisted mostly of poorly trained reservists, conscripted students, and home guard militia. It was tasked with the defense of the east coast of southern Kyushu, anticipating an American landing there. The command was directly under the Western District Army and consisted of the 154th, 156th, 212th, and 322nd Infantry Divisions.

With the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, the Fifty-Eighth Army was demobilized without having seen combat.

Commanders

• Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Teizo Ishiguro
• Chief of Staff: Major General Hisashi Yumoto