Twelfth Army (Japan)
The Twelfth Army (第12軍, Dai-jūni Gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army.
History
The Twelfth Army was formed on July 5, 1937, in Beiping (modern-day Beijing) as part of the general mobilization of the Japanese Army following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Under the command of the North China Area Army, its primary mission was to secure and pacify the strategic North China Plain.
The Twelfth Army participated in numerous campaigns and operations during the war, including operations in Shandong Province. It was responsible for maintaining order, suppressing resistance movements, and securing lines of communication and supply.
As the war progressed and the overall military situation for Japan deteriorated, the Twelfth Army found itself increasingly on the defensive. It faced growing pressure from Chinese Communist and Nationalist forces.
The Twelfth Army was disbanded at the end of the war, following the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945. Its personnel were either repatriated or surrendered to Allied forces.
Commanders
- Lt. General Kiyoshi Katsuki (July 5, 1937 – December 28, 1937)
- Lt. General Eitaro Umezu (December 28, 1937 – September 9, 1939)
- Lt. General Rikichi Andō (September 9, 1939 – October 2, 1941)
- Lt. General Yoshio Kozuki (October 2, 1941 – March 2, 1943)
- Lt. General Shigeru Suzuki (March 2, 1943 – April 6, 1945)
- Lt. General Sadaaki Kagesa (April 6, 1945 – August 15, 1945)