General Defense Command
The Central Defence Command (Japanese防卫 総 司令部, Boei Sōshireibu ) was a management body of the Imperial Japanese Army with the structure of a main army, comparable to an army group, which during the Pacific War in command of all units of the Army and Army Air Forces in the territory of Japan and its colonies Chosen and Taiwan held.
History
The Central defense command was on July 5, 1941 before the Pacific War began in December, was formally established and direct the Tennō. In his absence the Imperial headquarters had command of the Defence Command. This came under the garrison troops of the six Armeedistrike Japan, whose full strength was approximately that of an army corps. This classification was used in addition to the better management and better recruitment. Specifically, the Defence Command commanded armies following:
- Ostdistriktsarmee with headquarters Tokyo, responsible for Kanto and northern Honshu.
- Western District Army with headquarters Fukuoka, responsible for the southwestern Honshu, Shikoku, and the Ryūkyū Islands.
- Northern District Army with headquarters in Sapporo, Hokkaido and Karafuto responsible for.
- Central District Army with headquarters Osaka, responsible for the central Honshu.
- Chosen Army with headquarters Keijo, responsible for Chosen.
- Taiwan Army with headquarters Taihoku, in charge of Taiwan.
The Central Defence Command was also responsible in his command area for air defense and training of civil defense. In fear of an Allied invasion of Japan, the Central Defence Command was disbanded on April 8, 1945. His duties were taken over by the newly formed 1st and 2nd army whose command area but only included the main Japanese islands.