Appendix VI
Japanese Order of Battle

ESTIMATED ENEMY STRENGTH AT IWO JIMA
ON 19 FEBRUARY 1945

Army Units
109th Division--Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kurabayashi1  
109th Division Headquarters and Signal Company 300
109th Division Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion--Major Azuma 310-340
2d Mixed Brigade--Major General Senda 5,100-5,200
   309th Independent Infantry Battalion--Captain Awatsu
   310th Independent Infantry Battalion--Major Iwatani
   311th Independent Infantry Battalion--Major Tatsumi
   312th Independent Infantry Battalion--Captain Osada
   314th Independent Infantry Battalion--Captain Hakuda
   Artillery Battalion, 2d Mixed Brigade--Major Maeda
   Engineer Battalion, 2d Mixed Brigade--Major Mackawa
   Field Hospital, 2d Mixed Brigade--commander not show.
14th Infantry Regiment--Colonel Ikeda 2,200-2,400
   1st Battalion, 145th Regiment--Major Hara
   2d Battalion, 145th Regiment--Major Yasutake
   3d Battalion, 145th Regiment--Major Anso
   Artillery Battalion, 145th regiment--Captain Masuda
   Engineer Company, 145th Regiment--commander not shown
   Field Hospital, 145th Regiment--commander not shown
3d Battalion, 17th Independent Mixed Regiment--Captain Shimotsuma 550
26th Tank Regiment--Lieutenant Colonel Nishi 500-600
20th Independent Artillery Mortar Battalion (Reinforced)--Captain Mizuashi 800
2d Medium Mortar Battalion (Reinforced)--Major Nakao 700
3d Medium Mortar Battalion (Reinforced)--Major Kobayashi 500
1st and 2d Independent Machine Gun Battalions 600
   1st Independent Machine Gun Battalion--Captain Kawana
   2d Independent Machine Gun Battalion--Captain Kawasaki
Independent Antitank Battalions 1,250
   8th Independent Antiitank Battalion--Captain Shimizu
   9th Independent Antitank Battalion--Major Okubo
   10th Independent Antitank Battalion--Major Matsushita
   11th Independent Antitank Battalion--Captain Node
   12th Independent Antitank Battalion--Captain Hayauchi
Army Rocket Unit (three companies) 150-220
1st Company, 1st Mixed Brigade Engineer Unit; 5th Fortress Construction Duty Company; 21st Well Drilling Unit; Detachment, Shipping Engineers 300
Special Machine Cannon Units 250-300
   20th Special Machine Cannon Unit (with Naval Guard Force)--2dLt Momozaki
   21st Special Machine Cannon Unit (with Naval Guard Force)--2dLt Kondo
   43d Special Machine Cannon Unit (with 109th Division AA Artillery)--1stLt Tamara
   44th Special Machine Cannon Unit (with 109th Division AA Artillery)--commander not shown

--230--

Navy Units
Naval Forces on Iwo Jima (over-all command)--Rear Admiral Ichimaru  
27th Air Flotilla and 2d Air Attack Force--Rear Admiral Ichimaru
Iwo Jima Naval Guard Force--Captain Inoue
Naval Guard Force Antiaircraft Batteries2 2,400
   125th Antiaircraft Defense Unit--Lt(jg) Tamura
   132d Antiaircraft Defense Unit--Ensign Okumura
   149th Antiaircraft Defense Unit--commander no known
   141st Antiaircraft Defense Unit--Lt(jg) Doi
Naval Guard Force Coast Defense Batteries 640
Nanpo Air Group naval Land Force--Captain Inoue
   Southern Air Group Naval Guard Force troops, construction personnel, technicians) 2,250
204th Naval Construction Battalion--Lt Iida 1,410
Technical Air Personnel 320
Total Japanese troops on Iwo Jima, 19Feb453 20,530-21,060

--231--

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Footnotes

1. General Kuribayashi also commanded the Ogasawara Army Group and held over-all command of the defense of Iwo Jima.

2. The 125th, 132d, 141st, 149th Naval Antiaircraft Defense Units were disbanded and reorganized into the Iwo Jima Naval Guard Force prior to 19Feb45. VAC IntelRpt, Encl A.

3. Ibid., 14.


Transcribed and formatted by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation