31st Army Headquarters--LtGen Hideyoshi Obata. Administrative command for Army troops in the Marianas-Bonins-Marshalls-Carolines. General Obata was at Palau when United States forces landed and therefore did not participate in Saipan's defense.
1,100 Northern Marianas Army Group and 43d Division Headquarters (combined)--LtGen Yoshitsugu Saito. Saito's command included all Army units on Saipan, Tinian and Pagan.
268 *118th Infantry Regiment--Colonel Ito. Three infantry battalions with one artillery battery attached to each, regimental engineering, communication, supply and medical companies. Original strength 3,463, regiment lost 858 men from submarine attack while in transit to Saipan. This unit did not arrive until the first week in June 1944.
2,605 *135th Infantry Regiment (minus 1st Battallion)--Colonel Suzuki. Two infantry battalions with one artillery battery attached to each, regimental engineering company, supply and medical units. 1st Battalion of this regiment was on Tinian.
2,200 *136th Infantry Regiment--Colonel Ogawa. Three infantry battalions with one artillery battery attached to each, regimental engineering, communication, supply and medical companies.
3,650 *43d Division Ordnance Company--Captain Murase.
99 *43d Division Communication Company--Captain Washizu.
223 *43d Division Transport Company--Captain Yamamoto.
94 *43d Division Field Hospital--LtCol Fukayama. 246 of the personnel were detached and sent to Pagan on 21 May 1944.
500 *43d Division Intendance Battalion--LtCol Ogawa. Only 120 of this group were Army personnel; the others were laborers and technicians.
2,500 47th Independent Mixed Brigade Headquarters--Colonel Oka. The 315th Independent Infantry Battalion, which had been part of the Brigade, departed for Pagan before U. S. landings on Saipan.
227 **316th Independent Infantry Battalion--Captain Eto. Three infantry companies, a machine gun company and a gun company.
618 **317th Independent Infantry Battalion--Captain Sasaki. Three infantry companies, a machine gun company and a gun company.
618 **3d Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (less 2d Battalion)--LtCol Nakashima. Two battalions, each organized into three four gun batteries.
845 **3d Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment--Captain Yamane. One battery of eight field guns, two batteries of seven howitzers each.
323 **3d Company, 25th Engineers Regiment--1st Lieutenant Yoneya.
188 9th Tank Regiment--Colonel Goto. Five tank companies and one maintenance company. Each tank company equipped with 10 medium tanks, one or more light tanks and one tankette.
550 1st Battalion, 18th Regiment--Captain Kubo.
600
25th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (less 2d Battalion Headquarters and the 3d, 4th, 5th and 9th Batteries)--Lieutenant Colonel Niiho. This unit included searchlight and antiaircraft batteries.
600 43d Independent Anti-Aircraft Battery--1st Lieutenant Kimishima.
150 44th Field Machine Cannon Battery--1st Lieutenant Nagatani.
150 7th Independent Engineers Regiment (less 2d Company)--Colonel Koganezawa. Two companies and an ordnance and material platoon. One company of this regiment was on Guam. Also known as an Army Fortification Regiment.
600 16th Shipping Engineers Regiment (less 2d Company and one detachment)--Major Tsunegana. The second of its three companies was located on Guam and a detachment at Pagan.
450 264th Independent Vehicle Company--Captain Iwama.
120 278th Independent Vehicle Company--Captain Arima.
120 Miscellaneous Straggler Units 9th Expeditionary Force. This straggler unit was originally 1,500 strong.
908 11th Independent Engineer Regiment.
200 150th Infantry Regiment.
300 14th Independent Mortar Battalion.
580 17th Independent Mortar Battalion.
580 3d and 4th Independent Tank Companies. Suffered heavy casualties from submarine attack. Survivors combined into one unit.
118 Navy Units
Central Pacific Fleet Headquarters and 5th Special Base Force Headquarters (combined)--Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Administrative command for Navy in Marianas-Marshalls-Carolines.
502 55th Naval Guard Force (Maizuru Keibitai)--Captain Takashima.
2,000 1st Yokosuka Special Landing Force--Lt Comdr Karashima. Three rifle companies battalion gun, demolition, communication, supply, transport and engineer sections, medical and intendance units
800 5th Communication Unit--LtComdr Miyazaki.
369 5th Construction Unit--Rear Admiral Tsujimura.
456 41st Naval Guard Force (Sasebo Keibitai)--A reinforcement, destined for Truk, not a complete unit.
400 Office of Supplies, Accounts--Paymaster Commander Mihara.
45 Military Stores--Commander Mizumoto; Transport--Commander Mizumoto; Harbor Master--Ensign Takashima.
100 14th Air Group***
902d Air Group***
Air Flight U 156.
300 Southeast Area Air Base--Vice Admiral Sato.
500 Aerology Bureau, Saipan--Captain Yamaga.
88 115th Airdrome Construction Unit.
269 23d Airdrome Construction Unit.
392 14th Hangar Maintenance Section.
29 14th Anti-Aircraft Maintenance Section.
110 Tora Construction Battalion (air maintenance).
600 Total Army Forces
22,702 Total Navy Forces
6,690
29,662
Table of Contents ** Previous Chapter (Appendix VII) * Next Chapter (Appendix IX)
* Units marked * were part of the 43d Division. Footnotes
** Units marked ** were part of the 47th Brigade.
*** The majority of these two air groups was gone at the time of United States landings and only small elements remained. Intelligence agencies were unable to establish their strength on Saipan.