The was an

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

of the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

during the final days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

History

As part of the final defenses of the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

against invasion and re-occupation by Allied forces in the closing stages of

Imperial General Headquarters The was part of the Supreme War Council (Japan), Supreme War Council and was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime. In terms of function, it was approximately equi ...

issued orders for the strategic island of

Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

to be divided into three defense sectors for defense in depth under the overall command of the

Japanese Fourteenth Area Army The was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. It was originally the 14th Army, formed on November 6, 1941, for the upcoming invasion of the Philippines. It was reorganized in the Philippines on July 28, 1944, w ...

. From 17 December 1944, Lieutenant General

Shizuo Yokoyama was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II, who is noted for his role in the Battle of Manila, the single largest urban battle ever fought by American forces, during the final days of World War II. Biography Yokoyama ...

and his "Shimbu Group", an independent detachment, were made wholly responsible for the defense of southern Luzon, from

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

southwards. The Shimbu Group was officially re-designated the Japanese 41st Army on 6 March 1945. Yokoyama commanded Japanese forces defending Manila against the U.S. Sixth and Eighth Armies. Following the Battle of Manila, the Shimbu Group faced the 6th Army in the

Battle of Wawa Dam The Battle of Wawa Dam (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Labanan sa Dam ng Wawa''), also known as the Seizure of Wawa Dam (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pag-agaw sa Dam ng Wawa''), was a subsidiary action of the Battle of Manila (1945), Battle of ...

and Battle of Ipo Dam, and lost decisively. Yokohama withdrew his surviving forces into the mountains of southern Luzon for a protracted guerrilla campaign, continuing to harass Allied forces until the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

. By the time Yokoyama signed the instrument of surrender in Montalban, Luzon on September 8, 1945, his army had been reduced to just 6500 men.Budge, The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia

List of Commanders

References

Sources

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External links

*{{cite web , last = Wendel , first = Marcus , url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7692 , title = Axis History Factbook , work = Japanese 41st Army 41 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations of the Battle of Manila (1945)