The was a

field army A field army (also known as numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps. It may be subordinate to an army group. Air army, Air armies are the equivalent formations in air forces, and ...

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

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

The 18th Area Army was originally formed on January 4, 1943, as the . It was renamed the Thirty-ninth Army on December 14, 1944, and became the 18th Area Army on July 7, 1945, shortly before the end of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

.Madej, ''Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945'' The 18th Area Army was under the control of the

Southern Expeditionary Army The was a Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army, general army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It was responsible for all military operations in South-East Asian theatre of World War II, South East Asian and South West Pacific A ...

Group as a

military reserve A military reserve, active reserve, reserve formation, or simply reserve, is a group of military personnel or units that is initially not committed to a battle by its commander, so that it remains available to address unforeseen situations or ex ...

and

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

force, ostensibly to help defend the Empire of Japan's nominal ally, the Kingdom of

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

against possible invasion by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

, but in more practical terms, it was present to ensure that Thailand remained an ally to Japan. It was headquartered in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. The 18th Area Army was

demobilized Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and militar ...

in Bangkok at 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 ...

on August 15, 1945, without having seen combat.

List of Commanders

Commanding officer

Chief of Staff

Notes

References

* *

External links

*{{cite web, last = Wendel, first = Marcus, url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6752, title = Axis History Factbook, work = Japanese 18th Area Army 18 Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945