Japanese Army List for the time past 1942

[TabletopGenerals]

Hi everybody, i can't find any list for the japanese forces in the later perid of the war. Is there any one out there now?

[Archdukek]

Nothing published by TFL as yet. However, Rich Clarke is currently working on a Far East supplement which is likely to extend the options available.
Meantime there has been discussions of possible lists on here if you search this Forum and you may find some others in the files section of the Chain of Command Facebook Group. There are also articles in the TFL Specials on the Chindits and Malaya Campaign.

John

[Truscott Trotter]

I believe there is one on the TFL blog covers IJA Island defence force 1942-45 , I will see if I can find the link later today.

EDIT I cannot find it on the TFl blog but it was created 14/2/2015 and the author is Richard. I have an idea it came from the dark side....no not Mordor ...the TFL yahoo group!

[Groupe_Franc]

When I was looking into at the 41st Infantry Division, I got curious about the opposition. So I found :thehttp://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Japanese-List-1941-2.pdf


Hope this helps/

[Len Tracey]

G'day all,
Some brief notes on the standard IJA Infantry Platoon:
In early 1941, the Japanese Army settled on a standard Company organisation that it retained for the rest of the war. This allocated a strength of 190 all ranks to the Company and defined it as a HQ and three Rifle Platoons. Internal organisation was determined by tactical doctrine. Each Rifle Platoon was defined as a HQ of 1 officer and 1 SNCO, along with four 13 man squads. Three of these were LMG squads equipped with one LMG while the fourth was a Grenade Discharger squad equipped with three GD. The Company had no heavy weapons in its organisation.
The parent Infantry Battalion included a Machine Gun Company and an Infantry Gun Platoon that provided support to the rifle companies. The MG Company had three MG Platoons with four MMG each (total 12 MMG), along with an ATR Platoon with two 20mm ATR. The Battalion Gun Platoon had two 70mm Infantry guns. These were deployed to support company actions as required.

The IJA kept the same TO&E from 1941 onwards. However, by mid-1944 the squad size shrunk from 13 men down to an average of 10 as the manpower cap for the rifle companies was reduced due to logistic constraints. They still maintained four squads; 3 x rifle squads and 1 x GD squad. The Ocean divisions (beach defence) which were specially developed for the Pacific theatre were quite different, as were the commando companies. The IJN SNLF units retained the same TO&E for the whole war, which was similar to the IJA platoon.

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Len Tracey

[TabletopGenerals]

That will help to understanding the chance of the size, thanks.

[Munin]

Has anything been done on the TO&E for the Ocean Divisions, or were these largely ad hoc formations?

[Truscott Trotter]

As I said Rich had a draft list for the Island defence forces it is on the yahoo grohp site but if you want a copy pm me.
Note its not 100% finished but close.

[Len Tracey]

With regard to lists for late war Japanese; I've sent Richard fully worked up lists for the Ocean Division (both defence and amphibious regiments), along with the commando companies and the SNLF battalions. The Ocean Division and commando companies were both late war innovations and had unique TO&E. As I said above, the IJN settled on a formal TO&E in late 1939 and kept that structure for the remainder of the war. The thing about the SNLF was that their level of Infantry training varied and got worse late in the war. They definitely were not some sort of elite "Marine Corps"; more like a naval base defence organisation. Even the IJN thought of them as simply sailors ashore doing other duties.
Cheers,
Len

[Neil Todd]

With regard to lists for late war Japanese; I've sent Richard fully worked up lists for the Ocean Division (both defence and amphibious regiments), along with the commando companies and the SNLF battalions. The Ocean Division and commando companies were both late war innovations and had unique TO&E. As I said above, the IJN settled on a formal TO&E in late 1939 and kept that structure for the remainder of the war. The thing about the SNLF was that their level of Infantry training varied and got worse late in the war. They definitely were not some sort of elite "Marine Corps"; more like a naval base defence organisation. Even the IJN thought of them as simply sailors ashore doing other duties.
Cheers,
Len

You have no idea how happy it makes me to read that Len. So many systems seem to make the SNLF out to be super forces when in reality they were not.

Cheers Neil