1945 Mobilization Plans

[Wellgunde]

Was the Ryokabuto (令甲) 84 (S20.5.23-May 23, 1945) mobilization plan for divisions and independent mixed brigades fully completed by August 1945? If not, what was the planned completion date? Was the plan realistic with regard to being able to provide all the equipment (particularly artillery) required?

Wellgunde

[fontessa]

Good morning Wellgunde:

Was the Ryokabuto (令甲) 84 (S20.5.23-May 23, 1945) mobilization plan

令甲 is not Ryokabuto. It reads Reikou with 令甲, which was the abbreviation of 軍令陸甲 (Gunrei Rikukou, Army Regulation “A”). 令甲84 was not a mobilization plan. It ordered the 3rd mobilization for Japan Homeland Defense.

for divisions and independent mixed brigades fully completed by August 1945? If not, what was the planned completion date?

The mobilization didn’t complete by August 1945. As for the completion schedule, please refer to the web page below. The mobilization was scheduled to be completed by September.
http://www.fontessa.info/hondokessenshidan.html#III

Was the plan realistic with regard to being able to provide all the equipment (particularly artillery) required?

The below shows the sufficiency rate of the equipment at the end of June for the 12th Area Army (Kanto distinct) divisions which were mobilized by 令甲84. The sufficiency rate of cannons was pretty good, but ammunition was insufficient.
（The army predicted that the invasion to Kanto district would be carried out in spring of 1946.)

小銃: rifles
拳銃: pistols
重擲弾筒: heavy grenade dischrgers
計機関銃: light machine guns
重〃: heavy machine guns
大隊砲: battalion guns
速射砲: AT guns
聯隊砲: regimental guns
迫撃砲: mortars
野砲: field guns
十榴: 10cm howitzers
山砲: mountain guns
十糎山砲: 10cm mountain guns
十五加: 15cm 加農 Cannons
自走砲: self-propelled guns
噴進砲: rocket guns
十加: 10cm 加農
二十四榴: 24cm howitzers
十五榴: 15cm howitzers
海軍火砲: Naval guns

fontessa

[Mil-tech Bard]

Is there a similar list/figure for Japanese formations on Kyushu in August 1945?

[Wellgunde]

Thank you, fontessa. Everything is much clearer now. Is the chart from 本土決戦準備(1)関東の防衛伊藤常男?

[fontessa]

Is there a similar list/figure for Japanese formations on Kyushu in August 1945?

Unfortunately similar records on the 16th Area Army is not left.

The followings are another record on the preparation of the 16th Army in June 1945.

■ Ammunition
- Eastern area of southern Kyushu
---- for costal deployment divisions: for 2.54 pitched battles
---- for primary reserve: for 2.5 pitched battles
---- for secondary reserve: for 0 pitched battle
- Western area of southern Kyushu
---- for costal deployment divisions: for 1.2 pitched battles
---- for primary reserve: for 05 pitched battles
---- for secondary reserve: for 3.5 pitched battles
■ Fuel
- 100%
■ Foods
- 72%

The divisional ammunition preparation per 1 gun for 1 pitched battle was as follows.
Rifle: 300 rounds
Light machine gun: 8,000 rounds
Heavy machine gun: 20,000 rounds
Grenade discharger: 200 rounds
AT gun: 200 armor piercing shells and 500 high-explosive projectiles
Battalion gun: 1,000 sells
Regimental gun: 1,000 sells
Field (Mountain) gun: 1,200 high-explosive projectiles and 50 shells of shrapnel
10cm howitzer: 800 high-explosive projectiles and 200 shells of acute cartridge
15cm howitzer: 700 high-explosive projectiles
light mortar: 300 high-explosive projectiles

Thank you, fontessa. Everything is much clearer now. Is the chart from 本土決戦準備(1)関東の防衛伊藤常男?

Yes, page 465 of it.

fontessa

[Mil-tech Bard]

One of Ed Drea's Essay's in "In The Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army" speaks of hundreds of trains pulling 3,400 box cars of rail freight being sent to Kyushu between May and June 1945.

Drea references page 393 of Boeicho, Boei kenshujo senshishitu, Senshi sosho, vol. 57. Hondo kessen jumbi, pt 2, Khyushu no boeu.

Can anyone expand on that information?

Things like how many trains? How many box cars per train? What was the average load per train?

Or what was the total amount of ammunition, supplies and heavy weapons transported by those trains?

[Wellgunde]

All it says on page 393 (roughly) is that 3,400 railway cars were moved to Kyushu between May 27th [1945] and the following ten days. Nothing on that page about the number of trains, what was moved, or cars per train. There is a chart on pages 394-398 which shows how many cars originated (?) at which station and the general nature of their cargo.

[Wellgunde]

My mistake: the chart shows the railway station of destination and not origination. (thank you, Mr. F)