Antiaircraft artillery regiments

[fontessa]

Good afternoon John,

For the nine regiments organized in 1942 and 1943, were these simply new regimental headquarters placed in command of existing antiaircraft artillery battalions? Or did the Army create (eighteen?) new gun battalions and (nine? new searchlight battalions) in 1942 and 1943 along with the nine regimental headquarters?

The 101st Air Defense Unit was reorganized from the 16th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment. The 103rd Air Defense Unit was reorganized from the 23rd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment. The 102nd Air Defense Unit might have been reorganized from unknown antiaircraft artillery regiment. The rest was probably created newly.

I am trying to determine how much the Army's antiaircraft force actually grew.

The web site below is very useful.
http://www.jyai.net/military/data-02/An ... ent000.htm

fontessa

[john whitman]

Good afternoon fontessa:

The site you posted is very useful.

However, I have trouble with several units. Did a 22nd Air Defense Regiment and a 22nd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment (which became the 132nd) exist at the same time? Did the 22nd remain in existence when the 132nd was formed (by the another 22nd)?

Or is it the same unit, 22nd Air Defense Regiment becomes the 22nd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment becomes the 132nd Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment?

The same question applies to the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. I know that the 25th went to Saipan, yet the site says the 25th became the 135th in 1944. Were these rear detachment units from the 25th that had remained in Japan and became the 135th?

It is very confusing.

John

[fontessa]

Good morning John,

As for from 22nd to 25th, you are confused about “Air Defense Regiments” and “Antiaircraft Regiments”. These were entirely different units. “Air Defense Regiments” were reorganized in Japan homeland and were stationed there. In 1944, these were reorganized into 132nd to 135th Antiaircraft Regiments. On the other hand, “Antiaircraft Regiments” were organized in China and were dispatched to various regions. In the case of 25th, it was transported to Saipan.

fontessa

[john whitman]

Good morning fontessa:

Thank you for your patience with my questions.

I think that I understand the organizations now.

高射砲第一連隊 The 1st AAA Regiment was reorganized in 1941 and was divided into the 1st and the 11th and the 21st Air Defense Regiments. Was the 1st AAA Regiment disestablished after this reorganization, or did it continue to exist?

There were 22 prewar antiaircraft artillery regiments (1-23, missing the 14th). Three more were organized in 1942, the 24th, 25th, and 26th.

Air defense regiments started organizing in 1941. Another reorganization in 1944 renamed them antiaircraft artillery regiments.

I was very interested to see that in 1941 the Army removed eight field antiaircraft artillery battalions, four searchlight battalions, and seven field operations machine cannon companies from eight antiaircraft artillery regiments (9-13, 17-19). Did these eight regiments remain in existence after these units were detached, or were these regiments disestablished?

All this is very interesting. Thanks for the help.

John

[fontessa]

Good morning John,

高射砲第一連隊 The 1st AAA Regiment was reorganized in 1941 and was divided into the 1st and the 11th and the 21st Air Defense Regiments. Was the 1st AAA Regiment disestablished after this reorganization, or did it continue to exist?

There were three 1st AAA Regiments in July 1941. These were:
- Tokyo Air Defense Unit 1st AAA Regiment
- Osaka Air Defense Unit 1st AAA Regiment
- Kokura Air Defense Unit 1st AAA Regiment
The above was reorganized into air defense regiments in November 1941.
- Tokyo Air Defense Unit 1st AAA Regiment → 1st Air Defense Regiment
- Osaka Air Defense Unit 1st AAA Regiment → 11th Air Defense Regiment
- Kokura Air Defense Unit 1st AAA Regiment → 21st Air Defense Regiment
Three 1st AAA Regiments were disestablished after this reorganization.

There were 22 prewar antiaircraft artillery regiments (1-23, missing the 14th). Three more were organized in 1942, the 24th, 25th, and 26th.

Yes it is almost correct. From 1st to 6th and 8th were not AAA regiments but AAA regiment replacement units.

Air defense regiments started organizing in 1941. Another reorganization in 1944 renamed them antiaircraft artillery regiments.

Yes it is correct.

Did these eight regiments remain in existence after these units were detached, or were these regiments disestablished?

Eight regiments were disestablished.

The assignment of newly organized units from the eight regiments was as follows.
49th AAA Battalion: 2nd Army
50th AAA Battalion: 8th Area Army
51st AAA Battalion: Burma Area Army
52nd AAA Battalion: 31st Army
53rd AAA Battalion: 2nd Area Army
54th AAA Battalion: 19th Army
55th AAA Battalion: 23rd Army
56th AAA Battalion: 18th Army
1st Field Searchlight Battalion: 3rd Area Army
2nd Field Searchlight Battalion: Southern Army
3rd Field Searchlight Battalion: 8th Area Army
4th Field Searchlight Battalion: 2nd Army
23rd Field Machine Cannon Company: 17th Army
24th Field Machine Cannon Company: 18th Army
25th Field Machine Cannon Company: 18th Army
26th Field Machine Cannon Company: 2nd Area Army
27th Field Machine Cannon Company:: 17th Army
28th Field Machine Cannon Company: 8th Area Army
29th Field Machine Cannon Company: 18th Army

fontessa

[john whitman]

Good evening fontessa:

Thank you for all the effort you have put into this subject. I now have a good idea as to how these regiments were organized.

John

[Mil-tech Bard]

This is from the following document and should help with the organization of Japanese anti-aircraft units --

US Army
Antiaircraft Journal
MAY-JUNE, 1949

Survey of Japanese Antiaircraft Artillery
By GHQ USAFPAC AAA and Seacoast Artillery Research Board,
Brigadier General Rupert E. Starr, President

Survey of Japanese Antiaircraft Artillery -- May-Jun 1949 -- pg 24.pdf

"Survey of Japanese Antiaircraft Artillery
" -- By GHQ USAFPAC AAA and Seacoast Artillery Research Board, Brigadier General Rupert E. Starr, President

(442.53 KiB) Downloaded 132 times

[Wellgunde]

The following are also of interest with regards to the organization and employment of IJA anti-aircraft units:
1. Monograph 157 – Homeland Air Defense Operations Record (includes Nos. 157, 158, and 159)
2. Monograph 168 – Homeland AA Defense Operations Record (Tokai Sector)
3. Monograph 170 – Homeland AA Defense Operations Record (Kanto Sector)
4. Monograph 175 - Homeland AA Defense Operations Record (Central District)
5. Monograph 176 - Homeland AA Defense Operations Record (Western Sector)
6. CINCPAC-CINCPOA Item #11,418: Army AA Defense Unit Combat Plan for Saipan, March 1944
7. Tokyo: A Study in Japanese Flak Defense HQ AAF Intelligence Summary 45-10, 30 May 1945
8. Japanese Guns: Anti – Aircraft & Coastal Defense OPNAV 16 –VP103, February 1945
9. Survey of Japanese Antiaircraft and Seacoast Artillery GHQ USFPAC AAA and Seacoast Artillery Research Board, 1 February 1945 : Part I: Anti Aircraft Artillery
Most of these are available on-line through Hyperwar, CARL, and the Naval History Command

[Mikhail Glazkov]

Good day.

By August, 1945 AAA units of Nanam DDU consisted of the 65th Independent AAA Battery, the 2nd Battery of the 85th Independent AAA Battalion and one battery of the 46th Independent AAA Battalion.
Does anybody has information about organization and armament of these units?

[fontessa]

Hello Mikhai:

■ the 65th Independent Field AAA Battery
Organized in accordance with Army Regulation “A” No.75 dated 1 May, 1945
- Equipped with six type 88 7.5 cm field AA guns
- Total: 161 men

■ the 85th Independent AAA Battalion
Organized in accordance with Army Regulation “A” No. 80 dated 10 July, 1944
- HQ: 98 men
- 1st Company (141 men) equipped with six type 88 7.5 cm field AA guns
- 2nd and 3rd Companies: same as 1st Company
- Total: 521 men

Did the 46th Independent AAA Battalion mobilized in 1941 exist until 1945?

fontessa

[Mikhail Glazkov]

Hello Mikhai:

Did the 46th Independent AAA Battalion mobilized in 1941 exist until 1945?

fontessa

Hello Fontessa! Tnank you very much for your answer.

I take the information about AAA units of Nanam DDU from JM 155 (p.259). According to this book the 46th Independent AAA Battalion was still a unit of Nanam DDU by August, 1945.

Another unit uder the direct command of Nanam DDU was the North Korea Branch of the 1st Shipping Transport Command which was responsible for coastal shipping operations. It had signal and depot elements for its support, and artillery elements for its defense. Were any AAA units among artillery elements of the 1st Shipping Transport Command?

Mikhail

[Wellgunde]

The 46th Boku Rentai was not listed on the SSA Ultra Order of Battle for June 1945. The Japanese Monographs must be used carefully. The authors did not always have the relevant Japanese documents available to them and at times had to rely on their memories.

[fontessa]

Hello Mikhail and Wellgunde:

I must apologize to you. I have mistaken.

According to JACAR C12121094300, artillery units of Nanan DDU were as follows.
- The 15th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment Replacement Unit
- 1 company of the 46th Independent Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion
- 1 platoon of the 20th Independent Machine Cannon Company
- The 3rd Company, the 42nd Independent Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion
- The 85th Independent Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion
- The 6th Independent Field Searchlight Battalion
The following units were deleted.
- The 65th Independent Anti-aircraft Artillery Company
- The 14th Independent Field Searchlight Company

JACAR C12121094300 doesn’t mention shipping units.

fontessa

[Mikhail Glazkov]

Thank you Fontessa.

On what day list of artillery units of Nanan DDU was given in JACAR?

Do you have more information about organization and equipment of the next artillery units of Nanan DDU?
1. 15th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment Replacement Unit
2. 46th Independent AAA Battalion
3. 42nd Independent AAA Battalion
4. 6th Independent Field Searchlight Battalion

On the night of August 9, 1945 the pilots of Soviet bombers attacked Chongjin reported that over the city they were illuminated by searchlights (from 12 to 15 pieces) and were fired by anti-aircraft artillery. It’s likely that searchlights were from units of the 6th Independent Field Searchlight Battalion.

Mikhail

[fontessa]

Hello Mikhail:

On what day list of artillery units of Nanan DDU was given in JACAR?

It was 10 July, 1945.

Do you have more information about organization and equipment of the next artillery units of Nanan DDU?
1. 15th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment Replacement Unit
2. 46th Independent AAA Battalion
3. 42nd Independent AAA Battalion
4. 6th Independent Field Searchlight Battalion

1. 15th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment Replacement Unit
→ Organization is not clear. Authorized strength was 194 men.
2. 46th Independent AAA Battalion
3. 42nd Independent AAA Battalion
→ Consisted of 3 companies and equipped with 18 unknown type AA guns. (6 AA guns per 1 company)
4. 6th Independent Field Searchlight Battalion
→ Consisted of 2 companies and equipped with twelve 150 cm searchlights and 12 sound detectors. (6 searchlights and 6 sound detectors per 1 company)

On the night of August 9, 1945 the pilots of Soviet bombers attacked Chongjin reported that over the city they were illuminated by searchlights (from 12 to 15 pieces) and were fired by anti-aircraft artillery. It’s likely that searchlights were from units of the 6th Independent Field Searchlight Battalion.

I agree.

fontessa