Imperial General Headquarters

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Wellgunde
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Imperial General Headquarters

#1

Post by Wellgunde » 27 Sep 2014, 09:46

Did the Imperial General Headquarters maintain any permanent staff members separate from the staffs of the Army Minister, Navy Minister, Army Chief of Staff, and the Navy Chief of Staff?

If so, how was this staff organized?

Did the IGHQ have a permanent meeting place or suite of offices?
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Joan Pinyol
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Re: Imperial General Headquarters

#2

Post by Joan Pinyol » 28 Sep 2014, 20:31

Dear Mr. Wellgunde,

As far as I know, the Army Section of the Imperial General HQ was the Army General Staff, and the Navy Section, the Navy General Staff. Officers in the sections and bureaus of the General Staff and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Navy were appointed to concurrent posts in the Imperial General HQ. So, as a general rule, the answer to your question is no.

Exceptions: I have found some exceptions to this general rule. The so-called 18th Squad of the Imperial General HQ. The officers assigned to this Squad often not were simultneously assigned to any posts in General Staff or Ministry. I don't know why.

And finally, an Allied Intelligence Report evaluated in 1946 the effects of the creation of the Imperial General HQ on the coordination between the Army and the Navy: “Although Imperial General Headquarters was established in 1937 to coordinate the Army and the Navy, in effect they continued to function separately since there was no common superior short of the Emperor. They maintained liaison where necessary in the top, and very little lower down. Areas of authority were often confused, divided and overlapping. The Army and the Navy Chiefs of Staff issued operational orders directly to their Armies or Fleets, each independently of the other. The War and Navy Ministries had little control over the general staffs and none over field armies or fleets, but operated the administrative and supply services. By a process where an officer of the General Staff would also occupy a corresponding position in the War Ministry, the Army coordinated these two groups” (Office of the Chief Chemical Officer, GHQ, AFPAC: Intelligence Report on Japanese Chemical Warfare, Vol. I, Tokyo, May 15th, 1946, p.11).


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hisashi
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Re: Imperial General Headquarters

#3

Post by hisashi » 29 Sep 2014, 01:19

Perhaps all Japanese participants think as Joan stated, but we have no way to show the evidence that NOBODY was not concurrently appointed.

18th Squad of the Imperial General HQ was an army decipher section, directly attached to chief-in-staff of the army. In Jul 1943 they changed the name into 中央特種情報部 (central information department of special kind?) but still reported to C-in-S of the army.

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Wellgunde
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Re: Imperial General Headquarters

#4

Post by Wellgunde » 30 Sep 2014, 17:11

Thank you Joan and Hisashi. There were directives issued by the Army Section of IGHQ and directives issued by the Navy Section of IGHQ. But I don't believe there were any joint directives issued, which I think says a lot about cooperation at the top.
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hisashi
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Re: Imperial General Headquarters

#5

Post by hisashi » 30 Sep 2014, 17:48

They made up uncountable number of central army & navy agreements 陸海軍中央協定. As two allies fought independently according to treaties and agreements, so did IJA and IJN.

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