Japanese Fortress names

[Akira Takizawa]

Kojima fortress is a wrong translation. It is Hokoto(澎湖島) Fortress. 澎湖島 is an island near Taiwan and called Penghu Dao in Chinese.

Mototaka Fortress is also a wrong translation. It is Keelung fortress.

Regarding 'It is long the interest Bay Fortress' (永興湾要塞司令部), My translator makes it either Ryougo Bay, Eiko Bay or Nagaoki Bay Fortress.

It is Yongfung Bay Fortress.

Taki

[Joan Pinyol]

A lot of thanks Mr. Takizawa.

Regards

[Akira Takizawa]

> Chinhae Bay Fortress Korea (it existed on 8 Aug 1945?)

Yes

> Funauki.Fortress Western Japan (it existed on 8 Aug 1945?)

No, it was converted to 45th IMB in May 1944.

> Hoyo Fortress Western Japan (active on 8 Aug 1945)

No, it was converted to 118th IMB in May 1945.

> Takao Fortress Formosa (active on 8 Aug 1945) also named Kausing Fortress

No, it was converted to 100th IMB in Feb. 1945.

> Keelung Fortress Formosa (I only have noticed it existed in 1941)

It was converted to 76th IMB in Jan. 1945.

> Kitachshima Fortress Northern Japan (probably converted to one of North Seas garrisons, but I don't know the date)

It was converted to Kitachishima Garrison Unit in June 1943.

> Maizuru Fortress Central Japan (It existed in 1941, but what happened then?)

It existed until the war ended.

> Nagasaki Fortress Western Japan (active on 8 Aug 1945)

No, it was converted to 122nd IMB in May 1945.

> Najin or Ratsu Fortress Korea (actually are the same?)

Yes. They are the same.

> Nakajo-Wan Fortress Western Japan (Received it another name? I haven't found its commanding officers)

It is not Nakajo-Wan, but Nakagusuku-Wan. It was disbanded in May 1944 and absorbed by 44th IMB.

> North Chishima Fortress Northern Japan (converted to North Chishima Garrison HQ on 13 Aug 1943)

"North Chishima" is the same as "Kitachishima".

> Pescadores Islamd Fortress Formosa (active on 8 Aug 1945)

Pescadores is the Western name of Hokoto "澎湖島". Hokoto Fortress was converted to 75th IMB in Jan. 1945.

> Port Arthur Fortress Kwantung Army (also named Ryojun Fortress) active on 8 Aug 1945

No. Ryojun Fortress was abolished in Oct. 1944.

Taki

[hisashi]

Kojima
Perhaps this is Kojima(小島) Island, a part of Geiyo Fortress (local forts to defend Kure, Hiroshima and surrounding area), but it was abolished in 1926. I don't know why it had a commanding officer still. If Joan would give me the name of commander, and if he was major general or higher, I have a chance to estimate what is Kojima searching to which position he was assigned in 1936.

Kojima today
http://www006.upp.so-net.ne.jp/fortress ... eioshi.htm

Koyu
Perhaps this is Takao (高雄) fortress already in your list, established in 1937.
永興湾 is Yongfung-Bay today. In Japan we pronounce it as 'Eiko-Wan(wan=bay)'. There is a place in Japan called Ryougo (永興), but it has nothing to do with this bay.

[stulev]

Taki

Did the Fortress Garrison Battalions also get converted -- example 108th IMB had 6 Independent Infantry Battalions in their OOB 642nd through 647th --- was conversion change in name only or also in strength??

Stuart

[VJK]

Hi Hisashi!

Kojima fortress 澎湖島要塞
Commander:
1 May 1903 - 3 Mar 1906: Lt. General Tokishige Nakata
3 Mar 1906 - 13 Nov 1907: Maj. General Yasufusa Tada
13 Nov 1907 - 21 Dec 1908: Maj. General Michizo Honjo
21 Dec 1908 - 14 Jan 1909: Maj. General Masanori Oota
14 Jan 1909 - 3 Aug 1912: Lt. General Aizou Adachi
3 Aug 1912 - 8 Aug 1914: Maj. General Naoyuki Senshuu
8 Aug 1914 - 18 Aug 1916: Maj. General Kin Shinoda
18 Aug 1916 - 24 Jul 1918: Lt. General Oohira Hirase
24 Jul 1918 - 25 Jul 1919: Maj. General Shigeo Imori
25 Jul 1919 - 11 Mar 1921: Maj. General Eikichi Nakajima
11 Mar 1921 - 15 Aug 1922: Maj. General Guntaro Yamada
15 Aug 1922 - 15 Dec 1924: Maj. General Kunihiko Shimauchi
15 Dec 1924 - 2 Mar 1926: Maj. General Kumataro Uyama
2 Mar 1926 - 26 Jul 1927: Maj. General Yoshinosuke Yasui
26 Jul 1927 - 8 Mar 1928: Maj. General Masanobu Namifuji
8 Mar 1928 - 10 Aug 1928: Maj. General Takuji Koujo
10 Aug 1928 - 1 Aug 1931: Maj. General Yoshitsugu Sakuta
1 Aug 1931 - 23 May 1932: Maj. General Inyuki Kaneko
23 May 1932 - 7 Dec 1932: Lt. General Motonaga Suzuki
7 Dec 1932 - 1 Aug 1934:
1 Aug 1934 - 15 Mar 1935: Maj. General Tsunehiko Takaya
15 Mar 1935 - 7 Mar 1936: Lt. General Yasujiro Satake
7 Mar 1936 - 1 Mar 1937: Maj. General Seiutsuwa Kanematsu
1 Mar 1937 - 7 Dec 1937: Maj. General Shouni Kuwana
7 Dec 1937 - 15 May 1938:
15 May 1938 - 9 Mar 1939: Maj. General Shigesumi Otsuma
9 Mar 1939 - 1 Aug 1940: Maj. General Jiro Komatsu
1 Aug 1940 - ?: Maj. General Kiyoshi Kazahaya
? - 30 Sep 1945: Colonel Genkichi Ukai

Best regards,

VJK

[Akira Takizawa]

Did the Fortress Garrison Battalions also get converted -- example 108th IMB had 6 Independent Infantry Battalions in their OOB 642nd through 647th --- was conversion change in name only or also in strength??

When converting to IMB, infantry was reinforced.

P.S.
108th is my misprint. It is 118th correctly.

Taki

[Joan Pinyol]

With your very valuable help we're almost completed the puzzle.

For Koyu fortress ive got the following commanders:
Major General Asihiko Katsura 1941 25 Dec 1941
Major General Sadao Murata 1945
Perhaps it helps to identify it.

One question about Port Arthur Fortress. I've got the following list of commanding officers:
Lieutenant General Saburo Nakajima 2 Dec 1935 1 Aug 1936
Lieutenant General Yoshi Ito 15 July 1938 1 Aug 1939
Lieutenant General Sentoki Ide 1 Aug 1939 1 Aug 1940
Major General Yoneo Ota 1 Aug 1940 1 Apr 1942
Lieutenant General Genzo Yanagida 23 June 1944 30 May 1945

Additionally some OOB quote Port Arthur Fortress in the OOB for Kwantung Army at the end of war. If it was disbanded in Oct 1944 these informations are misleading.

Thanks a lot to all for your very valuable help. Kindly regards

[Joan Pinyol]

Let's me introduce another related topic on Japanese fortresses: the Fortress Infantry Corps or Fortress Infantry Units. Most of the books refered that the Japanese Fortresses have an undetermined number of these unirts, but I've not found any book or web with detailed information about them: date of formation, appointments, assignments, et caetera.

Kindly regards


PS: This forum is great.

[Akira Takizawa]

For Koyu fortress ive got the following commanders:
Major General Asihiko Katsura 1941 25 Dec 1941
Major General Sadao Murata 1945
Perhaps it helps to identify it.

It is Takao Fortress. Koyu is a misreading of "高雄".

One question about Port Arthur Fortress. I've got the following list of commanding officers:
Lieutenant General Saburo Nakajima 2 Dec 1935 1 Aug 1936
Lieutenant General Yoshi Ito 15 July 1938 1 Aug 1939
Lieutenant General Sentoki Ide 1 Aug 1939 1 Aug 1940
Major General Yoneo Ota 1 Aug 1940 1 Apr 1942
Lieutenant General Genzo Yanagida 23 June 1944 30 May 1945

Yanagida became the commander of Kwantung Province Guards in April 1945.

Additionally some OOB quote Port Arthur Fortress in the OOB for Kwantung Army at the end of war. If it was disbanded in Oct 1944 these informations are misleading.

In my sources, Port Arthur Fortress cannot be found in the OOB of Kwantung Army at the end of war.

Taki

[Akira Takizawa]

Let's me introduce another related topic on Japanese fortresses: the Fortress Infantry Corps or Fortress Infantry Units. Most of the books refered that the Japanese Fortresses have an undetermined number of these unirts, but I've not found any book or web with detailed information about them: date of formation, appointments, assignments, et caetera.

Fortress infantry units were not fixed units. They were decided according to their necessity. So, there was no infantry unit at fortress in peacetime.

For example, there was no infantry unit at Iki Fortress until 1945. In Feb. 1945, six infantry battalions were assigned to the fortress. They were reinforced to nine infantry battalions in May 1945.

Taki

[Joan Pinyol]

Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!!!

I guess the puzzle pieces are all in its proper place now!!!!!

Mr. Takizawa, Mr. Hisashi, Mr. VJK, thanks a lot.

[Rod Walters]

Although the typical reading of 小島 is 'Kojima', in the case of the Geiyo forts it's 'Oshima', with a short 'O' sound.