Indochina Expeditionary Army

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Indochina Expeditionary Army


caption=
dates= 1940-09-07 - 1941-07-05
country= Empire of Japan
allegiance=
branch= Imperial Japanese Army
type= Infantry
role= Army Corps
garrison=
nickname=
battles=Invasion of French Indochinacommand structure
name= Indochina Expeditionary Army
date=1940
parent=Southern Expeditionary Army Group
subordinate=
* 21st Independent Combined Brigade - Major Gen. Takeshi Sakurada
* 2nd Imperial Guards Infantry Regiment - Col. Kunio Osonoe
* Indochina Expeditionary Tank Unit (14th Tank Regiment)
* Indochina Expeditionary AA Gun Unit
* Signal UnitThe nihongo|Indochina Expeditionary Army|印度支那派遣軍|Indoshina Hakengun was an amphibious army corps of the Imperial Japanese Army formed on 7 September 1940 to coordinate the invasion and occupation of French Indochina during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was supported by a contingent from the Imperial Japanese Navy's IJN 5th Fleet and naval aircraft from the aircraft carrier Hiryu and air bases on Hainan Island.

History

Imperial General Headquarters deemed that control of Vichy-controlled French Indochina would make the Japanese blockade of China much more effective and would hasten the collapse of the Kuomintang government of China.

Japan began pressuring the Vichy government to close the railway between Haiphong and Yunnan on September 5, the Southern Expeditionary Army Group organized the amphibious Indochina Expeditionary Army under its command to coordinate a joint operation with the Japanese 5th Infantry Division of the Japanese Southern China Area Army.

On September 22, Japan and Vichy Indochina signed an accord which granted basing and transit rights, but limited the number of Japanese troops which could be stationed in Indochinato 6000, and limited the on the total number of troops that could be in the colony at any given time to 25,000 . Within a few hours of the agreement, the 5th Division crossed the border at three places, closed in on the railhead, and Battle of Lang Son ensued. Vichy France protested the breach of the agreement on September 23, but the Indochina Expeditionary Army, supported by the Imperial Japanese Navy began sorties on the following morning on Haiphong in the Gulf of Tonkin. Japanese forces landed on September 26, capturing the city and Hanoi by evening.

After the operation was completed, the Indochina Expeditionary Army was officially disbanded on 5 July 1941.

ee also

*Indochina Expedition order of battle
*Invasion of French Indochina

Commanders

References

Books

* Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, "History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945)" 2nd Ed. ,1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung , Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China. Pg. 317
*cite book
last = Jowett
first = Bernard
coauthors =
year = 1999
title = The Japanese Army 1931-45 (Volume 2, 1942-45)
publisher = Osprey Publishing
location =
id = ISBN 1841763543
*cite book
last = Madej
first = Victor
coauthors =
year = 1981
title = Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945
publisher = Game Publishing Company
location =
id = ASIN: B000L4CYWW
*cite book
last = Marston
first = Daniel
coauthors =
year = 2005
title = The Pacific War Companion: From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima
publisher = Osprey Publishing
location =
id = ISBN 1841768820

External links

*cite web
last = Wendel
first = Marcus
url = http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7708
title = Axis History Factbook
work = Indochina Expeditionary Army
* [http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/history/vichyvsjapan.shtml/ Vichy Indo-China vs Japan, 1940]