Third Air Army (Japan)
The Japanese Third Air Army was formed on 23 July 1942 and headquartered at Singapore until the end of World War 2 when it was disbanded. Its final commander was Satoshi Kinoshita. Its units consisted of the 5th, 9th and 55th Air Divisions. The 3rd Air Army was responsible for South East Asia.
History
The 3rd Air Army in December 1941 consisted of the following units:- 3rd Air Brigade - Endo
- 7th Air Brigade - Phnom Penh
- 10th Air Brigade - Krakor
- 12th Air Brigade - Phiqouc
- 50th Recon Squadron - Kompong Trach
- 81st Recon Squadron - Phom Penh
Task
The 3rd Air Army was tasked with defending the oil fields and refineries at Palembang as well as supporting operation in the Dutch East Indies, Burma, Thailand, and French Indo China.Commanders
- Lieutenant General Sugawara Michio - 9 July 1942 to 30 April 1943
- Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata - 1 May 1943 to 6 December 1943
- Lieutenant General Satoshi Kinoshita - 7 December 1943 to its disbandment
Units
The Air Army was made up of two or more Air Corps plus some Independent Units. Each Air Division consisted of an Air Brigade together with base and support units and a number of Independent Squadrons. Each Air Brigade had two or more Air Combat Groups. The Air Combat Group was a single-purpose unit consisting typically of three Squadrons, divided into three flights of three aircraft each.In 1944 the Air Combat Groups were redesignated Squadrons.
- 5th Hikō Shidan - based in Burma and French Indo China
- 9th Hikō Shidan (第9飛行師団) - based at Palembang
- 55th Hikō Shidan
- Independent 10th Wing - based in Borneo in 1945
- 3rd Aviation Communications Command