Air Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in 1982

Air Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in 1982



The basic Japanese air combat unit is the Air Combat Group (Hikō Sentai), equivalent to a USAF group. Each Air Combat Group is a single-purpose unit consisting typically of three Squadrons, divided into three flights of three aircraft each. Together with reserve aircraft and the headquarters flight, an Air Combat Group typically has 45 aircraft (fighter) or up to 30 aircraft (bomber or reconnaissance).The Sentai is commanded by a major or lieutenant colonel who is himself a flying officer. The Sentai in turn is divided into three chutai, or squadrons, usually commanded by a captain.



Two or more Sentais -- often a fighter group, a heavy-bomber group, and a light-bomber or ground-support group -- make up an Air Division (Hikō Shidan) which is equivalent to a USAF wing and usually is commanded by a colonel. Two or more Shidans, together with some independent units make up an Air Army (Kōkū gun) which is equivalent to a geographical air force and commanded by a general officer.



 The Army Air Service is organized into four Air Armies, "koku-gun", with each maintaining a clear area of operations these are:



1st Air Army: HQ Tokyo, basing in the Kanto Plain, covers the Japanese home islands, Formosa, Korea, Chishima, and Karafuto.



2nd Manchuria Air Army: HQ Hsinking, Kwangtung Army, covers the State of Manchuria and the Mengjiang united autonomous government.



3rd China Air Army, formed in 1944, HQ Nanking, China Expeditionary Army, covers the Republic of China-Nanking.

4th Indochina Air Army: HQ Hanoi, Indochina Garrison Army, covers the Empire of Vietnam, Kingdom of Laos and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

