The Second World War

First Fleet

1st Battleship Division (Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet in Yamato):

    • Yamato-class battleship Yamato (Rear Admiral Gihachi Takayanagi)
    • 2 Nagato-class battleships:
    • Mutsu (Rear Adm. Gunji Kogure)
    • Nagato (Captain Hideo Yano)

    Carrier Group:

    • CVE Hōshō (Capt. Kaoru Umetani)
    • Air Unit: 8 Yokosuka B4Y1 'Jean' biplane torpedo bombers (Lieutenant Yoshiaki Irikiin)
    • Minekaze-class destroyer Yūkaze (Lt. Cmdr. Shizuka Kajimoto)

    Special Force:

    • CVS Chiyoda (Capt. Kaku Harada)
    • CVS Nisshin (Capt. Katsumi Komazawa)

    Screening Force

    • 3rd Destroyer Squadron (Rear Adm. Shintaro Hashimoto in Sendai):
    • CL Sendai (Capt. Nobue Morishita)
    • 11th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kichiro Shoji):

Marshall admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

The Japanese Yamato, the largest battleship ever built.

Imperial Japanese Navy in WW2 (naval-encyclopedia.com)

  • 4 Fubuki-class destroyers:

    • Fubuki (Lt. Cmdr. Shizuo Yamashita)
    • Shirayuki (Lt. Cmdr. Rokoro Sugawara)
    • Hatsuyuki (Lt. Cmdr. Junnari Kamiura)
    • Murakumo (Lt. Cmdr. Hideo Higashi)
    • 19th Destroyer Division (Capt. Ranji Oe):

    4 Fubuki-class destroyers:

    • Isonami (Cmdr. Ryokichi Sugama)
    • Uranami (Lt. Cmdr. Tsutomu Hagio)
    • Shikinami (Lt. Cmdr. Akifumi Kawahashi)
    • Ayanami (Cmdr. Eiji Sakuma)

    1st Supply Group (Capt. Shigeyasu Nishioka in Naruto):

    • AO Naruto (Capt. Nishioka)
    • AO Toei Maru

Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Fubuki.

Fubuki - Fubuki-class destroyer - Wikipedia

First Carrier Striking Force / First Air Fleet (Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo)

1st Carrier Division (Vice Adm. Nagumo in Akagi):

  • Akagi (sunk/scuttled) (Capt. Taijiro Aoki)
  • Air Unit (Commander Mitsuo Fuchida):
  • 18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Cmdr. Shigeru Itaya)
  • 18 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Takehiko Chihaya)
  • 18 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Cmdr. Shigeharu Murata)
  • Kaga (sunk/scuttled) (Capt. Jisaku Okada†)
  • Air Unit (Lt. Cmdr. Tadashi Kusumi†):
  • 18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Masao Sato)
  • 18 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Shoichi Ogawa†)
  • 27 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Ichiro Kitajima)

2nd Carrier Division (Rear Adm. Tamon Yamaguchi† in Hiryū)

  • Hiryū (sunk/scuttled) (Capt. Tomeo Kaku†)
  • Air Unit (Lt. Joichi Tomonaga†):
  • 18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Shigeru Mori†)
  • 18 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Michio Kobayashi†)
  • 18 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Rokuro Kikuchi†)
  • Sōryū (sunk/scuttled) (Capt. Ryusaku Yanagimoto†)

Air Unit (Lt. Cmdr. Takashige Egusa):

  • 18 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Masaji Suganami)
  • 16 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Masai Ikeda)
  • 18 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Heijiro Abe)
  • 2 Yokosuka D4Y1 'Judy' dive bombers

Support Group

8th Cruiser Division (Rear Adm. Hiroaki Abe in Tone):

2 Tone-class heavy cruisers:

  • Tone (Capt. Tametsugu Okada)
  • Air Unit: 3 Aichi E13A1 Type 0 'Jake' float planes, 2 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes
  • Chikuma (Capt. Keizo Komura)
  • Air Unit: 3 Aichi E13A1 Type 0 'Jake' float planes, 2 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes

3rd Battleship Division, 2nd Section (Rear Adm. Tamotsu Takama in Haruna):

  • 2 Kongo-class fast battleships:
  • Haruna (Rear Adm. Takama) – 3 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes
  • Kirishima (Capt. Sanji Iwabuchi) – 3 Nakajima E8N2 Type 95 'Dave' float planes

Screening Force

  • 10th Destroyer Squadron (Rear Adm. Susumu Kimura in Nagara):
  • CL Nagara (Capt. Toshio Naoi)

4th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kōsaku Aruga):

4 Kagero-class destroyers:

  • Nowaki (Cmdr. Magataro Koga)
  • Arashi (Cmdr. Yusumasa Watanabe)
  • Hagikaze (Cmdr. Juichi Iwagami)
  • Maikaze (Cmdr. Seiji Nakasugi)
  • 10th Destroyer Division (Capt. Toshio Abe):

3 Yugumo-class destroyers:

  • Kazagumo (Cmdr. Masayoshi Yoshida)
  • Yūgumo (Cmdr. Shigeo Semba)
  • Makigumo (Cmdr. Isamu Fujita)

17th Destroyer Division (Capt. Masayuki Kitamura):

4 Kagero-class destroyers:

  • Urakaze (Cmdr. Nagayoshi Shiraishi)
  • Isokaze (Cmdr. Shunichi Toyoshima)
  • Tanikaze (Cmdr. Motoi Katsumi)
  • Hamakaze (Cmdr. Tsuneo Orita)

Supply Group 1 (Capt. Masanao Ota in Kyokuto Maru):

  • Kagero-class destroyer Akigumo (Cmdr. Shohei Soma)
  • AO Kyokuto Maru (Capt. Ota)
  • AO Shinkoku Maru (Capt. Tokugyo Ito)
  • AO Tōhō Maru (Capt. Kazutaka Niimi)
  • AO Nippon Maru (Capt. Hironosuke Ueda)
  • AO Kokuyo Maru (Capt. Toraji Hidai)

Second Fleet (Midway Invasion Force) (Vice Adm. Nobutake Kondō[4] in Atago)

3rd Battleship Division less 2nd Section (Rear Adm. Gunichi Mikawa):

  • Kongō (Capt. Tomiji Koyanagi)
  • Hiei (Capt. Masao Nishida)

4th Cruiser Division less 2nd Section (Vice Adm. Kondo):

  • CA Atago (Capt. Baron Matsuji Ijuin)
  • CA Chōkai (Capt. Mikio Hayakawa)

5th Cruiser Division (Vice Adm. Takeo Takagi):

  • CA Myōkō (Capt. Teruhiko Miyoshi)
  • CA Haguro (Capt. Tomokazu Mori)

Screening Force

  • 4th Destroyer Squadron (Rear Adm. Shoji Nishimura in CL Yura):
  • CL Yura (Capt. Shiro Sato)

3rd Destroyer Division (Capt. Ranji Oe):

4 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers:

  • Murasame (Lt. Cmdr. Naoji Suenaga)
  • Samidare (Cmdr. Takisaburo Matsubara)
  • Harusame (Lt. Cmdr. Masao Kamiyama)
  • Yūdachi (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kamiyama)

9th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yasuo Sato):

3 Asashio-class destroyers:

  • Asagumo (Cmdr. Toru Iwahashi)
  • Minegumo (Lt. Cmdr. Yasuatsu Suzuki)
  • Natsugumo (Lt. Cmdr. Moritaro Tsukamoto)

Carrier Group (Capt. Sueo Obayashi):

  • CVL Zuihō (Capt. Obayashi)
  • 12 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Saneyasu Hidaka)
  • 12 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Kaji Matsuo)
  • Mutsuki-class destroyer Mikazuki (Lt. Cmdr. Saneho Maeda)

  • Supply Group: (Capt. Jiro Murao in Sata):

    • AO Sata (Capt. Murao)
    • AO Tsurumi (Capt. Toshizo Fujita)
    • AO Genyo Maru (Capt. Shigetaro Ogawa)
    • AO Kenyo Maru (Capt. Yoshio Kanemasu)
    • AR Akashi (Capt. Tsunekichi Fukuzawa)

Midway Occupation Force (Rear Adm. Raizo Tanaka)

  • Transport Group carrying about 5000 troops under Capt. Minoru Ōta IJN and Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki IJA
  • Transports:
  • Kiyosumi Maru (Capt. Seiichiro Kito)
  • Keiyo Maru (Capt. Masamichi Ikeuchi)
  • Zenyo Maru
  • Goshu Maru (Capt. Hiyoshi Furuya)
  • Toa Maru No. 2 Go
  • Kano Maru (Capt. Tomosaburo Miura)
  • Argentina Maru (Cmdr. Takeshi Watanabe)
  • Hokuroku Maru (Capt. Hiotaro Tsukagoshi)
  • Brazil Maru (Capt. Kyujiro Jintsu)
  • Kirishima Maru (Capt. Hiroshi Okubo)
  • Azuma Maru (Capt. Nobuyoshi Morikawa)
  • Nankai Maru (Capt. Akira Maki)
  • Patrol Boats:
  • Patrol Boat #1
  • Patrol Boat #2
  • Patrol Boat #34 also carrying SNLF detachment
  • AO Akebono Maru (damaged by torpedo night of June 3–4) (Capt. Miki Otsuka)
  • Escort Force (Rear Adm. Tanaka in CL Jintsu):
  • CL Jintsu (Capt. Torazo Kozai)

15th Destroyer Division (Capt. Torajiro Sato):

2 Kagero-class destroyers:

  • Kuroshio (Cmdr. Tamaki Ugaki)
  • Oyashio (Cmdr. Tokiyoshi Arima)
  • 16th Destroyer Division (Capt. Shiro Shibuya):

4 Kagero-class destroyers:

  • Yukikaze (Cmdr. Kenjiro Tobita)
  • Amatsukaze (Cmdr. Tameichi Hara)
  • Tokitsukaze (Cmdr. Giichiro Nakahara)
  • Hatsukaze (Cmdr. Kameshiro Takahashi)

18th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yoshito Miyasaka):

2 Kagero-class destroyers:

  • Shiranui (Cmdr. Shizuo Akazawa)
  • Kagerō (Cmdr. Minoru Yokoi)

2 Asashio-class destroyers:

  • Kasumi (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Tomura)
  • Arare (Cmdr. Tomoe Ogata)

Seaplane Tender Group (Rear Adm. Ruitaro Fujita in Chitose)

11th Seaplane Tender Division

  • CVS Chitose (Capt. Tamotsu Furukawa)
  • 16 Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters
  • 4 Aichi E13A 'Jake' scout floatplanes
  • AV Kamikawa Maru (Capt. Tarohachi Shinoda)
  • 8 Nakajima A6M2-N 'Rufe' floatplane fighters
  • 4 Aichi E13A 'Jake' scout floatplanes
  • Kagero-class destroyer Hayashio (Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kaneda)
  • Patrol Boat #35 (carrying troops)

Midway Support Force (Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita in Kumano)

7th Cruiser Division (Vice Adm. Kurita):

  • CA Kumano (Capt. Kikumatsu Tanaka)
  • CA Suzuya (Capt. Masatomi Kimura)
  • CA Mikuma (sunk) (Capt. Shakao Sakiyama†)
  • CA Mogami (Capt. Akira Soji)

8th Destroyer Division (Cmdr. Nobuki Ogawa):

2 Asashio-class destroyers:

  • Asashio (Lt. Cmdr. Goro Yoshii)
  • Arashio (Cmdr. Hideo Kuboki)
  • Attached Oiler:
  • AO Nichiei Maru (Capt. Matsushi Yamamoto)

Minesweeper Group (Capt. Sadatomo Miyamoto)

4 Auxiliary Minesweepers:

  • Tama Maru #3 (Lt. (j.g.) Atsutoshi Yamaguchi)
  • Tama Maru #5 (Lt. Akira Takato)
  • Showa Maru #7 (Lt. Teruhisa Takahashi)
  • Showa Maru #8 (Lt. (j.g.) Kiichi Sasaki)

3 Subchasers:

  • Subchaser #16 (Lt. Yasukichi Suzuki)
  • Subchaser #17 (Lt. Shigematsu Yoshioka)
  • Subchaser #18 (Lt. Mitsugu Miyoi)

1 Supply ship:

  • Soya (Cmdr. Toshi Kubota)

2 Cargo ships:

  • Meiyo Maru (Capt. Hisao Koizumi)
  • Yamafuku Maru (Capt. Torao Honda)

Advance (Submarine) Force (Sixth Fleet) (Vice Adm. Teruhisa Komatsu in Katori at Kwajalein):

  • CL Katori (Capt. Noboru Owada)
  • 3rd Submarine Squadron (Rear Adm. Chimaki Kona in Rio de Janeiro Maru at Kwajalein):

19th Submarine Division (Capt. Ryojiro Ono):

  • I-156 (Lt. Cmdr. Katsuo Ohashi)
  • I-157 (Lt. Cmdr. Sakae Nakajima)
  • I-158 (Lt. Cmdr. Soshichi Kitamura)
  • I-159 (Lt. Cmdr. Tamori Yoshimatsu)

13th Submarine Division (Capt. Takeji Miyazaki):

  • I-121 (Lt. Cmdr. Yasuo Fujimori)
  • I-122 (Lt. Cmdr. Sadatoshi Norita)
  • I-123 (Lt. Cmdr. Toshitake Ueno)

30th Submarine Division (Capt. Maseo Teraoka):

  • I-162 (Lt. Cmdr. Takakazu Kinashi)
  • I-165 (Lt. Cmdr. Hakue Jarada)
  • I-166 (Lt. Cmdr. Makio Tanaka)

Shore-based Air Force

Eleventh Air Fleet (Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara at Tinian)

  • Midway Expeditionary Force (Capt. Chisato Morita):
  • 36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters (Lt. Tadashi Kaneko)
  • 10 Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' level bombers at Wake Island
  • 6 flying boats at Jaluit
  • 24th Air Flotilla (Rear Adm. Minoru Maeda)

Chitose Air Group at Kwajalein (Capt. Fujiro Ohashi):

  • 36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters
  • 36 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers

1st Air Group at Aur and Wotje (Capt. Samaji Inoue):

  • 36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters
  • 36 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers

14th Air Group (Capt. Daizo Nakajima):

  • 36 Kawanishi H6K 'Mavis' flying boats at Jaluit and Wotje

Northern Area Force

Fifth Fleet Main Body (Vice Adm. Boshirō Hosogaya in Nachi):

  • Myoko-class heavy cruiser Nachi (Capt. Takahiko Kiyota)

2 Akatsuki-class destroyers:

  • Inazuma (Lt. Cmdr. Hajime Takeuchi)
  • Ikazuchi (Lt. Cmdr. Shunsaku Kudo)

Supply Group:

  • AO Fujisan Maru (Capt. Kikuta Maki)
  • AO Nissan Maru (Capt. Hachiro Naotsuka)
  • AC Muroto (Capt. Masaji Yamagata)
  • AP Akashisan Maru (Capt. Yoshio Hosoya)
  • AF Tōkō Maru No. 2 Go

Second Carrier Striking Force (Rear Adm. Kakuji Kakuta in Ryujo)

4th Carrier Division (Rear Adm. Kakuta):

  • CVL Ryūjō (Capt. Tadeo Kato)
  • Air Unit (Lt. Masayuki Yamagami):
  • 16 Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Minoru Kobayashi)
  • 21 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers (Lt. Yamagami)
  • CV Jun'yō (Capt. Shizue Isii)
  • Air Unit (Lt. Yoshio Shiga):
  • 24 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Type 21 'Zeke' fighters (Lt. Shiga)
  • 15 Aichi D3A1 'Val' dive bombers (Lt. Zenji Abe)

4th Cruiser Division, 2nd Section (Capt. Shunsaku Nabeshima in Maya):

2 Takao-class heavy cruisers:

  • Takao (Capt. Bunji Asakura)
  • Maya (Capt. Nabeshima)

7th Destroyer Division (Capt. Kaname Konishi):

3 Fubuki-class destroyers:

  • Akebono (Lt. Cmdr. Minoru Nakagawa)
  • Ushio (Lt. Cmdr. Yoshitake Uesugi)
  • Sazanami (Lt. Cmdr. Hiroshi Uwai)
  • AO Teiyo Maru (Capt. Katasuke Tanaka)

Aleutian Support Force (Vice Adm. Shiro Takasu in Hyūga)

2nd Battleship Division (Vice Adm. Takasu):

  • Fusō (Capt. Chozaemon Obata)
  • Hyūga (Capt. Chiaki Matsuda)
  • Ise (Capt. Isamu Takeda)
  • Yamashiro (Capt. Gunji Kogure)

Screening Force (Rear Adm. Fukuji Kishi in Kitakami)

9th Cruiser Division (Rear Adm. Kishi):

  • CL Kitakami (Capt. Saiji Norimitsu)
  • CL Ōi (Capt. Moichi Narita)

20th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yuji Yamada):

4 Fubuki-class destroyers:

  • Asagiri (Lt. Cmdr. Nisaburo Maekawa)
  • Yūgiri (Cmdr. Masayoshi Motokura)
  • Shirakumo (Cmdr. Toyoji Hitomi)
  • Amagiri (Capt. Buichi Ashida)

24th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yasuji Hirai):

4 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers:

  • Umikaze (Cmdr. Nagahide Sugitani)
  • Yamakaze (Lt. Cmdr. Shuichi Hamanaka)
  • Kawakaze (Lt. Cmdr. Kazuo Wakabayashi)
  • Suzukaze (Lt. Cmdr. Kazuo Shibayama)

27th Destroyer Division (Capt. Matake Yoshimura):

2 Hatsuharu-class destroyers:

  • Ariake (Lt. Cmdr. Shoichi Yoshida)
  • Yūgure (Lt. Cmdr. Kiyoshi Kamo)

2 Shiratsuyu-class destroyers:

  • Shigure (Cmdr. Noboru Seo)
  • Shiratsuyu (Lt. Cmdr. Kanematsu Hashimoto)

Supply Group (Capt. Matsuo Eguchi):

  • AO San Clemente Maru (Capt. Eguchi)
  • AO Toa Maru (Capt. Yataro Yokohama)

Attu Invasion Force (Rear Adm. Sentaro Omori in Abukuma):

  • CL Abukuma (Capt. Seiroku Murayama)

21st Destroyer Division (Capt. Toshio Shimizu):

4 Hatsuharu-class destroyers:

  • Wakaba (Lt. Cmdr. Masakichi Kuroki)
  • Nenohi (Lt. Cmdr. Saburo Terauchi)
  • Hatsuharu (Lt. Cmdr. Hiroshi Makino)
  • Hatsushimo (Lt. Cmdr. Satoru Kohama)
  • Magane Maru Minelayer (Capt. Heiji Sasaki)
  • AP Kinugasa Maru (Capt. Naoshi Arima carrying 1200 army troops under Major Matsutoshi Hozumi)

Kiska Invasion Force (Capt. Takeji Ono in Kiso):

21st Cruiser Division (Capt. Ono)

  • CL Kiso (Capt. Ono)
  • CL Tama (Capt. Masaharu Kawabata)
  • Asaka Maru (Auxiliary Cruiser) (Capt. Jiro Ban)
  • Awata Maru (Auxiliary Cruiser) (Capt. Kikuta Maki)

Screening Force

6th Destroyer Division (Capt. Yusuke Tamada):

2 Akatsuki-class destroyers:

  • Hibiki (Lt. Cmdr. Hagumu Ishii)
  • Akatsuki (Lt. Cmdr. Osamu Takasuka)
  • Minekaze-class destroyer Hakaze (Lt. Cmdr. Tomo Tanaka)

13th Minesweeper Division (Capt. Toshio Mitsuka):

  • Hakuhō Maru
  • Kaihō Maru
  • Shunkotsu Maru
  • Transports:
  • Hakusan Maru (Capt. Hareyoshi Goto) carrying 550 troops under Lt. Cmdr. Hifumi Mukai
  • Kumagawa Maru (Capt. Shiro Yoshida) carrying 700 labor troops with construction equipment

Submarine Detachment

1st Submarine Squadron (Rear Adm. Shigeaki Yamakazi):

  • I-9 (Cmdr. Akiyoshi Fujii)

2nd Submarine Division (Capt. Hiroshi Imazato):

  • I-15 (Cmdr. Nobuo Ishikawa)
  • I-17 (Cmdr. Kozo Nishino)
  • I-19 (Cmdr. Shogo Narahara)

4th Submarine Division (Capt. Mitsuru Nagai):

  • I-25 (Cmdr. Akiji Tagami)
  • I-26 (Cmdr. Minoru Yokota)
  • Aleutian Seaplane Tender Force (Capt. Keiichi Ujuku):
  • AV Kimikawa Maru (Capt. Ujuku)
  • Air Unit: 8 3-seat floatplanes
  • Minekaze-class destroyer Shiokaze (Lt. Yoji Tanegashima)

Further reading

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