Japanese Eighth Area Army

Japanese Eighth Area Army
220px Disabled Japanese tank at Biak
Active	November 16, 1942 - August 15, 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Field Army
Garrison/HQ	Rabaul
Nickname(s)	剛(Gō = “strength”)
Engagements	Solomon Islands campaign New Guinea campaign

The Japanese Eighth Area Army (第8方面軍, Dai-hachi hōmen gun) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

History

The Japanese 8th Area Army was formed on November 16, 1942 under the Southern Expeditionary Army Group for the specific task of opposing landings by Allied forces in Japanese-occupied Solomon Islands and New Guinea. It had its headquarters at Rabaul, New Britain and saw considerable combat in the Solomon Islands campaign, Bougainville campaign and New Guinea campaign.

List of Commanders

	Name	From	To
Commanding officer	General Hitoshi Imamura	9 November 1942	15 August 1945
Chief of Staff	Major General Rimpei Katō	9 November 1942	15 August 1945