Southern Expeditionary Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)
The Southern Expeditionary Fleet was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, their roles were invasion and maintenance of the public order in southwestern area the French Indochina, Philippines, British Malaya and Dutch East Indies.
Organization
Southern Expeditionary Fleet/1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet
The Southern Expeditionary Fleet was organized for Invasion of French Indochina on 31 July 1941. Describe the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet also. Their jurisdiction area was French Indochina, Singapore and westward.- Structure
- Commander in chief
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Noboru Hirata | 31 July 1941 | |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Jisaburō Ozawa | 18 October 1941 | |
| 3 | Vice-Admiral | Denshichi Ōkawachi | 14 July 1942 | |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Minoru Tayui | 20 September 1943 8 January 1945 | Commander in chief of the 13th Air Fleet |
| 5 | Vice-Admiral | Shigeru Fukudome | 13 January 1945 5 February 1945 | Commander in chief of the 13th Air Fleet Commander of the 10th Area Fleet and 13th Air Fleet |
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Torao Sawada | 31 July 1941 15 October 1941 | |
| 2 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Kiyoshi Hamada | 20 June 1942 1 November 1942 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Shin'ichi Torigoe | 27 August 1943 | |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | Bunji Asakura | 16 August 1944 8 January 1945 5 February 1945 | Chief of staff of the 13th Air Fleet Chief of staff of the 10th Area Fleet and 13th Air Fleet |
2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
The 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet was reorganized from 3rd Fleet on 10 March 1942. Describe 3rd Fleet about predecessor of the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet. Their jurisdiction area was Dutch East Indies.- Structure
- Commander in chief
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Ibō Takahashi | 10 April 1941 10 March 1942 | Commander in chief of the Southwest Area Fleet |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Shirō Takasu | 15 September 1942 | Commander in chief of the Southwest Area Fleet |
| 3 | Vice-Admiral | Seiichi Iwamura | 15 April 1943 | |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Gun'ichi Mikawa | 3 September 1943 | |
| 5 | Vice-Admiral | Shiro Kawase | 18 June 1944 | |
| 6 | Vice-Admiral | Yaichirō Shibata | 29 January 1945 |
- Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Toshihisa Nakamura | 10 April 1941 10 March 1942 | Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | Takeo Tada | 10 April 1942 | Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet |
| 3 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Akira Matsuzaki | 15 April 1943 1 May 1943 | |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | Shinzaburō Hase | 19 January 1945 |
3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet
The 3rd Southern Expeditionary Fleet was organized on 3 January 1942 for invasion of the Philippines.- Structure
- Commander in chief
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Rokuzō Sugiyama | 3 January 1942 | |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Taiji Ōta | 1 December 1942 | |
| 3 | Vice-Admiral | Arata Oka | 20 September 1943 | |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral | Gun'ichi Mikawa | 15 August 1944 | Commander in chief of the Southweat Area Fleet and 13th Air Fleet |
| 5 | Vice-Admiral | Denshichi Ōkawachi | 1 November 1944 8 January 1945 | Commander in chief of the Southweat Area Fleet and 13th Air Fleet Commander in chief of the Southweat Area Fleet |
- Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Yasuichirō Kondō | 3 January 1942 | |
| 2 | Captain Rear-Admiral | Shōzō Hashimoto | 11 August 1943 1 May 1943 | |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | Hisagorō Shimamoto | 27 July 1944 | |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | Kaoru Arima | 1 November 1944 17 November 1944 5 February 1945 | Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet, 13th Air Fleet and commander of the 32nd Special Base Force Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet and 13th Air Fleet Chief of staff of the Southwest Area Fleet |
4th Southern Expeditionary Fleet
The 4th Southern Expeditionary Fleet was independent from 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet for maintenance of the public order in western New Guinea on 30 November 1943. Dissolved on 10 March 1945, their remaining units were unified to 10th Area Fleet.- Structure
- Commander in chief
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Seigō Yamagata | 30 November 1943 |
- Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | Note, additional post | |
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Tametsugu Okada | 30 November 1943 |