Central Pacific Area Fleet

The Central Pacific Area Fleet (中部太平洋方面艦隊, Chūbu Taiheiyō Hōmen Kantai) was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.

Central Pacific Area Fleet
Active4 March 1944 – 18 July 1944
Country
Branch Imperial Japanese Navy
Battle honoursPacific Theatre of World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Chūichi Nagumo
Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, CIC Central Pacific Fleet

History

The Central Pacific Area Fleet was a short-lived operational headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy, established on March 4, 1944. With United States Navy forces having driven the Japanese out of the Marshall Islands and Caroline Islands in late 1943 to early 1944, the remnants of Japanese naval forces from those areas regrouped under the direction of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. The new Central Pacific Area Fleet was a combined operational command containing air (IJN 14th Air Fleet) and ground (IJA 31st Army) elements, and was tasked with the defense of the Mariana Islands and Palau, from its command center in Saipan.

With the fall of Saipan to American forces on July 8, 1944 and subsequent death of Admiral Nagumo and his staff, the Central Area Fleet ceased to exist.[1]

Transition
DateHigher unitLower unit and vessels
4 March 1944 (original)Combined Fleet4th Fleet, 14th Air Fleet, Isuzu,
No.5 Special Base Force, No.30 Base Force, No.4 Weather Observation Unit
8 July 1944HQ was annihilated.
18 July 1944disbanded

Commanders of the IJN Central Pacific Area Fleet

Commander in chief [2]

RankNameDateNote, additional post
1Vice-Admiral/AdmiralChūichi Nagumo4 March 1944Commander of the 14th Air Fleet. KIA on 8 July 1944. Posthumly promoted to Admiral on same day.
xvacant post9 July 1944

Chief of staff

RankNameDateNote, additional post
1Rear-Admiral/VIce-AdmiralHideo Yano4 March 1944Chief of staff of the 14th Air Fleet. KIA on 8 July 1944. Posthumly promoted to Vice-Admiral on same day.
xvacant post9 July 1944

References

Books
  • D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X.
  • Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1.
  • Goldberg, Harold J. (2007). D-day in the Pacific: The Battle of Saipan. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34869-2.
  • Rottman, Gordon; Howard Gerrard (2004). Saipan & Tinian 1944: Piercing the Japanese Empire. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-804-9.

Notes
  1. D'Albas, Death of a Navy
  2. Wendel, Axis History Database
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