2nd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)

The 2nd Fleet (第二艦隊, Dai-ni Kantai) was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) created as a mobile strike force in response to hostilities with Russia, and saw action in every IJN military operation until the end of World War II.

2nd Fleet
Active	27 October 1903 – 20 April 1945
Country	Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Navy
Engagements	World War II Invasion of Thailand
Battle honours	Pacific War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Kamimura Hikonojo Soemu Toyoda Seiichi Ito

History

Established on 27 October 1903, the 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the remaining bulk of the Japanese fleet (the IJN 1st Fleet) continued to blockade Port Arthur in hopes of luring the battleships of the Russian Pacific Fleet into an open sea classic line of battle confrontation.

Letter from Vice admiral Ijuin Gorō to Italian Royal Navy Lieutenant Ernesto Burzagli thanking him for courtesies extended to the Imperial Japanese Navy Second Fleet which visited Italy in 1907.

As the main mobile force in the IJN, the 2nd Fleet saw the bulk of all future IJN combat operations from the time of its inception until IJN dissolution at the end of World War II.

Order of Battle at time of Pearl Harbor

Based at Samah, Hainan Island^[1]

4th Division

CA Takao (fleet flagship)

CA Atago

CA Chōkai

CA Maya

5th Division

CA Haguro (flagship)

CA Myōkō

CA Nachi

7th Division

CA Kumano (flagship)

CA Mikuma

CA Mogami

CA Suzuya

8th Division

CA Tone (flagship)

CA Chikuma

Other

AD Kamikaze Maru

2nd Destroyer Squadron

CL Jintsū (flagship)

8th Destroyer Division

DD Arashio

DD Asashio

DD Michishio

DD Ōshio

15th Destroyer Division

DD Hayashio

DD Kuroshio

DD Natsushio

DD Oyashio

16th Destroyer Division

DD Amatsukaze

DD Hatsukaze

DD Tokitsukaze

DD Yukikaze

18th Destroyer Division

DD Arare

DD Kagerō

DD Kasumi

DD Shiranuhi

4th Destroyer Squadron

CL Naka (flagship)

2nd Destroyer Division

DD Harusame

DD Murasame

DD Samidare

DD Yudachi

4th Destroyer Division

DD Arashi

DD Hagikaze

DD Maikaze

DD Nowaki

9th Destroyer Division

DD Asagumo

DD Minegumo

DD Natsugumo

DD Yamagumo

24th Destroyer Division

DD Kawakaze

DD Suzukaze

DD Umikaze

DD Yamakaze

Order in the Malayan Campaign

Distant Cover Force

Distant Cover Force
Commander		Vessel
Nobutake Kondō (Commander of IJN 2nd Fleet)		Kongō
Flagship
Kongō (flagship of 3rd Battleship Division & flagship of IJN 2nd Fleet)
Units	Constituents
3rd Battleship Division	2 Kongō-class battleships		Haruna
			Kongō
4th Cruiser Division	2 Takao-class heavy cruisers		Takao
			Atago
4th Destroyer Division	10 Destroyers
6th Destroyer Division
8th Destroyer Division

Closed Cover Force

Closed Cover Force
Commander		Vessel
Jisaburō Ozawa		Chōkai
Flagship
Chōkai (flagship of 4th Cruiser Division) (+ 1 Destroyer)
Units	Constituents
7th Cruiser Division	4 Mogami-class heavy cruisers		Mogami
			Mikuma
			Suzuya
			Kumano
3rd Destroyer Squadron	1 Nagara-class light cruiser		Yura
	8 Destroyers

Invasion Force

Invasion Force
Commander		Vessel
Shintarō Hashimoto		Sendai
Flagship
N/A
Units	Constituents
3rd Destroyer Squadron	1 Sendai-class light cruiser		Sendai
	10 Destroyers
12th Seaplane Tender Squadron	1 Kamikawa Maru-class seaplane tender		Kamikawa Maru (12 Seaplanes)
	1 Sakito Maru-class seaplane tender		Sagara Maru (8 Seaplanes)
	3 Minesweepers
	10 Army Transport Ships
3rd Destroyer Squadron	1 Katori-class light cruiser		Kashii
	7 Army Transport Ships

Commanders of the IJN 2nd Fleet

Commanders, IJN 2nd Fleet[2]
	Rank	Name	Date
1	Vice-Admiral	Hikonojo Kamimura	27 October 1903 – 20 December 1905
2	Vice-Admiral	Baron Dewa Shigeto	20 December 1905 – 22 November 1906
3	Vice-Admiral	Baron Ijuin Gorō	22 November 1906 – 26 May 1908
4	Vice-Admiral	Baron Dewa Shigeto	26 May 1908 – 1 December 1909
5	Vice-Admiral	Shimamura Hayao	1 December 1909 – 1 December 1911
6	Vice Admiral	Yoshimatsu Motaro	1 December 1911 – 1 December 1912
7	Vice Admiral	Ijichi Suetaka	1 December 1912 – 1 December 1913
8	Vice Admiral	Kato Sadakichi	1 December 1913 – 5 February 1915
9	Vice Admiral	Nawa Matahachiro	5 February 1915 – 13 December 1915
10	Vice Admiral	Baron Yashiro Rokuro	13 December 1915 – 1 December 1917
11	Vice Admiral	Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito	1 December 1917 – 13 June 1918
12	Vice Admiral*	Yamaya Tanin	13 June 1918 – 1 December 1919
13	Vice Admiral	Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu	1 December 1919 – 1 December 1920
14	Vice Admiral	Baron Kantarō Suzuki	1 December 1920 – 1 December 1921
Disbanded (1 December 1921 – 1 December 1922)
15	Vice Admiral	Naoe Nakano	1 December 1922 – 1 June 1923
16	Vice Admiral	Hiroharu Kato	1 June 1923 – 1 December 1924
17	Vice Admiral	Hanroku Saito	1 December 1924 – 16 September 1925
18	Vice Admiral	Saburo Hyakutake	16 September 1925 – 10 December 1926
19	Vice Admiral	Yasuhira Yoshikawa	10 December 1926 – 16 May 1928
20	Vice Admiral	Koshiro Otani	16 May 1928 – 10 December 1928
21	Vice Admiral	Mineo Ōsumi	10 December 1928 – 11 November 1929
22	Vice Admiral	Nobutaro Iida	11 November 1929 – 1 December 1930
23	Vice Admiral	Ryozo Nakamura	1 December 1930 – 1 December 1931
24	Vice Admiral	Nobumasa Suetsugu	1 December 1931 – 15 November 1933
25	Vice Admiral	Sankichi Takahashi	15 November 1933 – 15 November 1934
26	Vice Admiral	Mitsumasa Yonai	15 November 1934 – 2 December 1935
26	Vice Admiral	Takayoshi Kato	2 December 1935 – 1 December 1936
27	Vice Admiral	Zengo Yoshida	1 December 1936 – 1 December 1937
28	Vice Admiral	Shigetarō Shimada	1 December 1937 – 15 November 1938
29	Vice Admiral	Soemu Toyoda	15 November 1938 – 21 October 1939
30	Vice Admiral	Mineichi Koga	21 October 1939 – 1 September 1941
31	Vice-Admiral	Nobutake Kondō	1 September 1941 – 9 August 1943
32	Vice Admiral	Takeo Kurita	9 August 1943 – 23 December 1944
33	Vice Admiral	Seiichi Ito	23 December 1944 – 7 April 1945
Vacant (7 April 1945 – 20 April 1945)
Position Abolished
Vice-Admiral*:- promoted to Admiral during tenure

Chief of Staff to IJN 2nd Fleet[2]
	Rank	Name	Date
1	Captain*	Tomazaburo Kato	28 December 1903 – 12 January 1905
2	Captain*	Kōichi Fujii	12 January 1905 – 20 December 1905
3	Captain	Tanin Yamaya	20 December 1905 – 14 January 1907
Vacant (14 January 1907 – 28 September 1907)
4	Captain	Isamu Takeshita	28 September 1907 – 17 December 1907
5	Captain	Ryokitsu Arima	17 December 1907 – 20 November 1908
6	Captain	Tatsuo Matsumura	20 November 1908 – 1 February 1909
Vacant (1 February 1908 – 1 December 1909)
7	Captain	Shichitaro Takagi	1 December 1909 – 22 January 1911
8	Captain	Kiyokaze Yoshida	22 January 1911 – 1 December 1911
9	Commander**	Baron Kiyokazu Abo	5 December 1911 – 1 December 1912
10	Captain	Kiyokaze Yoshida	1 December 1912 – 1 February 1915
11	Captain	Hiroharu Kato	1 February 1915 – 13 December 1915
12	Rear-Admiral	Yasujiro Nagata	13 December 1915 – 1 December 1916
13	Rear-Admiral	Nobutaro Shimamura	1 December 1916 – 15 September 1917
14	Rear-Admiral	Saburo Hyakutake	15 September 1917 – 10 November 1918
15	Rear Admiral	Shigeushi Nakagawa	10 November 1918 – 1 December 1919
16	Rear-Admiral	Yasuhira Yoshikawa	1 December 1919 – 1 December 1920
17	Rear-Admiral	Kikuo Matsumura	1 December 1920 – 1 December 1921
18	Rear-Admiral	Ryozo Nakamura	1 December 1922 – 6 November 1923
19	Rear-Admiral	Masataka Ando	6 November 1923 – 1 December 1924
20	Rear-Admiral	Yukichi Shima	1 December 1924 – 1 December 1925
21	Rear-Admiral	Mitsumasa Yonai	1 December 1925 – 1 December 1926
22	Rear-Admiral	Shigeru Matsuyama	1 December 1926 – 1 December 1927
23	Rear-Admiral	Ken Terajima	1 December 1927 – 10 December 1928
24	Rear-Admiral	Teikichi Hori	10 December 1928 – 6 September 1929
25	Rear-Admiral	Koichi Shiozawa	6 September 1929 – 1 December 1929
26	Rear-Admiral	Shigetarō Shimada	1 December 1929 – 1 December 1930
26	Rear Admiral	Wasuke Komaki	1 December 1930 – 10 October 1931
27	Rear-Admiral	Kamezaburo Nakamura	10 October 1931 – 15 November 1933
28	Rear-Admiral	Jugoro Arichi	15 November 1933 – 15 November 1934
29	Rear Admiral	Taichi Miki	15 November 1934 – 15 November 1935
30	Rear-Admiral	Shunzo Mito	15 November 1935 – 1 April 1936
31	Rear-Admiral	Masaichi Niimi	1 April 1936 – 1 December 1936
32	Rear-Admiral	Gunichi Mikawa	1 December 1936 – 15 November 1937
33	Rear-Admiral	Seiichi Ito	15 November 1937 – 15 November 1938
34	Rear-Admiral	Takeo Takagi	15 November 1938 – 1 November 1939
35	Rear-Admiral	Yoshio Suzuki	1 November 1939 – 30 August 1941
36	Rear-Admiral	Kazutaka Shiraishi	30 August 1941 – 2 July 1943
37	Rear-Admiral	Tomiji Koyanagi	2 July 1943 – 25 November 1944
38	Rear Admiral	Nobuei Morishita	25 November 1944 – 20 April 1945
Position Abolished
Captain*:- promoted to Rear-Admiral during the tenure
Commander**:- promoted to Captain during the tenure

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.
• Lacroix, Eric; Linton Wells (1997). Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-311-3.