Eighth Area Army

The Eighth Area Army (第8方面軍) was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The army was formed on 9 November 1942, becoming effective on 26 November at Rabaul as part of the Southern Army. The army was disbanded in September 1945.

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.

Organisation

 * Seventeenth Army
 * Eighteenth Army
 * 6th Division
 * 1st Independent Mixed Brigade
 * 12th Air Brigade
 * Part of the 5th Division (20 November 1942)
 * 6th Air Division (25 November 1942)
 * 7th Air Division (29 January 1943)