The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Kwantung Leased Territory before and during Second Sino-Japanese War. Located in at Ryojun ), (present-day Lüshunkou, China, The Ryojun Guard District was responsible for control of the strategic seaward approaches to Manchukuo and to north China and for patrols in the Yellow Sea and along the China coastlines. It was disbanded in 1943.
History The were second tier naval bases, similar to the first tier , with docking, fueling and resupply facilities, but typically lacked a shipyard or training school. They tended to be established by strategic waterways or major port cities for defensive purposes. In concept, the Guard District was similar to the United States Navy Sea Frontiers concept. the Guard District maintained a small garrison force of ships and Naval Land Forces which reported directly to the Guard District commander, and hosted detachments of the numbered fleets on a temporary assignment basis.
The port of Ryojun on the Kwantung Peninsula was an area with a long association with the Imperial Japanese Navy, having been first seized during the First Sino-Japanese War in December 1894. Japan was forced to abandon the port due to the Triple Intervention in February 1896, and its port facilities were soon occupied and developed by the Imperial Russian Navy as Port Arthur, Russia's most important naval base in the Far East.
The Russian naval base was seized by Japan after the Battle of Port Arthur in August 1904 and was proclaimed the . However, it lacked the shipyards, armories and the training facilities associated with other naval districts, (for which it relied on Sasebo Naval District). Tasked primarily with coastal patrols of the Liaodong Peninsula and control of the strategic seaward approaches to Tianjin and Beijing, it was regarded as a prestigious posting, with its commander receiving his commission directly from the Emperor.
However, on March 14, 1914, the status of the Ryojun Naval District was reduced to that of a third echelon naval port, or . It served as a staging point and refueling base in World War I for operations against the Imperial German Navy’s East Asia Squadron based out of Qingdao. With the Allied victory in World War I eliminating the German threat and with the Washington Naval Treaty limiting naval forces, Ryojun Military Port was deactivated on December 1, 1922.
In April 1933, the base was reactivated, and its role expanding to include patrols and guard of the coastline of Manchukuo. On November 20, 1941, in anticipation of the coming war with the United States, Ryojun was upgraded to Guard District status.
However, on January 15, 1942, with Japan in full control of the seaward approaches to China and Manchukuo, the Guard District was again deactivated.
Order of Battle at time of the attack on Pearl Harbor Ryojun Guard District Minesweeper Division 32 Shanan Maru #16
List of commanders Commanding officerWendel, Axis History Database Name Dates 1 Admiral Baron Yahachi Shibayama 6 Feb 1905 – 2 Feb 19062 Admiral Baron Sotaro Misu2 Feb 1906 – 22 Nov 1906 3 Vice-Admiral Baron Masaaki Hashimoto 22 Nov 1906 – 28 Aug 19084 Vice-Admiral Baron Sadayasu Tomioka28 Aug 1908 – 1 Dec 19105 Vice-Admiral Hikohachi Yamada 1 Dec 1910 – 1 Dec 19126 Vice-Admiral Hajime Sakamoto1 Dec 1912 – 1 Apr 1914 7 Vice-Admiral Reijiro Kawashima 1 Apr 1914 – 13 Dec 19158 Vice-Admiral Takeshi Takarabe13 Dec 1915 – 1 Dec 19169 Admiral Teijiro Kuroi 1 Dec 1916 – 1 Dec 191810 Vice-Admiral Tatsuo Matsumura1 Dec 1918 – 1 Oct 192011 Vice-Admiral Naoe Nakano 1 Oct 1920 – 1 Dec 192112 Vice-Admiral Kesataro Kawahara1 Dec 1921 – 10 Dec 1922X Deactivated 10 Dec 1922 – 20 Apr 193313 Vice-Admiral Shizue Tsuda20 Apr 1933 – 1 Jul 193314 Vice-Admiral Yurikazu Edahara 1 Jul 1933 – 15 Nov 193415 Vice-Admiral Kichijiro Hamada15 Nov 1934 – 15 Nov 193516 Admiral Hideho Wada15 Nov 1935 – 1 Dec 193617 Vice-Admiral Masaichi Maeda 1 Dec 1936 – 15 Nov 193818 Vice-Admiral Ichiro Sato15 Nov 1938 – 15 Nov 193919 Vice-Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya15 Nov 1939 – 15 Nov 194020 Vice-Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu15 Nov 1940 – 5 Jul 1941 21 Vice-Admiral Hidehiko Ukita5 Jul 1941 – 5 Jan 1942
Chief of Staff Name Dates 1 Vice-Admiral Chikataka Tamari 7 Jan 1905 – 22 Nov 19062 Rear-Admiral Tomokazu Takigawa22 Nov 1906 – 28 Aug 19083 Vice-Admiral Yasutaro Egashira 28 Aug 1908 – 1 Dec 19094 Rear-Admiral Genzaburo Ogi1 Dec 1909 – 1 Dec 19105 Vice-Admiral Tadamichi Kamaya 1 Dec 1910 – 1 Dec 19116 Rear-Admiral Sukeshiro Hanabusa1 Dec 1911 – 6 Dec 19117 Rear-Admiral Yoshimoto Shoji 6 Dec 1911 – 1 Dec 19128 Rear-Admiral Sadaichi Hiraoka1 Dec 1912 – 1 Dec 19139 Rear-Admiral Masaki Nakamura 8 May 1914 – 11 May 191610 Rear-Admiral Kanshiro Haji 11 May 1916 – 1 Dec 191711 Rear-Admiral Kametaro Muta12 Feb 1918 – 10 Nov 191812 Rear-Admiral Kenkichi Wada 20 Nov 1920 – 1 Apr 192213 Vice-Admiral Kiyohiro Ijichi 1 Apr 1922 – 10 Nov 1922X Deactivated 10 Dec 1922 – 20 Apr 193314 Rear-Admiral Hisoharu Kubota20 Apr 1933 – 15 Nov 193515 Vice-Admiral Chuichi Hara15 Nov 1935 – 1 Dec 193716 Vice-Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto1 Dec 1937 – 15 Nov 193917 Rear-Admiral Isamu Takeda15 Nov 1939 – 1 Nov 1940 18 Rear-Admiral Keizo Tanimoto1 Nov 1940 – 5 Jan 1942
References
External links