| 10th Area Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 February 1945 – Sep 1945 |
| Country |  |
| Branch |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Battle honours | Pacific Theatre of World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Shigeru Fukudome |
The 10th Area Fleet (第十方面艦隊, Dai-jyū Hōmen Kantai) was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) established during World War II as a result of IJN commands being isolated in the Philippines.
The commander in chief of the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet based in Singapore was named commander in chief of the newly created Tenth Area Fleet on 1 February 1944. As the Southwest Area Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy) command staff was isolated in the Philippines, a new command structure was necessary to direct the 1st and 2nd Fleets and the surviving elements of the IJN 5th Fleet. It was supported by the IJN 13th Air Fleet. The 10th Area Fleet had responsibility for the defenses of Indonesia and Indochina. It lost most of its combat capability at the Battle of the Malacca Strait and when Ashigara was sunk by HMS Trenchant and was disbanded at the end of the Pacific War. [1]
The Tenth Area Fleet was a theatre command and its name was taken sequentially from the numbered fleets rather than from the area in which it was located.
| Date | Higher unit | Lower units |
|---|---|---|
| 5 February 1945 (original) | Combined Fleet | IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet, 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, 13th Air Fleet, 5th Cruiser Division, Auxiliary survey ship Hakusa, Auxiliary gunboat Nankai |
| 1 June 1945 | IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet, 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet, 13th Air Fleet, 5th Cruiser Division, Auxiliary gunboat Nankai, No.27 Special Base Force, No.25 Base Force, No.28 Base Force | |
| 12 September 1945 | Surrendered to United Kingdom in Singapore. | |
Commander in chief [2]
| Rank | Name | Date | Additional post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Shigeru Fukudome | 5 Feb 1945 - Sep 1945 | Commander of the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet and the 13th Air Fleet |
Chief of staff
| Rank | Name | Date | Additional post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | Bunji Asakura | 5 Feb 1945 - Sep 1945 | Chief of staff of the IJN 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet and the 13th Air Fleet |
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