The Japanese 59th Army was formed on June 15, 1945, under the
Japanese 15th Area Army as part of the last desperate defense effort by the
Empire of Japan to deter possible landings of
Allied forces in the
San'yo region of western
Honshū during
Operation Downfall. The Japanese 59th Army consisted mostly of poorly trained
reservists,
conscripted students and
home guard militia. Headquartered in
Hiroshima, most of its command staff, including its commander Lieutenant General Yoji Fujii, were killed during the
atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Together with the
2nd General Army,
Fifth Division, and other combat divisions in the city who were also hit, an estimated 20,000 Japanese combatants were killed. Remnants of the 59th Army attempted to perform relief work and maintain public order in the devastated city with little success. The IJA 59th Army was officially
demobilized after the
surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945. ==List of Commanders==