The Japanese 19th Army was created on December 19, 1942 and assigned as a
garrison force for the eastern portion of Japanese-occupied
Netherlands East Indies from January 7, 1943 under the administrative control of the
Southern Expeditionary Army Group. It was headquartered on
Ambon. On October 30, 1943, the IJA 19th Army came under the control of the
Japanese Second Area Army, a subsidiary of the
Kwantung Army as
Imperial General Headquarters began planning for a
projected invasion of northern Australia. The projected invasion never occurred, and the IJA 19th Army remained on Ambon, largely cut off from reinforcements and resupply as the
Allies bypassed Ambon in their
island-hopping campaign in the
South West Pacific theatre of World War II. It was demobilized on February 28, 1945 largely without having seen combat. ==List of commanders==