The Japanese 16th Army was formed on November 5, 1941, under the
Southern Expeditionary Army Group to coordinate the
infantry divisions and other Japanese ground forces in the
Invasion of Java in the
Netherlands East Indies. It remained based on
Java throughout the
Pacific War as a
garrison force. On March 27, 1944, with the threat of possible landings of
Allied forces to retake the
Dutch East Indies increasing, the organizational structure of the Southern Expeditionary Army changed and the IJA 16th Army was reassigned to the
Japanese Seventh Area Army. It remained headquartered in
Jakarta as a garrison force as before. The Japanese 16th Army was
demobilized at the
surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945. ==List of commanders==