the new 100th, 102nd, 103rd, and 105th Divisions. In March 1944 the 14th Army officially reverted to the control of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group. On July 28, 1944, the Japanese 14th Army officially became the Japanese 14th Area Army. Two more divisions (the 8th Division and the 10th Division) arrived in August 1944 as reinforcements, and also in August the 35th Army came under its control. On October 10, 1944, General Tomoyuki Yamashita assumed the command of the 14th Area Army to defend the Philippines. In the various battles of the Philippines campaign (1944–45) against combined American and Philippine Commonwealth armed forces in Leyte, Mindanao and parts of Luzon, the Japanese 14th Area Army suffered over 350,000 casualties, including virtually all of the 18,000 men of the 16th Infantry Division in the Battle of Leyte. Troops of the 14th Area Army were responsible for the Palawan Massacre of December 14, 1944. List of commanders Commanding officer Chief of staff Structure Japanese 14th Area Army (1945) 1st Infantry Division 10th Infantry Division 19th Infantry Division 23rd Infantry Division 26th Infantry Division 103rd Infantry Division 105th Infantry Division 2nd Tank Division 4th Air Division IJA 1st Special Forces Division 68th Independent Infantry Brigade 55th Independent Mixed Brigade 58th Independent Mixed Brigade Japanese 35th Army 16th Infantry Division 30th Infantry Division 100th Infantry Division 102nd Infantry Division 54th Independent Mixed Brigade Japanese 41st Army 8th Infantry Division 39th Independent Mixed Brigade 65th Independent Infantry Brigade 9th Artillery Headquarters References Books External links Notes 14 Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945