Combined Fleet
| 聯合艦隊 Rengo Kantai Combined Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy) |
|
|---|---|
|
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| Active | 1894–1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Allegiance |
 Empire of Japan
|
| Type | Sea-going component of Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Engagements |
First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War World War I Second Sino-Japanese War World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Isoroku Yamamoto Togo Heihachiro Hiroyasu Fushimi and many others |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 Imperial Seal of Japan and Seal of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
The Combined Fleet (聯合艦隊 Rengō Kantai?) was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Until 1933, the Combined Fleet was not a permanent organization, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime.
The Combined Fleet was formally created for the first time on 18 July 1894 by the merger of the Standing Fleet and the Western Fleet. The Standing Fleet (also known as the Readiness Fleet) contained the navy's most modern and combat-capable warships. The Western Fleet was a reserve force consisting primarily of obsolete ships deemed unsuitable for front-line combat operations, but still suitable for commerce protection and coastal defense. Vice-admiral Itoh Sukeyuki was appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. for the duration of the first Sino-Japanese War against China.
The Combined Fleet was re-formed during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 to provide a unified overall command for the three separate fleets in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The IJN 1st Fleet was the main battleship force, which formed the backbone of the navy and was intended to be used in a traditional line-of-battle showdown with an equivalent enemy battleship fleet (kantai kessen). The IJN 2nd Fleet was a fast, mobile strike force with armored cruisers and protected cruisers. The IJN 3rd Fleet was primarily a reserve fleet of obsolete vessels considered too weak for front-line combat service, but which could still be used in the operation to blockade Port Arthur. Admiral Togo Heihachiro was commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War.
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