Sixteenth Army (Japan)

Japanese Sixteenth Army
Japanese troops enter Java
Active	November 5, 1941 – August 15, 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Corps
Garrison/HQ	Batavia
Nickname(s)	Osamu (治?)
Engagements	Battle of Java (1942)

The Japanese 16th Army (第16軍, Dai-jyūroku gun^?) was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

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.