Mako Guard District

The Mako Guard District (馬公警備府 Makō Keibifu) was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in Taiwan before and during World War II. Located in at Mako 23°35′24″N 119°34′05″E / 23.590°N 119.568°E / 23.590; 119.568Coordinates: 23°35′24″N 119°34′05″E / 23.590°N 119.568°E / 23.590; 119.568, (present-day Makung, Pescadores Islands, Republic of China), the Mako Guard District was responsible for control of the strategic Straits of Taiwan and for patrols along the Taiwan and China coastlines and in the South China Sea. It was disbanded in 1943, and reestablished as the Takao Guard District at Takao on the Taiwan main island.

History

The Guard Districts (警備府 Keibifu) were second tier naval bases, similar to the first tier Naval Districts (鎮守府), with docking, fueling and resupply facilities, but typically lacked a shipyard or training school.[1] They tended to be established by strategic waterways or major port cities for defensive purposes.[2] In concept, the Guard District was similar to the United States Navy Sea Frontiers concept. the Guard District maintained a small garrison force of ships and Naval Land Forces which reported directly to the Guard District commander, and hosted detachments of the numbered fleets on a temporary assignment basis.

The port of Mako in the Pescadores Islands was an area with a long association with the Imperial Japanese Navy, having been the first portion of Taiwan captured during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in the First Sino-Japanese War. Mako was designated a third echelon naval port, or yokobu (要港部) on 4 July 1901. It served as a staging point and refueling base in the Russo-Japanese War, and especially during the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Mako was upgraded to full Guard District status on 20 November 1941, and served as a staging group and supply base for the invasion of the Philippines and other naval operations in Southeast Asia after the start of the Pacific War.[3] In 1943, the base was relocated to Takao on the Taiwanese mainland.

Order of Battle at time of the attack on Pearl Harbor

List of Commanders

Commanding Officer

Chief of Staff

References

  1. ↑ http://maisov.oops.jp/e/glos.htm
  2. ↑ http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/KYE/CINCPAC-11-45/index.html
  3. ↑ Goldstein, The Pacific War Papers. Page 64

External links

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