Special Naval Landing Force, Imperial Japanese Navy, 07.12.1941

The Japanese did not have a separate Marine Corps. Instead, landing parties would be formed from ship's crews - to the obvious detriment of their ship. Therefor, in the late 1920's, the Imperial Japanese Navy began to form permanent Naval Landing Forces at its four main naval bases, Sasebo, Maizuru, Kure, and Yokosuka, designating them as Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF), known in Japanese as Rikusentai.

The original meaning of the word Rikusentai was a group of sailors detached from a warship for a special, temporary mission. For example, the cruiser Kashima detached a group of men for occupying small bases in New Guinea for a short period. This group was known as the Kashima Rikusentai. The meaning progressed further to include a group of sailors sent from one base force to another. E.g., a group from the 3rd Base Force detached to the 4th Base Force would be known as the 3rd Base Force Rikunsentai.

Although the echelon symbol generally used by the Japanese Navy for the SNLF was the one applied to regiment-sized units, the strengths of the SNLF were not uniform and varied from 700 to 1800.

Unit	Date	Size	Comments
Hankow SNLF	? [08.12.41]	? men	Raised Detached to Middle River Division, Yangtze River Squadron, 1st China Fleet
Kure 1st SNLF	15.11.40 [08.12.41] 12.12.41 28.01.42 30.01.42 ??.03.42	1401 men 575 men	Raised 32 Special Base Force, 3rd Fleet, at Takao (Taiwan) Lands at Legaspi (Luzon, Philippines), ex-Palau Departs Menado Lands at Ambon, NEI Dissolved
Kure 2nd SNLF	15.10.41 [08.12.41] 17.12.41 20.12.41 23.12.41 24.12.41 08.01.42 10.01.42 ??.03.42	1401 men 245 men	Raised 32 Special Base Force, 3rd Fleet, at Takao (Taiwan) Departs Peleliu (Palau Islands, Carolines) Lands at Davao (Minadanao, Philippines) 1 company departs Davao 1 company lands at Jolo Island (Philippines) Departs Jolo Lands at Tarakan (Borneo, NEI) Dissolved
Maizuru 1st SNLF	? [08.12.41]	? men	Raised At Hainan Naval District, 3rd China Fleet
Maizuru 2nd SNLF	? [08.12.41] 22.12.41 ? 17.01.42 22.01.42 05.03.42 08.03.42 ??.07.42	1069 men ~500 men	Raised 4th Fleet, at Truk (E. Carolines) - One detachment at Ruot (Kwajalein) Lands on Wake Island, ex Saipan via Kwajalein Moved back to Truk Departs Truk Lands at Kavieng (New Ireland, Bismarks) Departs Rabaul (New Britain, Bismarchs) Lands at Lae (New Guinea) Redesignated as 8th Base Force, at Rabaul
Sasebo 1st SNLF	15.11.40 [08.12.41] 09.01.42 10.01.42 21.01.42 24.01.42 ??.03.42	1622 men	Raised Under 32 Special Base Force, 3rd Fleet, at Takao (Taiwan) Departs Davao (Mindanado, Philippines) Lands on Menado (Celebes, NEI) Departs Bangka Roads (Celebes, NEI) Lands at Kendari (Celebes, NEI) Dissolved
Sasebo 2nd SNLF	15.10.41 [08.12.41] ??.03.42	1437 men	Raised Under 32 Special Base Force, 3rd Fleet, at Takao (Taiwan) Dissolved
Sasebo 3rd SNLF	? 16.01.42	? men	Raised Arrives at Tarakan (Borneo, NEI)
Sasebo 8th SNLF	? [08.12.41]	? men	Raised At Hainan Naval District, 3rd China Fleet
Shanghai SNLF	? [08.12.41]	200 men	Raised Detached to Canton Special Base Force, China Theater Fleet direct, at Canton (China)
Yangtze SNLF	? [08.12.41]	? men	Raised Yangtze River Squadron, 1st China Fleet, deployed along the Yangtze River (China)
Yokosuka 1st SNLF (Parachute unit)	20.09.41 [08.12.41] 11.01.42	849 men	Raised 21st Naval Air Flotilla, 11th Air Fleet, at Kagi Airfield (Chia-i, China) Parachutes onto Menado airfield (Celebes) ex Davao (Philippines)
Yokosuka 2nd SNLF	15.10.41 [08.12.41] 15.12.41	746 men	Raised Southern Fleet, at Camranh Bay (Indochina) Lands at Miri, Seria, and Lutung, (British Borneo) ex Camranh Bay (Indochina)
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF (Parachute unit)	20.11.41 [08.12.41] 10.12.41 16.01.42	~750 men 849 men 849 men	Raised Enroute Calayan Island, Babuyan Islands, Luzon Strait onboard destroyer Tachikase. Lands on Camaguin Island (Luzon Strait) ex Taiwan. Arrives at Tarakan (Borneo, NEI)
Yokosuka 4th SNLF	? [08.12.41]	? men	Raised At Hainan Naval District, 3rd China Fleet, Sanya (Hainan Island, China)