Sentai

In Japanese, sentai (戦隊) is a military unit and may be literally translated as "squadron", "task force", "group" or "wing". The terms "regiment" and "flotilla", while sometimes used as translations of Sentai, are also used to refer to larger formations.

World War II

It is perhaps best known as a term used during World War II by the military of the Empire of Japan, for Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) military aviation units equivalent to a group or wing in other air forces. However, the term had slightly different meanings in the IJAAS and the IJNAS.

An IJAAS Sentai was made up of two to four squadrons (chūtai). In the IJAAS, two or more Sentai comprised a hikōdan (air brigade). In the later stages of World War II, the IJAAS abolished chūtai and divided its sentai into hikōtai (flying units) and seibitai (maintenance units). A sentai commander (sentaichō) was generally a Lieutenant Colonel.

In the IJNAS, a sentai was a larger unit: a Kōkūtai was the equivalent of an IJAAS sentai. Several sentai made up a kantai (air fleet). In the IJNAS, a Sentaichō was usually a Naval Captain.

Imperial Japanese Navy Fleets

Sentai in the Japanese Navy was prescribed by a law the Naval military command No. 10, Kantairei (艦隊令) on 30 November 1914. It is as follows if paraphrase them.

• Sentai (戦隊, Battleship Division, Battlecruiser Division, Cruiser Division, Minelayer Division or Coast defence ship Division): organized by and over two warships as surface combatant.
• KōkÅ« Sentai (航空戦隊, Carrier Division or Air Flotilla): organized by and over two aircraft carriers, seaplane tenders or air groups.
• Suirai Sentai (水雷戦隊, Torpedo Squadron or Cruiser-Destroyer Squadron): organized by a few warships (cruiser as destroyer squadron leader) and some destroyer divisions.
• Sensui Sentai (潜水戦隊, Submarine Squadron): organized by a few warships (submarine tender or cruiser as submarine squadron leader) and some submarine divisions. The 1st Sensui Sentai (ex-4th Suirai Sentai) was independent from Suirai Sentai on 1 April 1919.
• Yusō Sentai (輸送戦隊, Landing ship Squadron): organized by some landing ship divisions. First unit the 1st Yusō Sentai was organized on 25 September 1944.
• Tokkō Sentai (特æ"»æˆ¦éšŠ, Suicide Attack Division): organized by mother ship and suicide weapon Kaiten, KairyÅ«, KōryÅ« and Shin'yō. First unit the 1st Tokkō Sentai was organized on 20 March 1945.

Cultural references

The Super Sentai Series (スーãƒ'ー戦隊シリーズ, SÅ«pā Sentai ShirÄ«zu) is a franchise of Japanese tokusatsu television dramas that uses the word sentai to describe a group of three or more costumed superheroes who often pilot fictional robotic vehicles.