View source for Sentai

{{Italic title}}
{{Short description|Japanese military unit}}
{{Distinguish|Zentai}}
{{For|the American entertainment company|Sentai Filmworks}}

{{More citations needed|date=November 2017}}

In [[Japanese language|Japanese]], {{nihongo|'''''sentai'''''|戦隊}} is a [[military unit]] and may be literally translated as "[[wikt:squadron|squadron]]", "[[task force]]", "[[Division (naval)|division (of ships)]]", "[[group (air force unit)|group]]" or "[[wing (air force unit)|wing]]". The terms "[[regiment]]" and "[[flotilla]]", while sometimes used as translations of ''sentai'', are also used to refer to larger formations.

==Imperial Japanese aviation ''sentai''==
The term was 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 [[Squadron (aviation)|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 [[Captain (naval)|naval captain]].

==Imperial Japanese naval ''sentai''==
''Sentai'' in the Japanese Navy were prescribed by the document ''Naval military command No. 10, {{nihongo|'''Kantairei'''''|艦隊令}} dated 30 November 1914.

Paraphrased, they were defined as follows:
*{{nihongo|''Sentai''|戦隊||[[Battleship]] Division, [[Battlecruiser]] Division, [[Cruiser]] Division, [[Minelayer]] Division or Coast Defence Ship Division}}: comprising two or more warships of the same [[Warship#Types|type]].
*{{nihongo|''Kōkū Sentai''|航空戦隊||Carrier Division or Air Flotilla}}: comprising two or more [[aircraft carrier]]s, [[seaplane tender]]s or air groups.
*{{nihongo|''Suirai Sentai''|[[:ja:水雷戦隊|水雷戦隊]]||Torpedo Squadron or Cruiser-Destroyer Squadron}}: comprising two or more [[destroyer]]s, possibly with a [[light cruiser]] as a squadron [[flagship]].
*{{nihongo|''Sensui Sentai''|潜水戦隊||Submarine Squadron}}: comprising two or more [[submarine]]s, with a [[submarine tender]] or cruiser as submarine squadron leader, and some submarine divisions. The ''1st Sensui Sentai'' was formed on 1 April 1919 from the former ''4th Suirai Sentai''.
*{{nihongo|''Yusō Sentai''|輸送戦隊||Landing Ship Squadron}}: comprising two or more [[landing ship]] divisions. First unit the ''1st Yusō Sentai'' was organized on 25 September 1944.
*{{nihongo|''Tokkō Sentai''|特攻戦隊||Suicide Attack Division}}: comprising a [[mother ship]] and individual suicide weapons, such as ''[[Kaiten]]'', ''[[Kairyū-class submarine|Kairyū]]'', ''[[:ja:蛟竜 (潜水艦)|Kōryū]]'' and ''[[Shin'yō-class suicide motorboat|Shin'yō]]''. The first such unit was the ''1st Tokkō Sentai'', organized on 20 March 1945.

==Cultural references==
{{main|Super Sentai}}
The {{nihongo|''Super Sentai Series''|スーパー戦隊シリーズ|Sūpā Sentai Shirīzu}} is a franchise of Japanese [[tokusatsu]] [[Japanese television drama|television dramas]] produced by [[Toei Company|Toei]] and [[TV Asahi]] that uses the word ''sentai'' to describe a group of three or more costumed [[superhero]]es who often pilot fictional [[mecha|robotic vehicles]] to fight ''[[kaiju]]''.

==See also==
* [[Senshi (disambiguation)]]

==Bibliography==
*Series 100 year histories from [[Meiji period|Meiji Era]], Ministry of the Navy, printed by Hara Shobō (Japan)
**Vol. 173, ''Histories of Naval organizations #3 (1)'', original printing in 1939, reprint in May 1971
**Vol. 174, ''Histories of Naval organizations #3 (2)'', original printing in 1939, reprint in July 1971




[[Category:Military units and formations of Japan in World War II]]

[[ja:戦隊]]