16th Division (Japanese Empire)

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16th division

Kyoto Seibogakuin.jpg

Former headquarters of the 16th Division.
active July 18, 1905 to 1945
Country JapanJapan Japanese Empire
Armed forces JapanJapan (war flag) Japanese armed forces
Armed forces JapanJapan (war flag) Japanese army
Branch of service infantry
Type division
Strength 14,000-20,000
Location Kyoto
Nickname Kaki-heidan ( 垣 兵 団 , "fence division")
Butcher Russo-Japanese War

Second Sino-Japanese War

Second World War

The 16th Division ( Japanese 第 16 師 団 , Dai-jūroku Shidan ) was a division of the Imperial Japanese Army , which was established in 1905 and disbanded in 1945. Your Tsūshōgō code (military code name) was Zaun-Division ( 垣 兵 K , Kaki-heidan ) or 16D .

General data

The 16th Division, along with the 13th , 14th and 15th , was a division that was set up towards the end of the Russo-Japanese War . The headquarters of the 15,000-strong division was in Kyoto .

History of unity

The division was on 18 July 1905 under the command of General Yamada Nobuyoshi as Square division set up and consisted of the 18th  Brigade (9th and 19th  Infantry - regiment ) and the 19th Brigade (38th and 55th Infantry regiment), 20th  cavalry regiment, 22nd  field artillery regiment and the 16th  pioneer and transport - battalion . Originally intended to reinforce Japanese troops in Manchuria , the division was no longer relocated, as the war officially ended on September 5, 1905 in the Treaty of Portsmouth .

Soldiers of the 16th Division during the invasion of the Philippines

During the Second Sino-Japanese War , the 16th Division landed in Tianjin in northern China in September 1937 to take part in operations along the Beijing – Hankou Railway . In mid-November 1937 she landed near Shanghai and took part in the battles for Shanghai , Nanking , Xuzhou and Wuhan . She was also involved in the Nanking massacre . In August 1939 the division was ordered back to Japan, where it was converted into a triangular division . The surrendered 38th Infantry Regiment later formed part of the 29th Division .

Support ground offensive of the 16th Division during Operation Te and Operation Wa

In December 1941, the 16th Division landed as part of the 14th Army , accompanied by the light cruiser Jintsū , near Davao City ( Mindanao ) in the Philippines and took part in the Battle of the Philippines . She remained on Luzon until April 1944 and was then relocated to Leyte . There, under Lieutenant General Makino Shiro , the division was involved in the Battle of Leyte from October 1944 to December 1944 , in which it suffered heavy losses. Among other things, she was involved in Operation Wa , a ground offensive supporting the Airborne Operation Te . Only 620 men of the almost 7,000 strong division survived the battle.

The 16th division was disbanded in 1945.

structure

1905

Formation on July 18, 1905 as a square division as follows:

  • 18th Brigade
    • 9th Infantry Regiment
    • 19th Infantry Regiment
  • 19th Brigade
    • 38th Infantry Regiment
    • 55th Infantry Regiment
  • 20th Cavalry Regiment
  • 22nd Field Artillery Regiment
  • 16th Engineer and Transport Battalion

1923

In 1923 a regrouping followed:

  • 19th Brigade
    • 9th Infantry Regiment
    • 20th Infantry Regiment
  • 30th brigade
    • 33rd Infantry Regiment
    • 58th Infantry Regiment
  • 20th Cavalry Regiment
  • 22nd Field Artillery Regiment
  • 16th Engineer Battalion
  • 16. Medical unit
  • 16th Transport Battalion
  • 16. Signal unit

1941

In August 1941 the conversion to the Triangular Type B "Standard" Division took place as follows:

  • 16th Infantry Division Headquarters (350 men)
    • 16th Infantry Brigade
      • 9th Infantry Regiment (2850 men)
      • 20th Infantry Regiment (2850 men)
      • 33rd Infantry Regiment (2850 men)
    • 20th Cavalry Regiment (disbanded August 1942)
    • 16th Reconnaissance Regiment (440 men, deployed August 1942)
    • 22nd Field Artillery Regiment (2100 men; 12 75 mm guns, 24 105 mm howitzers)
    • 16th Engineer Regiment (900 men)
    • 16. Signal unit (240)
    • 16. Ordinance unit (80 men)
    • 16. Field Hospital (three field hospitals with 250 men each)
    • 16. Water supply and treatment unit (200 men)
    • 16. Veterinary hospital (50 men)
    • 16. Medical unit (700 men)

Total strength: 14,360 men

guide

Division commanders

  • Yamada Nobuyoshi, Lieutenant General: July 18, 1905 - January 15, 1913
  • Nagaoka Gaishi, Lieutenant General: January 15, 1913 - August 8, 1914
  • Matsukawa Satoshitane, Lieutenant General: August 8, 1914 - August 18, 1916
  • Yamaguchi Masaru, Lieutenant General: August 18, 1916 - August 6, 1917
  • Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, Lieutenant General: August 6, 1917 - November 25, 1919
  • Shiki Moriharu, Lieutenant General: November 25, 1919 - August 6, 1923
  • Yamada Yoshinosuke, Lieutenant General: August 6, 1923 - March 2, 1926
  • Jiro Minami, Lieutenant General: March 2, 1926 - March 5, 1927
  • Matsui Saburo, Lieutenant General: March 5, 1927 - August 1, 1930
  • Yamamoto Tsuruichi, Lieutenant General: August 1, 1930 - March 18, 1933
  • Kaba Atsushi , Lieutenant General: March 18, 1933 - August 1, 1935
  • Shibuya Ino, Lieutenant General: August 1, 1935 - December 2, 1935
  • Kodama Tomo, Lieutenant General: December 2, 1935 - August 2, 1937
  • Kesago Nakajima, Lieutenant General: August 2, 1937 - July 15, 1938
  • Keisuke Fujie, Lieutenant General: July 15, 1938 - August 30, 1939
  • Ishiwara Kanji , Lieutenant General: August 30, 1939 - March 1, 1941
  • Morioka Susumi, Lieutenant General: March 1, 1941 - August 1, 1942
  • Oba Shihei, Lieutenant General: August 1, 1942 - March 1, 1944
  • Makino Shiro, Lieutenant General: March 1, 1944 - August 10, 1945

See also

Web links

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rotem Kowner, p. 107
  2. ↑ a b c d e Underwood, p. 13
  3. ↑ 16th Division, Regular Infantry Division (Triangular). niehorster.org, accessed October 22, 2015 .