29th Division (Japanese Empire)

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29th division

active April 1, 1941 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 approx. 20,000
Insinuation Kwantung Army
31st Army
Location Nagoya
Nickname Ikazuchi-heidan ( 雷 兵 団 , "Thunder Division")
Butcher Pacific War

The 29th Division ( Japanese 第 29 師 団 , Dai-nijūku Shidan ) was a division of the Imperial Japanese Army , which was set up in 1941 and disbanded in 1945. Your Tsūshōgō code (military code name) was Donner Division ( 雷 兵 団 , Ikazuchi-heidan ) or Ikazuchi 3200 or Ikazuchi 3229 .

History of unity

The 29th Division was on April 1, 1941, the command of Lieutenant General Uemura Toshimichi as Type B "Standard" Division as Triangular Division set up and consisted of the 29th  Infantry - Brigade (18th, 38th and 50th Regiment) and the 29  cavalry - regiment , 29th  mountain artillery regiment and the 29th  pioneer - and transport regiment. The headquarters of the 15,000 strong division was in Liaoyang , Manchuko , while the depot was in Nagayo , Japanese Empire .

Manchuria

The 29th Division was stationed in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo (Manchuria) in Liaoyang as a garrison unit and was under the Kwantung Army . On October 29, 1943, Lieutenant General Takashina Takeshi took over the division.

Mariana Islands

In early March 1944, the 29th Division was relocated to the Mariana Islands . The ship transports arrived in March and distributed the units of the division to the islands of Guam , Tinian and Rota . Lieutenant General Takashina, who had been ordered to Guam, immediately began building fortifications , as an American landing was expected.

On June 15, 1944, the Allied attack on Saipan began , which lasted until July 9, and ended with the complete annihilation of the Japanese defenders.

The Americans landed on Saipan on July 21, 1944 . Lieutenant General Takashina's strategy was based on the four fortification lines built. But in the defense plan were also gyokusai pulled -Gegenangriffe in mention: this night attacks by the Americans Banzaiangriffe were called, the battle should be conducted especially during the first few days. The first Gyokusai attack was launched on the night of July 25th, four days after the American landing: around 5,000 Japanese soldiers of the 18th Infantry Regiment and the 48th  Independent Mixed Brigade gathered on the Fonte Plain and marched at 22 : 00 o'clock in the direction of the enemy bridgehead. At midnight they began the first attack, which the 3rd Marine Division broke with heavy losses. Japanese soldiers successfully infiltrated US defenses six more times , blowing up some tanks and killing over 400 Marines, but were finally thrown back at 6:00 a.m. on July 26, with Japanese casualties of 3,500 men. However, Lieutenant General Takashina launched more Gyokusai attacks against American lines over the next few days, all of which were thrown back. On July 28, the 48th Japanese Brigade carrying out the night raid was completely wiped out by American artillery fire, with Takashina severely wounded. He was then taken to the Japanese command post in the north of the Fonte Plain, where he died on July 29th. The remains of the Japanese defenders were destroyed by August 10, 1944.

On July 24th, the battle for Tinian began . The nearly 8,000 Japanese, including 4,000 men of the 50th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division, could do nothing against the landing 35,000 Americans. The entire island garrison fell to 200 men.

After the battles on the Mariana Islands, the 29th Division virtually ceased to exist. It was officially dissolved in September 1945.

Trivia

After the Battle of Guam Corporal survived Shoichi Yokoi of the 38th Infantry Regiment and retired with a few comrades in the jungle, where he as a holdout persevered 28 years. It was only in 1972 that he was overpowered by fishermen and then returned to Japan.

structure

In April 1941 it was set up as the Triangular Type B "Standard" Division as follows:

  • 29th Infantry Division Staff (350 men)
    • 29th Infantry Brigade Staff (100 men)
      • 18th Infantry Regiment (3845 men)
      • 38th Infantry Regiment (3845 men)
      • 50th Infantry Regiment (3845 men)
    • 29th Cavalry Regiment (950 men)
    • 29th Mountain Artillery Regiment (2100 men; 36 Type 41 75 mm mountain guns )
    • 29th Engineer Regiment (956 men)
    • 29.Signal unit (240)
    • 29th Transport Regiment (1810 men)
    • 29th Supply Company (110 men)
    • 29th field hospital (three field hospitals with 150 men each)
    • 29.Water supply and treatment unit (235 men)
    • 29. Veterinary hospital (114 men)
    • 29th Medical Unit (1110 men)

Total strength: 20,060 men

guide

Division commanders

  • Uemura Toshimichi, Lieutenant General: April 1, 1941 - October 29, 1943
  • Takashina Takeshi, Lieutenant General: October 29, 1943 - July 28, 1944 (fallen)

See also

Web links

literature

  • Victor Madej: Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 . Game Publishing, 1981, OCLC 833591372 , OCLC 833591376 .
  • John Underwood: The Japanese Order of Battle in World War II, Vol I . The Nafziger Collection, Inc., 1999, ISBN 978-1-58545-044-2 .
  • Leland Ness: Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937-1945 . Helion & Company, 2014, ISBN 978-1-909982-00-0 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Madej, p. 57
  2. ↑ Japanese Officer. United States Army Combined Arms Center, archived from the original on September 28, 2015 ; Retrieved August 3, 2015 (Japanese).
  3. ↑ a b c Underwood, p. 18