57th Division (Japanese Empire)

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57th Division

active July 10, 1940 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. 20,000-25,000
Insinuation 3rd Army
56th Army
Location Hirosaki
Nickname Oku-heidan ( 奥 兵 団 , "inner division")
Butcher Second Sino-Japanese War

Pacific War

The 57th Division ( Japanese 第 57 師 団 , Dai-gojūnana Shidan ) was a division of the Imperial Japanese Army , which was established in 1940 and disbanded in 1945. Your Tsūshōgō code (military code name) was Interior Division ( 奥 兵 団 , Oku-heidan ).

History of unity

The 57th Division was as at July 10, 1940 Type A "reinforced" Division as Triangular Division set up and consisted mainly of the 57th  Infantry - Brigade (52., 117. and 152. Regiment) and the 57th Reconnaissance Regiment, 57th division artillery group and the 57th  pioneer - and transport regiment. The headquarters of the approximately 25,000 strong division was in Hirosaki , Japan .

During the Second Sino-Japanese War , which had been raging since 1937 , the 51st Division was transferred to Manchuria in mid-1941 , where it was subordinated to the 3rd Army of the Kwantung Army . Stationed in Bei'an , it was primarily used as a garrison unit and was not involved in any combat operations.

Towards the end of the Second World War , the division was relocated to Japan in anticipation of an Allied landing ( Operation Downfall ) and was there under the 56th Army on Kyushu .

In September 1945 the 57th Division was disbanded.

structure

The 57th Division was set up as a Type A "Reinforced" Division as a Triangular Division as follows:

  • 57th Infantry Division headquarters (approx. 410 men)
    • 57th Infantry Brigade Staff (approx. 100 men)
      • 52nd Infantry Regiment (approx. 4830 men)
      • 117th Infantry Regiment (approx. 4830 men)
      • 152nd Infantry Regiment (approx. 4830 men)
    • 57. reconnaissance regiment
      • Staff (approx. 30 men)
      • mounted (approx. 300 men)
      • Type 92 tankettes (approx. 100 men)
      • 1st motorized company (approx. 160 men)
      • 2nd motorized company (approx. 160 men)
      • Supply company (approx. 100 men)
    • 57th Division Artillery Group, staff (approx. 178 men)
      • 57th Field Artillery Regiment staff (approx. 265 men)
      • 1st Battalion (8 × 75 mm guns, 4 × 105 mm howitzers (approx. 685 men))
      • 2nd Battalion (8 × 75 mm guns, 4 × 105 mm howitzers (approx. 685 men))
      • 3rd Battalion (8 × 75 mm guns, 4 × 105 mm howitzers (approx. 685 men))
    • 57th Engineer Regiment (approx. 900 men)
    • 57.Signal and telecommunication unit (approx. 220)
    • 57th Transport Regiment (approx. 2820 men)
    • 57th Supply Company (approx. 185 men)
    • 57th Field Hospital (three field hospitals with approx. 250 men each)
    • 57th water supply and treatment unit (approx. 160 men)
    • 57th Veterinary Hospital (approx. 100 men)
    • 57th Medical Unit (approx. 1000 men)

Total strength: approx. 24,565 men

guide

Division commanders

  • Itotomo Tsuyoshi, Lieutenant General: July 10 (August 1?) 1940 - October 15, 1941
  • Kusumoto Sanetaka, Lieutenant General: October 15, 1941 - March 11, 1943
  • Uemura Mikio, Lieutenant General: March 11, 1943 - March 23, 1945
  • Yano Masao, Lieutenant General: March 23, 1945 - September 1945

See also

Web links

literature

  • John Underwood: The Japanese Order of Battle in World War II. Vol I, The Nafziger Collection, Inc., 1999, ISBN 978-1-58545-044-2
  • Victor Madej: Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle 1937–1945. Volume I + II, Game Marketing Company, 1981
  • Gordon Rottman: Japanese Army in World War II (The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43). Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-8417-6870-0
  • Louis G. Perez: Japan at War: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2013, ISBN 978-1-5988-4741-3

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Madej, p. 82
  2. ↑ a b c Underwood, p. 67