Parachute Troops (Imperial Japanese Army)
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Parachute troops of |
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|---|---|
 Insignia of the parachute troops of the Imperial Japanese Army |
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| active | December 1940 to 1945 |
| Country |
 Japanese Empire
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| Armed forces |
 Imperial Japanese Army
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| Armed forces | Imperial Japanese Army Air Force |
| Branch of service | Airborne Force |
| Type |
Paratroopers , light infantry |
| Strength | Max. 10,000 |
| Butcher | Pacific War |
| commander | |
| Supreme command | Imperial Japanese Army Air Force |
The parachute force of the Imperial Japanese Army ( Japanese 日本 陸軍 空 挺 部隊 , Nippon rikugun kūtei butai ) was a branch of the Imperial Japanese Army for operational use in the rearward enemy territory. Their formation began in December 1940 with the recruitment of ten officers and 250 non-commissioned officers . During the Pacific War operations took place on Leyte and Luzon in the Philippines as well as on Okinawa , which in most cases ended with the total loss of the units.
While paratroopers in Japanese Rakkasanhei hot, the army chose the name Teishin ( 挺進 ), which is about to Dangerous attack or storm can be translated (-attack). In the course of the Pacific War, the term Kūchū Teishin Butai ( 空中 挺進 部隊 ) or Kūtei Butai ( 空 挺 部隊 ) for short, which corresponds to the German air storm unit . The army's parachute troops are to be distinguished from the parachute troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy .
assignment
The primary task of the parachute troops was to take bridgeheads , key areas or important enemy industrial facilities by surprise and hold them until the advancing troops arrived. In the course of the Pacific War it became clear that the presence of Japanese parachute troops in an operations room posed a constant threat to Allied military objects and supply routes in the hinterland and thus tied up troops for object protection .
history
Before the start of World War II , only the Soviet Union and the German Reich had deployed significant parachute troops. It was only with the success of the German paratroopers in the occupation of Norway and during the western campaign , including the storming of Fort Eben-Emael , that the Imperial Japanese Army saw the need to set up its own parachute and airborne troops.
Lineup
Although the Kaiserreich Japan was allied with the German Reich, there was no exchange between the armed forces in terms of training, armament, organization or tactics when setting up the Japanese parachute troops. In parallel to the Imperial Japanese Navy , with which there has always been rivalry, the Japanese Army reorganized the parachute troops and developed training, tactics, equipment and organization. The armed forces only shared the existing weapons.
The first air storm unit was set up in December 1940 by General Tōjō Hideki , Minister of War and Chief of the General Staff , in the Army Aviation School on the Hamamatsu - military airfield , located on the south coast of Honshus . Under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kawashima Keigo , ten Army Aviation officers formed the core of the future parachute force, which was initially called the Kawashima Unit for reasons of secrecy . None of the officers had parachute jump or airborne tactics training. They studied the sources available at the time and developed training and tactical instructions for the parachute troops from them. The first parachute jumps took place in February 1941. In mid-February 1941, 250 NCOs joined the Kawashima unit who were between 20 and 25 years old and who had volunteered for the air storm troops.
In March 1941, the training camp was relocated to Tokorozawa near Tokyo . There, the non-commissioned officers made their first jumps with the help of a 50-meter high diving tower in Tokyo's Tamagawa amusement park. In order to maintain secrecy, the soldiers visited the amusement park individually and dressed in civilian clothes. Training jumps from the Nakajima Ki-34 transport aircraft with type 1 parachutes specially developed for paratroopers soon followed .
The training camp in Tokorozawa became too small because of the increasing number of parachutists, so that General Tojo moved the association to Baicheng in Manchukuo in May 1941 . Tojo promised himself secrecy from the Allies through the remoteness of the new base. It quickly became apparent that there was insufficient communication with the departments involved in the development of paratrooper equipment and in August 1941 the unit was transferred back to Japan to the Nyutabaru military airfield near Miyazaki on Kyushu .
After the first 5 classes had successfully passed the parachutist training, the 1st air storm regiment (Dai 1 Teishin Rentai) was formed from the first three classes (800 graduates) on December 1, 1941. A few days later, the command staff of the 1st Air Storm Brigade (Colonel Kume Seiichi ) and the 1st Air Storm Transport Unit were set up. In January 1942, the 2nd air storm regiment was formed from the remaining two classes.
Calls
Operation L
Already in September 1940 - before the parachute troops of the Imperial Army were deployed - the Daihon'ei had plans to attack Palembang in the Dutch East Indies drawn up. After the oil embargo by the USA, the United Kingdom and the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese saw it as imperative to take possession of the two oil refineries near Palembang. With Palembang 80 kilometers inland, the decision was quickly made to carry out an airborne operation called Operation L with the aim of preventing the Allies from destroying the refineries before landing forces could reach them.
On February 14, 1942, 339 paratroopers, supported by 150 transport, battle and fighter planes, landed in Japan's largest airborne operation at various locations around Palembang. Although the landing was chaotic, most of the dropping containers could not be recovered and the parachutists were mostly armed only with pistols and hand grenades, they had the element of surprise and the psychological effect of the previous Allied defeats on their side. On February 15, only a few Allied troops offered resistance and withdrew to Java . Although one of the refineries was largely destroyed, the much larger refinery had fallen into Japanese hands almost intact. The oil supply to the Japanese Empire was secured for the time being, and Operation L was a success.
Operation Gi
In December 1943, the Kaoru Air Storm Division was established. It consisted of two companies of the guerrilla unit (Yugekitai), which were recruited from members of the Takasago tribe in Taiwan . The Takasago were known for their courage, their skillful jungle fighting skills and the wearing of the giyuto (loyalty sword). The unit's officers and technicians were Japanese. In May 1944, the Kaoru Air Storm Division was subordinated to the 2nd Regional Army and moved to the Philippines in June . In October 1944, US troops began to recapture the Philippines and Air Army 4 decided to deploy the 1st Company of the Kaoru Air Storm Division for an airborne attack on the airfields that were now in American hands. Under the leadership of Lieutenant Naka Shigeo, the unit was quickly familiarized with airborne attack tactics.
On the night of November 26, 1944, four Nakajima L2D transport aircraft took off with the 40-man Kaoru unit under the command of Lieutenant Naka from the Lipa airfield south of Manila for Operation Gi ( 義 号 作 戦 , Gi-gō sakusen ). At a low altitude, the transporters flew 550 kilometers southwest to Leyte and reported after two hours of flight that they were over the target: the two airfields near Burauen . This was the last message that the Japanese high command received from the unit. Since the next day no American planes appeared over Ormoc Bay in western Leyte, where Japanese reinforcements were landing, the operation was assumed to be successful.
In fact, one of the planes had crashed over the sea near the Dulag airfield. A second plane landed near the Abuyog airfield. One of the survivors of the crash was killed by US troops while the rest of them fled into the jungle. The third aircraft reached Burauen airfield, but was shot down by US flak. All crew members were killed. The fourth plane missed the target and landed near Ormoc. The crew members fought back overland to their own lines and sought connection with the Japanese 16th Division .
Operation Te
Despite the failure of Operation Gi , the Japanese were willing to accept immense losses in order to stop or delay the advance of US troops. The next undertaking to attack opposing airfields should take place with larger associations and in better coordination. Even before Operation Gi , the 14th Regional Army and Air Army 4 under General Tominaga Kyoji had begun with plans for the next attack. Was planned surgery Te (Airborne attack) and operation Wa (ground operation) run together. For this purpose, the 2nd Air Storm Brigade, consisting of the 3rd and 4th Air Storm Regiment, was formed in November 1944 under the command of Colonel Tokunaga Kenji . Its military code name was Takachiho (also Takachiho unit), named after a city in central Kyushu, which was said to have a mystical meaning in Shinto legend.
On October 25th, the Daihon'ei ordered the 2nd Air Storm Brigade to the Philippines. The 3rd Air Storm Regiment under Major Shirai Tsuneharu left Japan on October 30th aboard the aircraft carrier Jun'yō to be protected from attacks by American submarines and airplanes and arrived in Manila on Luzon on November 11th . The headquarters of the 2nd Air Storm Brigade arrived on the same day by air transport. The 4th Air Storm Regiment under Major Saida Chisaku left Japan on November 3, 1944 by the more dangerous sea route on the transport ship Akagisan Maru and arrived at San Fernando on Luzon on November 30 . The 2nd Air Storm Brigade finally assembled at Clark Air Base north of Manila, but without the 1st and 2nd Air Storm Aviation Regiments, which had remained on Taiwan.
For Operation Te , the 3rd Air Storm Regiment and parts of the 4th Air Storm Regiment were divided into three, partly mixed, attack waves. The plan stipulated that Nakajima Ki-49 bombers with the paratroopers on board should crash-land directly on the enemy airfields. After landing, the primary targets such as parked aircraft and supplies should be destroyed with explosive charges. More paratroopers should jump out of Topsy transporters and shut down the US troops and the air defense. With Operation Wa, the army was supposed to do its part for the success of the parachute operation.
On December 6, 1944, around 550 Army paratroopers jumped or landed over the occupied airfields. Some transport aircraft had been shot down on approach with the crews on board, so that only three airfields were attacked. Despite the element of surprise, after the landing there was disorder among the Japanese soldiers and it was only slowly that they were able to begin with the destruction of aircraft and supplies. A total of 11 Piper L-4 courier planes and some storage facilities were destroyed. The Americans stubbornly resisted and stayed the night to await reinforcements. On December 7th, the American reinforcements had secured the airfields and by December 11th had destroyed the remaining Japanese. No paratrooper had surrendered.
Ormoc
After the Americans had landed the 77th Infantry Division south of Ormoc , Air Army 4 ordered the remnants of the 4th Air Storm Regiment under their commander Major Saida to Ormoc, Leyte . Between December 8 and 14, 481 men landed in six waves and strengthened the 1,700 soldiers there, including the 12th Independent Infantry Regiment, known as the Imabori unit . The elite soldiers immediately intervened in the fighting and drove US troops from a hill east of Ormoc. The Americans responded with heavy artillery fire and from December 16 the Japanese had to withdraw from Ormoc in a northerly direction. At this point, only Major Saida and about 100 paratroopers were still alive. These received the order to evacuate the headquarters of the 1st Division to Canquipot in western Leytes. Chased by Philippine guerrillas, only 47 paratroopers reached the coast on December 31. There, in January and February 1945, scattered men arrived one after the other, including paratroopers of the 3rd Air Storm Regiment and survivors of Operation Gi , a total of around 400 men. Fighting, illness and hunger led to more and more failures.
On March 17, 1945, Major Saida received orders to evacuate the staff of the 35th Army from Leyte. Leaving their sick and wounded behind, four Daihatsu landing craft awaited them , only two of which appeared. None of the paratroopers who were left behind survived the war. The two Daihaitsus reached Tabogon on Cebu , 20 kilometers away , where they met the remains of the 1st Division. Soon after, US troops landed on Cebu as well. Major Saida, 20 of his men and the staff of the 35th Army fled in canoes . On the high seas, they were spotted by an American fighter plane, and General Suzuki and his staff were killed in the attack. Major Saida and a few men were able to reach the coast.
Luzon
When the Dai-1 Teishin Shūdan (1st Air Storm Division) was founded, the 2nd Air Storm Brigade had already been ordered to Luzon. Major General Tsukada Rikichi had asked the Daihon'ei several times to move his unit to the Philippines. This was granted and parachute units were gradually sent to Luzon. The 1st Air Storm Brigade, the 1st Air Storm Tank Unit and the 1st Air Storm Maintenance Unit remained in Japan in order to be able to train further parachute units.
The first wave of paratroopers (1st Glider Infanter Regiment, 1 Company of the 1st Air Storm Pioneers, 1 company of the 1st Air Storm Signal Unit) left Japan on December 17, 1944 on board the aircraft carrier Unryū . On December 19, the Unryū was hit by five torpedoes from the American submarine USS Redfish (SS-395) , killing over 1000 men of the Air Assault Division. The second wave of reinforcements, 750 men of the 2nd Glider Infantry Regiment and parts of the 1st Air Storm Pioneers, 1st Air Storm Signal Unit and 1st Air Storm Automatic Cannon Unit, reached San Fernando, Luzon, on December 29th. The 2nd Glider Infantry Regiment was transported to Clark Field by rail. When the railway line was destroyed by Allied air raids shortly afterwards, the rest of the parachute troops remained in San Fernando and were assigned to the Shobu unit.
Major General Tsukada and his staff were flown in by air transport and reached Clark Field on January 8, 1945, where they found chaos. Around 30,000 Japanese soldiers, jumbled units from the army, navy and the respective air forces, were distributed across the air base in an uncoordinated manner, without any uniform high command. Major General Tsukada took command of the Kembu Group , which included the 2nd Glider Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Motorized Infantry Regiment, the 39th Infantry Regiment, a large number of members of the Air Army 4, Marine anti-aircraft units , Maintenance personnel and ground personnel of the Army Air Forces. His job was to defend Clark Field and the Carabelle Mountains. When the American 14th Corps attacked on January 23, the 1st line of defense could be held until January 30. The surviving units withdrew to the 2nd line of defense, but the American 40th Infantry Division pursued doggedly. The 2nd Glider Infantry Regiment put up a bitter resistance, but lack of water and provisions forced them to retreat on February 10th, which they began to retreat into the jungle on the slopes of the Pinatubo volcano. Shortly afterwards, the Americans occupied Clark Field. Tsukada was promoted to lieutenant general for the long-term defense of Clark Airfield .
The Japanese were pursued by the 43rd and 38th Infantry Divisions following the loss of Clark Field . On April 6, 1945, the Japanese forces were so weakened that Lieutenant General Tsukada ordered his surviving troops to go into hiding in the jungle and take care of themselves. Lieutenant General Tsukada surrendered on September 2, 1945 with around 1500 men, including 100 survivors of the 2nd Glider Infantry Regiment.
Okinawa I
On November 24, 1944, B-29 bombers dropped their load over Tokyo for the first time . Since the B-29 had started from the Mariana Islands , the 1st Air Storm Brigade was commissioned to assemble a unit to attack the local airfield and destroy the B-29 there. Captain Okuyama Michiro , the commander of the pioneers of the 1st Air Storm Regiment, was in charge of the unit. Many paratroopers volunteered for the company, from which Okuyama selected 126 men for self-sacrifice. The unit was named Giretsu Kūteitai (Giretsu stands for "heroism").
On December 5, 1944, the unit was transferred to the Army Air Force Academy near Saitama . There the paratroopers practiced attaching explosives to a scale B-29 model. Since Type 99 magnetic charges could not be attached to the aluminum B-29, two alternatives were developed. A two-kilogram explosive charge was attached to a bar that had a suction cup at the end that was supposed to be attached to the B-29 wing. Then a cord could be pulled, which triggered the detonation cord of the explosive device with a delay. The second detonation solution was a string about 5 meters long with explosives attached. This "detonating cord", at one end of which was attached a small sand bag, was to be thrown over the wing.
A planned attack for January 17, 1945 had to be postponed because US air raids on Iwojima had damaged the airfield. This meant that it was no longer possible to refuel the transport aircraft there. Shortly thereafter there were plans to attack the airfield after the Allied landing on Iwojima , but this plan was also rejected.
When US troops landed on Okinawa on April 1 and shortly afterwards the Americans stationed hunters on the island to intercept the Japanese Shimpū Tokkōtai (Kamikaze) , the order to attack the Giretsu Kūteitai came .
On May 24, 1945 at 9:25 p.m., twelve transport planes, accompanied by fighters and bombers, appeared over Okinawa. Ten transport planes were shot down in the air and only two planes were able to crash land on the Yontan airfield. About 20 paratroopers were able to free themselves from the rubble of their machines, threw grenades and explosive charges and fired wildly. Two fuel stores with over 250,000 liters went up in flames. Marines , ground personnel, anti-aircraft personnel and airfield security of the Americans, who also shot at suspected and actual enemies without coordination , caused further confusion .
The next day at around 12:55 p.m., all Japanese were killed. The Americans had lost three F4U Corsair fighters, two PB4Y patrol bombers and four R4D (C-47) transporters . 22 F4Us , three F6F Hellcat fighters, two PB4Ys and two R4Ds were damaged.
Okinawa II
Even after the Giretsu attack, which was carried out with dubious success, the Japanese leadership was willing to carry out further similar operations. A few months later the airfields on Okinawa were to be attacked again. During the planned attack, twelve Type 95 off-road vehicles armed with 2 cm type 98 automatic cannons with Ku-8 gliders were to be dropped off. The drivers were selected from the 1st Air Storm Panzer Regiment and the gunners from the 1st Air Storm Brigade. The command of the force was given to Captain Hirota Toshio. At the beginning of August 1945 the unit was relocated to Fussa Airfield near Tokyo and the operation was scheduled for the end of August. The operation was never carried out, however, as Japan announced its intention to surrender on August 15.
organization
The Army Parachute Troops were subordinate to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Forces , which in turn were subordinate to the Daihon'ei (Imperial General Headquarters). The parachute troops were divided into an air storm division ( Teishin Shūdan ), air storm brigades ( Teishin Dan ) and air storm regiments ( Teishin Rentai ), with the strength of the respective unit not corresponding to the usual strength of the army units, but much smaller. In contrast to the paratrooper troops of other armies, the transport aircraft were directly subordinate to the army paratroopers.
Dai-1 Teishin Shūdan (1st Air Storm Division)
The Dai-1 Teishin Shūdan ( 第 1 挺進 集 団 ) was the first and only airborne division of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was set up in late 1944 and met one of their organization ago Division , although it was relatively small by the man strength for a division. According to W. Victor Madej the total strength was about 5575 men, according to Rottman & Takizawa about 12,000 men. As the line-up of the air storm brigades shows, a size of around 8,000 men can be assumed. The Dai 1 Teishin Shudan was subordinate to an air army .
Teishin Dan (Air Storm Brigade)
There were two assault brigades , commanded by a colonel or a lieutenant colonel , each with about 1,475 men, divided into a command staff and two Teishin Rentais (regiments). While the Dai-1 Teishin Dan ( 第 1 挺進 団 ) was subordinate to the Dai-1 Teishin Shūdan, the Dai-2 Teishan Dan ( 第 2 挺進 団 ) was subordinate to an air force. Under certain circumstances, could further paratroop units such as air assault tanks, air Storm repair and airfield securing a Teishin Dan will be allocated to the strength of a brigade could increase to up to 2,475 men.
Teishin Rentai (Air Storm Regiment)
Commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel or Major was a Teishin Rentai ( 挺進連隊 ) from the corporate office, three infantry - companies , a fire support company (heavy machine guns) and telecommunications (partial) unit with a total strength of 700 to 816 men. Under certain circumstances, other units such as storm pioneers could be placed under the Teishin Rentai.
Teishin Hikōdan (Air Storm Aviation Brigade)
The Teishin Hikōdan ( 挺進 飛行 団 ) was set up at the same time as the Dai-1 Teishin Shūdan. The brigade consisted of two air storm flier regiments, a glider flier regiment and a brigade communication unit.
Teishin Hikō Sentai (Air Storm Aviation Regiment)
The primary role of the Teishin Hikō Sentai ( 挺進 飛行 戦 隊 ) was to transport the paratroopers. If the unit was not needed by the paratroopers, it was subordinate to the Army Air Force. The approximately 500 man strong unit was commanded by a lieutenant colonel or major and consisted of a command staff and three squadrons of transport aircraft (approx. 35 Tachikawa Ki-54, Mitsubishi Ki-57 or converted Mitsubishi Ki-21). On average, an aircraft carried 10 to 13 paratroopers.
equipment
weapons
- Type 94 pistol
- Type 30 bayonet
- Type 100 rifle ( 98k carbine with removable barrel)
- 7.7 mm TERA rifle Type 2 (collapsible paratrooper version of the Arisaka Type 99 )
- Type 100 submachine gun
- Type 99 paratrooper machine gun
- Type 92 heavy machine gun
- Type 92 grenade launcher (collapsible paratrooper version)
- Type 93 flamethrower
- Type 100 flamethrower
- Type 97 automatic cannon ( anti-tank rifle )
- 7 cm battalion gun Type 92
- Type 9437 mm anti-tank gun
- Type 1 47mm anti-tank gun
- Type 97 grenade launcher
- Type 98 20 mm anti-aircraft automatic cannon
Transport planes and gliders
(Allied code name behind)
- Kawasaki Ki-56 Thalia
- Kokusai Ku-8 Gander (glider)
- Mitsubishi Ki-57 Topsy
- Mitsubishi Ki-21 Sally
- Nakajima L2D tabby
- Tachikawa Ki-54 Hickory
vehicles
- Type 95 reconnaissance vehicle , off-road vehicle
- Type 2 Ke-To , light tank
- Type 94 Te-Ke
Paraglider tanks
The command of the Army Paratroopers examined the possibility of dropping light tanks with gliders in the combat area. To this end, the Kokusai Ku-7 glider was designed with a 7 ton load capacity, but only two of the gliders were built. In addition, work was carried out on the winged tank special number 3 Ku-Ro light tank ( 特 三号 戦 車 ク ロ ). This tank, like the Soviet Antonov A-40, was supposed to go down like a glider. After landing, the wings should be dropped so that the tank would have been operational. In 1945 the project was discontinued after a single prototype had been completed.
uniform
Army paratroopers wore the standard olive-green cotton uniform or woolen field uniforms. Their boots were slightly higher than the standard boots and had gaiters . A rubberized helmet, covered with brown or olive green fabric, was worn during training. The combat helmet was made of steel and was also covered with brown or olive green fabric. The helmet was provided with fabric triangles on the sides and back, which were criss-crossed with chin and neck straps. The side triangles of fabric each had a hole at ear level. The paratroopers wore the standard field cap for daily duty. At the beginning of the training, the paratroopers still wore a one-piece overalls like the army aviators wore. Later, a one-piece, olive green jump suit was worn over clothing to prevent parachute lines from getting caught in clothing and to provide protection when landing in trees. The one-piece had long sleeves and knee-length legs. There were quick-release fasteners in front of the chest and legs that made it easy to take off.
The army paratroopers wore a leather belt with one or two 30-round cartridge pouches. Sometimes a 60-round cartridge pouch on the back of the belt. The pistol pouch on the right side or instead of one of the 30-round cartridge pouches. The bayonet on the left. The paratroopers wore a leather-reinforced cotton belt around their torso , which was provided with seven ammunition and two grenade pouches. Soldiers equipped with a Type 100 submachine gun had one or two canvas pouches that could each hold four 30-round magazines. The two-man team for the Type 92 grenade launcher was each equipped with two bags of four pockets each for the launcher grenades.
Parachutes
In order to build up our own paratrooper troops, the type 1 , type 1 special and type 4 jump parachutes were developed in the Japanese Empire and were used by units of the Japanese marine infantry and the army during the Second World War.
See also
Web links
- Initial Japanese Army Order of Battle (The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia)
- Imperial Japanese Army Airborne Forces Assault (1942 ~ 44) - Rakkasan Butai
- 義 烈 空 挺 隊 -Giretsu Airborne Unit-
- Organization of Japanese Raiding Groups 1939-1945. http://usacac.army.mil , accessed December 19, 2017 .
- [日本 ニ ュ ー ス空 挺 部隊 Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Airborne forces]
literature
- Army Military Intelligence's Special Series: Japanese Parachute Troops published in July 1945
- Rottman & Takizawa: Japanese Paratroop Forces of World War II Osprey Publishing, UK, 2005, ISBN 978-1-84176-903-5
Individual evidence
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 3
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 4
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 5
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 5
- ↑ a b c Rottman & Takizawa, p. 44
- ↑ a b Rottman & Takizawa, p. 46
- ↑ [1] Paratroop Kamikazes - Leyte 1944 April 7, 2020
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 48
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 49
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 50
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 51
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 52
- ↑ a b c d e Army Military Intelligence's Special Series, p. 10
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 12
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 18
- ^ Rottman & Takizawa, p. 19