Independent mixed brigade
An independent mixed brigade ( Japanese 独立 混成旅 団 , dokuritsu konsei ryodan ) was a special unit in the organizational structure of the Imperial Japanese Army , which was in the order of magnitude between a division (approx. 15,000 men) and a regiment (approx. 3,500 men) and comprised various branches of service.
history
Such brigades were officially introduced in 1934. After the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War , around one hundred Independent Mixed Brigades (SGB) were set up to monitor and maintain order in the occupied territories. The divisions that had been entrusted with these tasks up to then could be separated and deployed on other fronts. Due to their flexible deployment options, the number of brigades increased towards the end of the war. Some of these brigades were later converted into divisions.
structure
An independent mixed brigade had around 5,000 to 11,000 men and consisted mostly of four or five infantry battalions , to which a telecommunications unit or engineers , tank and artillery units were added depending on the area of operation and the situation . This enabled the SGB to conduct campaigns and operations independently.
The superordinate large association of an independent mixed brigade was an army , regional army or main army . The brigade was usually commanded by an officer with the rank of major general .
literature
- Victor Madej: Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945. Game Publishing, 1981, OCLC 833591372 , OCLC 833591376 .
- Philip Jowett, "The Japanese Army 1931-45 (1)" Osprey Publishing, 2002, ISBN 978-1-8417-6353-8
- Gordon Rottman, "Japanese Army in World War II, Conquest of the Pacific" Osprey Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978-1-8417-6789-5
- Gordon Rottman: "Japanese Army in World War II, The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942-43" Osprey Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978-1-8417-6870-0
Web links
- Organization of Japanese Independent Infantry Brigades and Groups 1939-1945. http://usacac.army.mil , accessed December 19, 2017 .