11th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Encyclopedia
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army
. Its call sign
was the .
. It consisted of troops from the four prefectures of Shikoku
. During the Russo-Japanese War
, this new division was assigned to General Nogi Maresuke's IJA 3rd Army, and thus saw considerable combat (and casualties) at the bloody Siege of Port Arthur
. It was later re-named IJA 5th Army and commanded under General Kawamura Kageaki at the Battle of Mukden
, where it played a significant role in securing the Japanese victory. It remained stationed in Manchuria
after the Russo-Japanese War, and participated in the Siberian Intervention
.
Although the 11th Division was one of the three Japanese Divisions during the First Shanghai Incident of January-March 1932, this division spent most of the Second Sino-Japanese War
on garrison duty in Manchukuo
. In 1938, the 22nd Infantry Regiment was removed, and transformed into the 24th Infantry Division
. In 1942, a portion of the 11th Infantry Division's strength was sent to reinforce the IJA 1st Division prior to its deployment to the Philippines
, and due in part to a newly created 10th Independent Infantry Brigade, which was annihilated at the Battle of Guam (1944).
In April 1945, the surviving portions of the 11th Infantry Division were transferred back to Shikoku, and disbanded with the Japanese surrender at the end of the Pacific War
.
Some noteworthy Commanders of the 11th Division included Nogi Maresuke, Tsuchiya Mitsuharu, Samejima Shigeo, Yoshinori Shirakawa, Iwane Matsui
, Hayao Tada
and Mitsuru Ushijima
.
of the 11th Division included:
Allentown, PA: 1981
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. Its call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was the .
History
The 11th Infantry Division was created on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions formed after the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. It consisted of troops from the four prefectures of Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
. During the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, this new division was assigned to General Nogi Maresuke's IJA 3rd Army, and thus saw considerable combat (and casualties) at the bloody Siege of Port Arthur
Siege of Port Arthur
The Siege of Port Arthur , 1 August 1904 – 2 January 1905, the deep-water port and Russian naval base at the tip of the Liaotung Peninsula in Manchuria, was the longest and most violent land battle of the Russo-Japanese War....
. It was later re-named IJA 5th Army and commanded under General Kawamura Kageaki at the Battle of Mukden
Battle of Mukden
One of the largest land battles to be fought before World War I, the , the last major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War, was fought from 20 February to 10 March 1905 between Japan and Russia near Mukden in Manchuria...
, where it played a significant role in securing the Japanese victory. It remained stationed in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
after the Russo-Japanese War, and participated in the Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
.
Although the 11th Division was one of the three Japanese Divisions during the First Shanghai Incident of January-March 1932, this division spent most of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
on garrison duty in Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
. In 1938, the 22nd Infantry Regiment was removed, and transformed into the 24th Infantry Division
24th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its callsign was the .-History:The 24th Division was formed in Harbin, Manchukuo on 6 October 1939,as part of the Manchukuo territorial defense force under overall command of the 5th Army group of the Kwangtung Army.In July 1944, it was...
. In 1942, a portion of the 11th Infantry Division's strength was sent to reinforce the IJA 1st Division prior to its deployment to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and due in part to a newly created 10th Independent Infantry Brigade, which was annihilated at the Battle of Guam (1944).
In April 1945, the surviving portions of the 11th Infantry Division were transferred back to Shikoku, and disbanded with the Japanese surrender at the end of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
.
Some noteworthy Commanders of the 11th Division included Nogi Maresuke, Tsuchiya Mitsuharu, Samejima Shigeo, Yoshinori Shirakawa, Iwane Matsui
Iwane Matsui
was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and the commander of the expeditionary forces sent to China in World War II. He was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East for responsibility over the Nanking Massacre.-Early life...
, Hayao Tada
Hayao Tada
-External links:* - Notes :...
and Mitsuru Ushijima
Mitsuru Ushijima
- Notes :...
.
Organization
The Order of BattleOrder of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
of the 11th Division included:
- 12th Infantry Regiment (Marugame)
- 43rd Infantry Regiment (Tokushima)
- 44th Infantry Regiment (KochiKochi, Kochiis the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
) - 11th Cavalry Regiment
- 11th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 11th Engineering Regiment
- 11th Transportation Regiment
Reference and further reading
- Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]
Allentown, PA: 1981