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1st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Encyclopedia
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army
. Its call sign
was the .
(Kantō region
), centered on the Tokyo metropolitan area. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888, based on recommendations by the Prussia
n military advisor
Jakob Meckel
to the Japanese government.
As one of the oldest Divisions in the Imperial Japanese Army, the 1st Infantry Division saw combat in the First Sino-Japanese War
and the Russo-Japanese War
and the Nonomhan Incident
.
The February 26 Incident
was an attempted coup d'état
staged by elements of the 1st Infantry Division in Tokyo in 1936.
From 1937, the 1st Infantry Division was stationed in Manchukuo
, where it came under the command of the Kwangtung Army, and where it was assigned to guard the northern border of Manchukuo against the Soviet Union.
During later stages of the Pacific War
the 1st Infantry Division was reassigned to the Philippines
, and initially based in Manila
where it formed the core of General Tomoyuki Yamashita
's 14th Area Army. Ordered to oppose the re-occupation of Leyte
by the American and Filipino forces, the 1st Infantry Division landed at Ormoc City
on the west coast of Leyte on 1 November 1944. Their orders were to move up Leyte Highway Number 2 to Carigara and to secure the northern half of the island. However, American and Filipino forces had already seized Carigara, and American air strikes had deprived the Japanese 1st Infantry Division of its supply chain and reinforcements. Unable to reach Carigara, the Japanese fortified hilltops and ridges along the highway, and defended these areas against the US offensive from 7 November 1944 though 12 December 1944, in fierce combat, including combat in the middle of a typhoon. By the time Leyte was secured by American and Filipino forces, of the 11,000 Japanese soldiers sent to the Battle of Leyte
, only 800 remained alive. Following the Battle of Leyte, the 1st Infantry Division ceased to exist as an operational unit.
Some of the more noteworthy commanders in the history of 1st Infantry Division include: Miyoshi Shigomi, Oku Yasukata
, Kawamura Kageaki HIH Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
, HIH Prince Kanin Kotohito, Ichinohe Hyoe, Yoshinori Shirakawa, and Jinzaburo Mazaki
.
of the 1st Division was as a Square Division
.
1st Division
When it was later reorganized as a Triangular Division, it had the following organization:
1st Division
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 1st Infantry Division was formed in Tokyo in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Tokyo Garrison had responsibility for the eastern region of HonshūHonshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
(Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
), centered on the Tokyo metropolitan area. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888, based on recommendations by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n military advisor
Military advisor
Military advisors, or combat advisors, are soldiers sent to foreign nations to aid that nation with its military training, organization, and other various military tasks. These soldiers are often sent to aid a nation without the potential casualties and political ramifications of actually...
Jakob Meckel
Jakob Meckel
Klemens Wilhelm Jacob Meckel was a general in the Prussian army and foreign advisor to the government of Meiji period Japan.-Biography:...
to the Japanese government.
As one of the oldest Divisions in the Imperial Japanese Army, the 1st Infantry Division saw combat in the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
and 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...
and the Nonomhan Incident
Battle of Khalkhin Gol
The Battles of Khalkhyn Gol was the decisive engagement of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese Border Wars fought among the Soviet Union, Mongolia and the Empire of Japan in 1939. The conflict was named after the river Khalkhyn Gol, which passes through the battlefield...
.
The February 26 Incident
February 26 Incident
The was an attempted coup d'état in Japan, from February 26 to 29, 1936 carried out by 1,483 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army. Several leading politicians were killed and the center of Tokyo was briefly occupied by the rebelling troops...
was an attempted coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
staged by elements of the 1st Infantry Division in Tokyo in 1936.
From 1937, the 1st Infantry Division was stationed 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...
, where it came under the command of the Kwangtung Army, and where it was assigned to guard the northern border of Manchukuo against the Soviet Union.
During later stages 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...
the 1st Infantry Division was reassigned 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 initially based in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
where it formed the core of General Tomoyuki Yamashita
Tomoyuki Yamashita
General was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He was most famous for conquering the British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, earning the nickname "The Tiger of Malaya".- Biography :...
's 14th Area Army. Ordered to oppose the re-occupation of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
by the American and Filipino forces, the 1st Infantry Division landed at Ormoc City
Ormoc City
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people...
on the west coast of Leyte on 1 November 1944. Their orders were to move up Leyte Highway Number 2 to Carigara and to secure the northern half of the island. However, American and Filipino forces had already seized Carigara, and American air strikes had deprived the Japanese 1st Infantry Division of its supply chain and reinforcements. Unable to reach Carigara, the Japanese fortified hilltops and ridges along the highway, and defended these areas against the US offensive from 7 November 1944 though 12 December 1944, in fierce combat, including combat in the middle of a typhoon. By the time Leyte was secured by American and Filipino forces, of the 11,000 Japanese soldiers sent to the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
, only 800 remained alive. Following the Battle of Leyte, the 1st Infantry Division ceased to exist as an operational unit.
Some of the more noteworthy commanders in the history of 1st Infantry Division include: Miyoshi Shigomi, Oku Yasukata
Oku Yasukata
- Notes :...
, Kawamura Kageaki HIH Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
was the 22nd head of the Fushimi-no-miya shinnōke . He was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army.- Early life :...
, HIH Prince Kanin Kotohito, Ichinohe Hyoe, Yoshinori Shirakawa, and Jinzaburo Mazaki
Jinzaburo Mazaki
- Notes :...
.
Organization
The original 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 1st Division was as a Square Division
Square division
A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
.
1st Division
- 1st Infantry Brigade
- 1st Infantry Regiment
- 49th Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Infantry Brigade
- 3rd Infantry Regiment
- 57th Infantry Regiment
- 1st Field Artillery Regiment
- 1st Cavalry Regiment
- 1st Engineer Regiment
- 1st Transport Regiment
When it was later reorganized as a Triangular Division, it had the following organization:
1st Division
- 1st Infantry Brigade Group
- 1st Infantry Regiment (AzabuAzabuis an area within Minato in Tokyo, Japan, built on a marshy area of foothills south of central Tokyo. Its coverage roughly corresponds to that of the former Azabu Ward, presently consisting of nine official districts: Azabu-Jūban, Azabudai, Azabu-Nagasakachō, Azabu-Mamianachō, Nishi-Azabu,...
) - 49th Infantry Regiment (Kofu)
- 57th Infantry Regiment (SakuraSakura, Chibais a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 172,176 and a population density of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².-Geography:...
)
- 1st Infantry Regiment (Azabu
- 1st Field Artillery Regiment
- 1st Recon Regiment
- 1st Engineer Regiment
- 1st Transport Regiment
Reference and further reading
- Madej, W. Victor, Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols], Allentown, Pennsylvania: 1981
- Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. 13: The Liberation of the Philippines—Luzon, Mindanao, the Visayas, 1944-1945 University of Illinois Press (2002), ISBN 0-252-07064-X
- Vego Milan N. Battle for Leyte, 1944 : Allied And Japanese Plans, Preparations, And Execution. Naval Institute Press, 2006. ISBN 1-55750-885-2