25th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Encyclopedia
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army
. Its call-sign was the .
on 10 July 1940, out of two pre-existing infantry
regiment
s and a number of miscellaneous units and placed under the 5th Army group of the Kwangtung Army as part of the final defenses of Manchukuo against the Soviet army
.
In March 1945, it was withdrawn to Japan
, and assigned to Miyazaki prefecture
as part of the final defense of the Japanese home islands against the projected American invasion (Operation Downfall
).
of the 25th Division included:
IJA 25th Division
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 was the .
History
The 25th Division was formed in Tonei (東寧), present day Mudanjiang, ManchukuoManchukuo
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...
on 10 July 1940, out of two pre-existing infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s and a number of miscellaneous units and placed under the 5th Army group of the Kwangtung Army as part of the final defenses of Manchukuo against the Soviet army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
.
In March 1945, it was withdrawn to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and assigned to Miyazaki prefecture
Miyazaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki.- History :Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture....
as part of the final defense of the Japanese home islands against the projected American invasion (Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
).
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 25th Division included:
IJA 25th Division
- 25th Infantry Brigade
- 14th Infantry Regiment (Kokura)
- 40th Infantry Regiment (Tottori)
- 70th Infantry Regiment (Shinoyama)
- 75th Cavalry Regiment (Sakai)
- 15th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 25th Construction Regiment
- 25th Transport Regiment
Reference and further reading
- Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]
Allentown, PA: 1981