3rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Encyclopedia
The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army
. Its call sign
was the .
district, and stretched from Aichi Prefecture
to Ishikawa Prefecture
. Upon the recommendations of the Prussia
n military advisor
Jakob Meckel
to the Japanese government, the six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888.
As one of the oldest divisions in the Imperial Japanese Army, the 3rd Infantry Division participated in combat operations during the First Sino-Japanese War
, the Russo-Japanese War
, the Siberian Intervention
, and the Shandong Incident
.
Some of its more noteworthy commanders included Katsura Taro
, Hasegawa Yoshimichi, Uehara Yusaku and Nobuyoshi Muto
.
During the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War
the 3rd Infantry Division participated in the Battles of Shanghai
and Xuzhou
and was subsequently was one of the divisions assigned to the China Expeditionary Army (CGA) headquartered in Nanjing
. The 3rd Infantry Division also served in nearly every theatre in central China. During the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign it was converted into a triangular division. It later served, for a time as a headquarters and garrison division for strategic Zhejiang Province.
Battles and Campaigns fought in China (1937–1945)
At the end of World War II
, with the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Army, the 3rd Infantry Division was formally disbanded in Zhejiang.
:
3rd Division
On July 4, 1942 the order of battle
for 3rd Division was reorganized as a triangular division
in China.
3rd 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 3rd Infantry Division was formed in Nagoya in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Nagoya Garrison had responsibility for the central region of Japan. This region was known as the ChūbuChubu region
The is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly...
district, and stretched from Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
to Ishikawa Prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
. Upon the recommendations of 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, the six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888.
As one of the oldest divisions in the Imperial Japanese Army, the 3rd Infantry Division participated in combat operations during 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and the Shandong Incident
Jinan Incident
The Jinan Incident or May 3rd Tragedy , was an armed conflict between the Japanese Army allied with Northern Chinese warlords against the Kuomintang's southern army in Jinan, the capital of Shandong in 1928 during the Kuomintang's Northern Expedition.-Background:During the Northern Expedition,...
.
Some of its more noteworthy commanders included Katsura Taro
Katsura Taro
Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...
, Hasegawa Yoshimichi, Uehara Yusaku and Nobuyoshi Muto
Nobuyoshi Muto
-External links:*- Notes :...
.
During the early stages 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...
the 3rd Infantry Division participated in the Battles of Shanghai
Battle of Shanghai
The Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
and Xuzhou
Battle of Xuzhou
The Battle of Xuzhou was fought between Japanese and Chinese forces in May 1938 during Second Sino-Japanese War. In contemporary accounts in English, the event was usually referred to as the "Battle of Hsuchow", using the Chinese Postal Map Romanization....
and was subsequently was one of the divisions assigned to the China Expeditionary Army (CGA) headquartered in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. The 3rd Infantry Division also served in nearly every theatre in central China. During the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign it was converted into a triangular division. It later served, for a time as a headquarters and garrison division for strategic Zhejiang Province.
Battles and Campaigns fought in China (1937–1945)
- Battle of ShanghaiBattle of ShanghaiThe Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
- Battle of XuzhouBattle of XuzhouThe Battle of Xuzhou was fought between Japanese and Chinese forces in May 1938 during Second Sino-Japanese War. In contemporary accounts in English, the event was usually referred to as the "Battle of Hsuchow", using the Chinese Postal Map Romanization....
- Battle of Suixian-ZaoyangBattle of Suixian-ZaoyangThe Battle of Suixian–Zaoyang , also known as the Battle of Suizao was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.- The battle :...
- Battle of Changsha (1939)Battle of Changsha (1939)Battle of Changsha was the first attempt by Japan to take the city of Changsha, China, during the second Sino-Japanese War. It was the first major battle of the war to fall within the timeframe of what's widely considered World War II.- Background and strategy :The war had already reached a...
- 1939-40 Winter Offensive1939-40 Winter OffensiveThe 1939–40 Winter Offensive was one of the major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War...
- Battle of Zaoyang-YichangBattle of Zaoyang-YichangThe Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang , also known as the Battle of Zaoyi was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War....
- Central Hopei Operation
- Battle of South HenanBattle of South HenanThe Battle of South Henan , was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.This battle was the first time the NRA engaged the Japanese in southern Henan....
- 2nd Battle of ChangshaBattle of Changsha (1941)The Battle of Changsha was Japan's second attempt at taking the city of Changsha, China, the capital of Hunan Province, as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War.-Overview:...
- 3rd Battle of ChangshaBattle of Changsha (1942)The third Battle of Changsha was the first major offensive in China by Imperial Japanese forces following the Japanese attack on the Western Allies....
- Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign
- Battle of West HubeiBattle of West HubeiThe Battle of West Hubei , was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was also one of the four major battles that took place in Hubei....
- Battle of ChangdeBattle of Changde- Sources :* Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China. Pg...
- Battle of Changsha (1944)Battle of Changsha (1944)The Battle of Changsha , was an invasion of the Chinese province of Hunan by Japanese troops near the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War...
- Battle of Guilin-LiuzhouBattle of Guilin-LiuzhouThe Battle of Guilin–Liuzhou , also known as the Battle of Guiliu was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War....
- Battle of West Henan-North HubeiBattle of West Henan-North HubeiThe Battle of West Henan-North Hubei , was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was in northern Hubei and western Henan...
At the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Army, the 3rd Infantry Division was formally disbanded in Zhejiang.
Organization
The originally the 3rd Division was organized as a square divisionSquare 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...
:
3rd Division
- 5th Infantry Brigade
- 6th Infantry Regiment
- 68th Infantry Regiment
- 29th Infantry Brigade
- 18th Infantry Regiment18th Infantry Regiment (Imperial Japanese Army)The was an infantry regiment in the Imperial Japanese Army . Its call sign and unit code was . The unit was formed in 1884 and based in the city of Toyohashi as a branch of the Nagoya Garrison. Throughout its history, the majority of its soldiers came from the Mikawa region, or eastern Aichi...
(Toyohashi) - 34th Infantry Regiment
- 18th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment
- 3rd Engineer Regiment
- 3rd Transport Regiment
On July 4, 1942 the order of battle
Order 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...
for 3rd Division was reorganized as a triangular division
Triangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...
in China.
3rd Division
- 3rd Infantry Brigade Group
- 6th Infantry Regiment
- 34th Infantry Regiment
- 68th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment
- 3rd Field Artillery Regiment
- 3rd Construction Regiment
- 3rd Transport Regiment