57th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Encyclopedia
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army
. Its call sign
was the .
to be a reserve and training division for the 8th Division
on 10 July 1940. Its manpower was recruited from the northern prefectures of Aomori
and Akita
, and its call-sign “Oku” was taken from the ancient name of the Tohoku region of northern Honshū
, "Oshu
".
Initially under direct command of Emperor Hirohito, at the end of 1940, it was transferred to the Northern Area Army, and subsequently to the Kwangtung Army on 1 August 1941, and redeployed to Manchukuo
.
It served as a garrison force in Manchukuo throughout the course of the Second Sino-Japanese War
without seeing combat. In March 1945, as the Americans were closing in on the Japanese home islands, the 57th Division was transferred to the 16th Area Army and redeployed in Kyushu. At the end of the Pacific War
, it surrendered to the United States and was disbanded.
for the 57th Division was:
IJA 57th 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
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 57th Division was created in Hirosaki, AomoriHirosaki, Aomori
is a city located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is a castle town and was the Tsugaru clan ruled the 100,000 koku tozama han Hirosaki Domain from Hirosaki Castle during the Edo period. The city is currently a regional commercial center and the largest producer of apples in Japan...
to be a reserve and training division for the 8th Division
8th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 8th Infantry Division was formed on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War. It consisted of troops from the Tōhoku region of Japan, primarily Aomori...
on 10 July 1940. Its manpower was recruited from the northern prefectures of Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
and Akita
Akita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
, and its call-sign “Oku” was taken from the ancient name of the Tohoku region of northern Honshū
Honshu
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...
, "Oshu
Oshu
Oshu or Ōshū may refer to:* Oshu** Oshu , the First Prime of Lord Yu in New Order .** Ōshū, another name for Mutsu Province.** The city of Ōshū, Iwate, Japan....
".
Initially under direct command of Emperor Hirohito, at the end of 1940, it was transferred to the Northern Area Army, and subsequently to the Kwangtung Army on 1 August 1941, and redeployed to 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...
.
It served as a garrison force in Manchukuo throughout the course 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...
without seeing combat. In March 1945, as the Americans were closing in on the Japanese home islands, the 57th Division was transferred to the 16th Area Army and redeployed in Kyushu. 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...
, it surrendered to the United States and was disbanded.
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...
for the 57th Division was:
IJA 57th Division
- 57th Infantry Brigade
- 52nd Infantry Regiment (Hirosaki)
- 117th Infantry Regiment (Akita)
- 132nd Infantry Regiment (Akita)
- 57th Field Artillery Regiment
- 57th Engineering Regiment
- 57th Transportation Regiment
Reference and further reading
- Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]
Allentown, PA: 1981