The was the unit code name

Code name

A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...

 used by Imperial Japanese Army

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...

 during 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...

.

The Tsūshōgō was the combination of and . Heidan-Mojifu was the kanji

Kanji

Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...

 code assigned for every division

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

, independent brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

 and other larger unit. Each Heidan-Mojifu usually consisted of one kanji, but some units established in the last stages of the war had two-characters codes. Unmobilized

Mobilization

Mobilization is the act of assembling and making both troops and supplies ready for war. The word mobilization was first used, in a military context, in order to describe the preparation of the Prussian army during the 1850s and 1860s. Mobilization theories and techniques have continuously changed...

 units were assigned area codes, such as 東部 (Tōbu, 'east area of Japan'). The Tsūshō-Bangō was the 3-5 figures code number assigned for every IJA unit.

For example, the 116th Division had the Heidan-Mojifu 嵐 (Arashi, 'storm'). The Tsūshōgō of the division units were the following :

• 109th Infantry Regiment -
• 120th Infantry Regiment - Unit Arashi 6212
• 133rd Infantry Regiment - Unit Arashi 6214
• 122nd Field Artillery Regiment - Unit Arashi 6222
• 116th Construction Regiment - Unit Arashi 6225
• 116th Transport Regiment - Unit Arashi 6227
• Division combat medical unit - Unit Arashi 6229

Unit 731

Unit 731

was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried out by Japanese...

 was an example of a tsūshō-bangō. The official unit name was and the full code name was . 満州 (Manshū, meaning '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...

') was the code assigned for some Kwantung Army units.

External links

• 帝國陸軍その制度と人事 - List of Heidan-Mojifu of divisions.