3rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 3rd Division (第三師団, Dai-san shidan) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Kō-heidan (幸兵団).
| 3rd Division | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Headquarter of the 3rd Division in 1911, Nagoya | |
| Active | 1888–1945 |
| Country | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Nagoya, Aichi, Japan |
| Engagements | First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War Siberian Intervention Shandong Incident |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Taro Katsura Yoshimichi Hasegawa Yusaku Uehara Nobuyoshi Muto |
History
The 3rd Division was formed in Nagoya in January 1871 as the Nagoya Garrison (名古屋鎮台, Nagoya chindai), 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 Chūbu district, and stretched from Aichi Prefecture to Ishikawa Prefecture. Upon the recommendations of the Prussian 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 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.
9 December 1938, the 3rd division was subordinated to 11th Army and was subsequently was one of the divisions assigned to the China Expeditionary Army (CGA) headquartered in Nanjing. As one of the most powerful units ("crack" unit) in the theatre, the 3rd Division has served in nearly every battle in central China. During the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign it was converted into a triangular division on July 4, 1942. 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 | Actions start date data-sort-type="date" | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Battle of Shanghai | 22 August 1937 | Chuanshakou - Shanghai |
| Battle of Xuzhou | 14 February 1938 | south of Xuzhou |
| Battle of Wuhan | 22 August 1938 | Xinyang |
| Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang | 3 May 1939 | Tongbai - Suixian |
| Battle of Changsha (1939) | 1 September 1939 | Hubei - Hunan - Changsha |
| 1939-40 Winter Offensive | 13 December 1939 | Tingsiqiao - Xinyang |
| Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang | 1 May 1940 | Xiangyang - Xiakou, Nanzhang County |
| Central Hopei Operation | 23 November 1940 | Suizhou |
| Battle of South Henan | 24 January 1941 | Ye County, 保安鎮 city |
| Battle of Changsha (1941) | 7 September 1941 | south bank of Miluo River - Huashan, Xinhua County |
| Battle of Changsha (1942) | 24 December 1941 | Yueyang - Miluo River - Liuyang River - Miluo River |
| Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign | 15 May 1942 | ? |
| Battle of West Hubei | 9 April 1943 | north coast of Dongting Lake |
| Battle of Changde | 2 November 1943 | south of Changde - Changde - south of Changde |
| Battle of Changsha (1944) | 27 May 1944 | Wanyang Shan - Liuyang |
| Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou | September 1944 | southern Liuzhou |
- Battle of West Henan-North Hubei (possibly messed up with 3rd Tank Division)
At the end of World War II, with the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Army, the 3rd Division was formally disbanded in Zhejiang.
See also
- List of Japanese Infantry Divisions
Reference and further reading
- Madej, W. Victor (1981). Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937–1945. Allentown, PA: Game Marketing Co. OCLC 8930220.