23rd Division's artillery?

[john whitman]

To all:

Please see //www1.ocn.ne.jp/~to5si4/23sidan/asahi.htm. Is the artillery here the 13th Field Artillery Group? I believe that division artillery consisted of the 17th Field Artillery Regiment. Was the 17th part of the 13th Field Artillery Group?

//www7.plala.or.jp/uminarido/page101.html says:

野砲兵第１７連隊（移動途中、米潜水艦の襲撃で一部海没）

独立野砲兵第１３大隊（注・野砲兵第１７連隊の戦力補完の為配属）

Was the 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion assigned to the division's artillery to reinforce it? When Mayasan Maru sank on 17 November 1944, was the 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion on the ship (instead of the 13th Field Artillery Group), or were there also elements of the 17th Field Artillery Regiment aboard (headquarters and 1st Battalion's trains)? Or was it just 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion?

//www1.ocn.ne.jp/~to5si4/23sidan/asahi.htm shows 1st Battalion, 13th Artillery (Regiment? Group?) aboard Kibitsu Maru and 2nd Battalion, 13th Artillery aboard Shinshu Maru. Is this an error? Should this be 17th Field Artillery Regiment instead of 13th Field Artillery Group?

Where was the 3rd Battalion, 17th Artillery? Was it detached from the artillery regiment? Is that why the 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion was assigned?

This is confusing me, and I hope that someone can help. Thanks in advance.

John

[Akira Takizawa]

17th Field Artillery Regiment was former 13th Field Artillery Regiment (That page confused them). When it moved to Luzon, it was reorganized and renamed to 17th. It detached the second battalion and became two battalions. Detached second battalion was left in Manchuria and later disbanded.

As the first battalion was almost lost in transit, 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion was attached to 17th Field Artillery Regiment on Luzon.

Taki

[john whitman]

Taki:

Once again, you have saved the day. Thank you for finding this information.

But I do have a new question. When did the 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion go to Luzon? We had earlier discussed non-divisional artillery that went to Luzon, but the 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion was not on the list. Did they travel with the 23rd Division and join the 23rd Division after Mayasan Maru was sunk?

John

[Akira Takizawa]

There is no information about the travel of 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion.

Taki

[john whitman]

Taki:

Thanks for checking. If the 13th Independent Artillery Battalion was assigned to the 23rd Division because of losses in the division's artillery while sailing to Luzon, it is possible that the 13th Independent Artillery Battalion was already on Luzon.

John

[Akira Takizawa]

I know about the travel of 13th Independent Field Artillery Battalion to Luzon.

Departed from Moji on Nov. 25th, 1944 on the convoy of Nissho Maru, Oryoku maru, Kazuura maru etc.
Arrived at Manila on Dec. 11th.

Taki

[john whitman]

Taki:

Thanks for the great information. Do you know on which maru they sailed, or were they divided between several marus?

This would be Convoy HI-83 that departed Moji on 25 November and arrived at Takao on 30 November. Oryoku Maru carried 2,054 soldiers. She had aboard the 4th Medium Mortar Battalion. She also carried the Headquarters, 23rd Engineers, 2nd Company, and Material Platoon. There were also other units that I have not identified.

Nissho Maru carried the Headquarters and 1st and 2nd Battalions, 71st Infantry, 23rd Division.

Both those marus then departed Takao on 5 December in Convoy TAMA-35 along with Kazuura Maru and Arimasan Maru. Arimasan Maru carried Headquarters, 10th Division, 39th Infantry (-), 2nd Battalion, 10th Artillery, and engineers, reconnaissance, medical, and transportation personnel. They arrived safely in Manila on 11 December.

Taki, are there any sources available to me on the internet that list units carried aboard various marus?

John

[Akira Takizawa]

> Do you know on which maru they sailed, or were they divided between several marus?

It is not clear on which transport they were. Probably, they dispersed on some transports.

> Taki, are there any sources available to me on the internet that list units carried aboard various marus?

I don't know any sources which you can use.

Taki

[john whitman]

Taki:

Thanks again for your help. Occasionally, I find a Japanese website that has information about convoys and the units aboard the marus. I will keep looking.

John