Japanese mobile division TO&E

[BobTheBarbarian]

Are there any free online sources that better describe the Japanese division than the US Army handbook? I tried to find as much as I could both on the internet and in my own literary collection, and so far most of what I've read more or less corroborates the US Army's picture. Particularly, Gordon Rottman and Alvin Coox seem to confirm the idea of 4-6 AT guns per infantry regiment (Coox notes that the 23rd Division at Nomonhan was particularly deficient, with only 12 AT guns - 4 per regiment and none in the Recon unit - 12 regimental guns, 24 75mm field pieces, and 12 120mm howitzers. In contrast, the 7th Division had a full compliment).

Are there any Japanese sites that deal with this sort of thing based on their own records?

[fontessa]

Hello BobTheBarbarian,

In 1945 the divisions for homeland defense were created as the below.

(1) 1st Wave Coastal Divisions
Composition and Organization was mainly specified by 1945 Army Top Secret ASIA General Order No.117 dated 28 February 1945. Fortunately we can see it on JACAR.
(JACAR Ref. No. C14010752500 and C14010752600)

(2) 2nd Wave Mobile Divisions
Composition and Organization was specified by 1945 Army Top Secret General Order No.97 dated 2 April 1945. We can see it on JACAR, too.
(JACAR Ref. No. C13070905500 and C13070905600)

(3) 3rd Wave 200/300 Series Divisions.
Unfortunately the Organization of these divisions was referred only in the form of guideline by Army Top Secret general Order No.218 dated 23 May 1945. We can see this document on JACAR, too.
(JACAR Ref. No. C13070906000)

I added the below tables to my web site.

(1) The English transformation forcomposition of 1st - 3rd wave divisions.
http://www.fontessa.info/hondokessenshi ... engou.html

(2) The English transformation for organization table summery of 1st wave coastal divisions.
http://www.fontessa.info/hondokessenshi ... nsei1.html

(3) The English transformation for organization table summery of 2nd wave mobile divisions.
http://www.fontessa.info/hondokessenshi ... nsei2.html

* Some form collapses when you read the abbove with google.


Although written in Japanese and scanned image form, I have uploaded organization table summaries for the units below to my web site.

(1) Units in FY 1941 and FY 1944 Army Mobilization Plans
http://www.fontessa.info/douinkeikakurei.html

(2) “Oceanic Formation” Divisions
http://www.fontessa.info/kaiyouhenseishidan.html

fontessa

[BobTheBarbarian]

Hello BobTheBarbarian,

In 1945 the divisions for homeland defense were created as the below.

Hi fontessa,

Wow, awesome work on this compilation - it really helps out a lot. It's also interesting how the 321st Division was slightly stronger than its peers. If I recall correctly it was assigned to defend O Shima outside Sagami Bay.

[Kelvin]

Hi, Mobile division would use 81 mm mortar in its regimental gun companies instead of 120mm mortar ?

And in accordance with TOE, each rifle company had two Type 92 MG ( each battalion had four companies) and also had a separate MG company with eight HMG, total 16 x Type 92 MG, is it too many for this weapon in infantry battalion ?

[wdgysin]

Hello Kelvin;
According to Ness, the Type 99 81mm mortar was substituted in the mortar company of each battalion in some
of the divisions (It doesn't specify which one's) due to shortages and the mortar platoons in the regimental gun
companies were sometimes not formed, again due to shortages of the 120mm mortar. The division mortar
regiments had a higher priority on the weapons and were completely equipped.
I suspect that the number of machine guns in the infantry battalions was due to the division's counterattack mis-
sion (this is just my best guess). These divisions were made to be hard hitting to counter the US landings, while
the coastal divisions were to tie down the US forces on the beaches.

[Kelvin]

Hi, Wdgysin, Thank for your reply.

Given its weight,the number of type 92 MG are too many as it was really heavy weapon, I think more Type 100 SMG is of vital importance in this type of defensive battle, abeit the Japanese production was limited.

Coastal division even had a large number of Type 89 50mm grenade discharger as she had 12 weapon in each rifle company, even larger than A class infantry division.

Mobile division was something like German Sturm division, in Japanese standpoint, it is very high firepower intensive divisions. At least four of them were joined with two military demonstration units : 81st and 93rd divisions and 1st Tank division and newly created 4th Tank division to form 36th Army to protect Toyko area. This 36th Army, in my opinion was formidable units in the whole Japanese Army in this period. If these mobile divisions can get some tanks would be much better.

I think the communication between Homeland and Southeast Asia as the Philippines was occupied by US troop in the middle area. So Japanese cannot depolyed their three own motorized divisions to defense of Homeland. The weakening of 23rd division in equipment for defense of the Philippines is really unreasonable because this semi motorized would be very useful for Homeland protection.