The 5th Imperial Division or Carp was a division that served during World War II under Japan. It was originally formed in 1871 as the garrison defending Hiroshima. It was most notable for being one of the oldest divisions in service with the Imperial Japanese Army. Furthermore, the 5th Division was also notable for being trained in amphibious tactics and being equipped with motor vehicles. The division itself was disbanded in 1945 in the Dutch East Indies after surrendering to the Allies.
Commanders[]
The first World War II era commander of the 5th Imperial Division was Seishirō Itagaki who had maintained his command of the division from 1937 until the following year. Replacing him would be Ando Toshikichi, though he had only maintained command for a few months. Following was Hitoshi Imamura who would be the commander for the division's latter activities in China.
He was succeeded by Matsui Futoshi Hisao who kept command until 1942, during which time, the 5th Division landed at Thailand and thus began the invasion of Singapore.[1]The final commanders of the division were Lt. General Tsutomu Yamamoto who served until 1944, Seiichi Yamada who maintained command until early 1945, and Kobori Kinjo who maintained command for the remained of the war.
Soldiers of the 5th Imperial Division navigating the jungles of Malaya, 1942
Structure[]
Originally, the 5th Imperial Division was of a Square Division type and as such, consisted of the 21st Imperial Infantry Regiment, 11th Imperial Infantry Regiment, 41st Imperial Infantry Regiment, 42nd Imperial Infantry Regiment, and all of its supporting personnel. These included basic assault engineering units, medical units, and in total, accounted for about 25,000 personnel in the division. However, once the division was reorganized into a Triangular division, the 41st Infantry Regiment was removed from the grouping.
Unit History[]
The 5th Imperial Division's first combat service was in 1894 during the First Sino Japanese War. Here it earned seniority among its fellow units, standing out as elite, consisting mainly of veterans of various conflict. Following, it served in the Russo Japanese War, also demonstrating its combat prowess. Its first combat experience during the Second World War however was in China.
Although being quite effective during the conflict, several key defeats heavily crippled the unit. The division continued to fight in the region until 1940 when it was relocated to the fighting in Indochina.[2] By 1942, the division had already landed in Thailand and was making quick progress through Malaya with the use of the 500 trucks and many bicycles at the divisions disposal. From that point on, sections of the division were sent to various islands, mainly to perform garrison duty. For example, the 41st Infantry Regiment was just about destroyed in New Guinea.
References[]
- ↑ http://1942malaya.blogspot.com/2009/08/citations-of-japanese-army-5th-division.html
- ↑ Rottman L. Gordon. Japanese Army in World War II:Conquest of the Pacific 1941-1942. Osprey Publishing (2005), Page 17