57th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
| 57th Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940 - 1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Hirosaki |
| Nickname(s) | Deep Division |
The 57th Division (第57師団 Dai-gojunana Shidan?) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Deep Division (奥兵団 Oku Heidan?).
History
The 57th Division was created in Hirosaki, Aomori to be a reserve and training division for the 8th Division on 10 July 1940. Its manpower was recruited from the northern prefectures of Aomori and Akita, and its call-sign “Oku” was taken from the ancient name of the Tohoku region of northern Honshū, "Oshu".
Initially under direct command of Emperor Hirohito, at the end of 1940, it was transferred to the Northern China Area Army, and subsequently to the Kwantung Army on 1 August 1941, and redeployed to Manchukuo.
It served as a garrison force in Manchukuo throughout the course of the Second Sino-Japanese War without seeing combat. In March 1945, as the Americans were closing in on the Japanese home islands, the 57th Division was transferred to the 16th Area Army and redeployed to Kyushu. At the end of the Pacific War, it surrendered to the United States and was disbanded.
Organization
The order of battle for the 57th Division was:
IJA 57th Division
- 57th Infantry Brigade
- 52nd Infantry Regiment (Hirosaki)
- 117th Infantry Regiment (Akita)
- 132nd Infantry Regiment (Akita)
- 57th Field Artillery Regiment
- 57th Engineering Regiment
- 57th Transportation Regiment
See also
Reference and further reading
- Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]
Allentown, PA: 1981
