JAPANESE INFANTRY DIVISION - ARMIES OF WWII cont.
Armies of WW11 continued….
Japanese Infantry Division
A Division was commanded by a lieutenant general, with a colonel of the General staff as Chief of Staff. The staff was in two sections – the General Staff section and the administrative section. To the staff were attached five departmental sections and an ordinance, a signal, and a veterinary detachment. In all, there were about 300 officers and enlisted men. The General Staff section was composed of about 75 officers and enlisted men. The Chief of Staff supervised and coordinated the work of the General and Administrative staffs. He acted as the link between the division commander and the unit commanders, heads of departments and the civil authorities.
Each infantry division normally contained either one cavalry or one reconnaissance regiment or unit. Within both the standard and the strengthened divisions, the regimental cavalry was organized basically along the same lines.
Typical organization of Japanese standard army division in 1941 was as follows:
• Cavalry Regiment, with three Rifle Companies
• Machine gun Company
• Reconnaissance Regiment, with a Mounted Company, a Motor Company, and an Armored Car Company
• Infantry Group, comprising three Infantry Regiments, each with three Battalions.
• HQ Company
• Artillery Regiment, with three Artillery Battalions
• Engineer Regiment
• Transport Regiment
Total Strength: 20,000
Divisional firepower:
• Light Machine Guns: 382
• Heavy Machine Guns: 112
• Grenade Launches: 340
Antitank guns:
• 47mm antitank guns: 37
• 20mm antitank guns:18
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