71st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

71st Division
第71師団
Active 1942 - 1945
Country Empire of Japan
Allegiance Fortieth Army (Japan)
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role garrison
Engagements Second Sino-Japanese War
Commanders
Notable
commanders

Tenba Umahachi (天羽馬八)

The 71st Division was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. It was created 16 April 1942 in Hunchun and disbanded in September 1945 in Taiwan. It was a triangular division. The men of the division were drafted through 7th military district, located in Hokkaido.

Action

After the training was completed in June 1942, the division was subordinated to the Kwantung Army and sent to the eastern part of the Soviet border in Manchuria.

Division split

In February 1944, according to order number 948, the divisional headquarters and several infantry battalions (total about 2150 men) were split into five detachments and sent to Pagan Island. Also at the same time, one battalion of the 140th infantry regiment was sent to the Kuril Islands. In July 1944, remnants of the division was swapped with the 10th division, leaving the borderland. In January 1945, the division was ordered to Taiwan, arriving in February 1945 in Chiayi County. The regiments were subordinated to the 40th army. Due to reorganization of the coastal defense, the infantry regiments were disbanded and used to reinforce other units. The Allies never invaded Taiwan, but the division suffered heavy casualties due to malaria, with an 80% casualty rate in the worst-affected 88th Infantry regiment. Following the Surrender of Japan, the majority of personnel were returned from Taiwan to mainland Japan in the first half of 1946.

Garrison of Pagan Island

The five detachments of the 71st division become the 9th Independent Mixed Regimentin late February 1944, landing on Pagan Island on 20 March 1944 after sailing from Hunchun.[1] Reorganized later as garrison group 17583, it continued to defend Pagan until the surrender of Japan. Although never invaded, the garrison suffered from severe food shortages and daily air raids. Several hundred soldiers died because of malnutrition before the garrison was evacuated to mainland Japan in late October 1945.

Orders of battle

Order of Battle (1942)

Order of Battle (9th independent infantry regiment, 1944)

References and further reading

This article incorporates material from the article 第71師団_(日本軍) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on 13 January 2015.

References

  1. "Japanese garrisons on the by-passed Pacific Islands 1944-1945". www.dutcheastindies.webs.com. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
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