73rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
| 73rd Division | |
|---|---|
| 第73師団 | |
| Active | 1944 - 1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Allegiance | Japanese Thirteenth Area Army |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Coastal defense |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Nonoyama Hidemi (野々山秀美) |
The 73rd Division was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. It was created in July 1944 in Nagoya and disbanded 23 September 1945 in Toyohashi. It was a triangular division. The men of the division were drafted through 3rd military district, located in Nagoya.
Action
Initially the division was guarding the coast of Suruga Bay, excluding Chita Peninsula. Later the zone of responsibility was shifted to between Toyohashi and Lake Hamana. After completing the training with the Central District Army, the 73rd division was attached to Japanese Thirteenth Area Army from 1 February 1945. The division spent the time until surrender of Japan 15 August 1945 fortifying in anticipation of the Allied invasion which never came.
Order of Battle (1945)
- 196. Infantry regiment
- 197. Infantry regiment
- 198. Infantry regiment
- 73. Artillery regiment
- 73. Engineer regiment
- 73. Logistics regiment
- 73. Machine cannon company
- 73. Signals battalion
- 73. Sanitation department
- 73/1. Field hospital
- 73/4. Field hospital
- 73. Chemical warfare company
- 73. Ordnance department
- 73. Veterinary department
References and further reading
- List of Japanese Infantry Divisions
- Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols] Allentown, PA: 1981
- 秦郁彦編『日本陸海軍総合事典』第2版、東京大学出版会、2005年。
- 外山操・森松俊夫編著『帝国陸軍編制総覧』芙蓉書房出版、1987年。
- 『別冊歴史読本 戦記シリーズNo.32 太平洋戦争師団戦史』、新人物往来社、1996年。
This article incorporates material from the article 第73師団_(日本軍) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on 14 January 2015.