| 13th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1905 - 1925; 1937-1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Sendai, Japan |
| Nickname | Mirror Division |
| Engagements | Russo-Japanese War Siberian Intervention Second Sino-Japanese War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Akiyama Yoshifuru Shizuichi Tanaka |
IJA Thirteenth Division (第13師団 Hohei Dai-Jusan Shidan) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the Mirror Division (鏡兵団 Kagami-heidan).
Contents |
The 13th Infantry Division was formed in Sendai on 1 April 1905, as one of the four new divisions created during the closing stages of the Russo-Japanese War. It was given the independent assignment of occupying Sakhalin (Karafuto) island from Russia before the conclusion of the Portsmouth Treaty. It landed on Sakhalin on 7 July, only three months after being formed, and had secured the island by 1 August 1905. As a result of its successful operation, Japan was awarded southern Karafuto during the Portsmouth Treaty, one of its few territorial gains during the war.
After serving garrison duty in Karafuto and in Korea, the 13th Division was one of the divisions selected to participate in the Siberian Intervention. However, on 1 May 1925, it was one of the four division dissolved by Minister of War Ugaki Kazushige as part of a cost saving measure during the Kato Takaaki administration.
The 13th Division was resurrected in 1937 with the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and saw combat during the Battle of Shanghai, Battle of Nanjing (and subsequent Nanjing Massacre, although it was not one of the main Divisions at Nanjing at the time), Battle of Xuzhou, and Battle of Wuhan. It was also part of Operation Ichigo (Battle of Henan-Hunan-Guangxi). It ended the war in Changsha, Hunan Province.
Noteworthy Commanders of the 13th Division included Akiyama Yoshifuru and Shizuichi Tanaka.
Its original Order of Battle included:
It was reformed as a square division in August 1937 for the Battle of Shanghai.
13th Division
Involved in the Battle of Xuzhou, Battle of Wuhan, Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang, Battle of Changsha (1939), 1939-40 Winter Offensive, Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang, and Western Hopei Operation
On 19 December 1942 the 13th Division was reorganized as a triangular division.
13th Division
The Division was then involved in Battle of West Hubei, Battle of Changde, Battle of Henan-Hunan-Guangxi, Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou, Second Guangxi Campaign