34th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

The 34th Division (第34師団, Dai-sanjuyon Shidan) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Camellia Division (椿兵団, Tsubaki Heidan).

History

The Japanese Imperial Army 34th Division was raised as a triangular division on 2 July 1939 in Osaka. Its manpower came primarily from Osaka and Wakayama prefecture. It was intended as a garrison force to maintain public order and to cover police duties in Japanese-occupied portions of central China, primarily around the Wuhan area under control of the Japanese 11th Army.

In December 1939, it was transferred to Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province, where it served as a garrison force. In 1940, it participated in the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang. Along with the rest of the Japanese 11th Army, it was assigned to Operation Ichi-go, but as more of a reserve and garrison unit to consolidate and control territorial gains made during that operation, rather than as a front-line combat division. As part of the 20th Army it was involved in the Battle of West Hunan.

It ended the war outside of Jiujiang, on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province.

Organization

The 34th Division was organized as a triangular division.

34th Division -

• 34th Infantry Brigade group:
  • 216th Infantry regiment (Osaka)
  • 217th Infantry regiment (Osaka)
  • 218th Infantry regiment (Wakayama)
• 34th Military Engineer regiment
• 34th Transport regiment

See also

• List of Japanese Infantry Divisions

Reference and further reading

• Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols] Allentown, PA: 1981