108th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

108th Division 1937 - 1945 Empire of Japan Empire of Japan Infantry 18141 Hirosaki Koyama Shimomoto "Help/Divine Protection" Division Second Sino-Japanese WarSoviet invasion of Manchuria 108th Division 1937 1st army *25. Infantry brigade 117. Infantry regiment 132. Infantry regiment 104. Infantry brigade 52. Infantry regiment 105. Infantry regiment 108. Cavalry battalion 108. Field artillery regiment (Hirosaki) 108. Engineer regiment (Morioka) 108. Transport regiment 108th Division 11 August 1945 3rd area army *240. Infantry regiment 241. Infantry regiment 242. Infantry regiment 171. Cavalry regiment 108. Artillery regiment 108/1. Field artillery battalion (75 mm) 108/2. Field artillery battalion (75 mm) 108/3. Field heavy artillery battalion (105 mm howitzers) 108. airborne (assault) battalion 108. Signals company 108. Engineer company 108/1. Transport company (horse) 108/2. Transport company (horse) 108/3. Transport company (motor) 108. Sanitation unit 108/1. Stretcher company 108/2. Stretcher company 108/3. Stretcher company 108/4. Ambulance company 108. Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department 108. Ordnance company 108. Veterinary department The 108th Division 第108師団 Dai-hyakuhachi Shidan was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Help/Divine Protection Division 祐兵団 Yū Heidan. It was formed on 24 August 1937 in Hirosaki as a square division. The nucleus for the formation was the 8th Division headquarters. It was subordinated from the beginning to the 1st Army in North China. Part of the personnel served a second tour in 1942 with the 69th Division. Action First formation The 108th Division was sent to the ongoing Beiping–Hankou Railway Operation in October 1937http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/937JHAA.PDF Japanese Forces Operating along the Northern Sector of Peiping-Hankow Railway Mid-August, 1937 2016-06-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20110216002719/http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/937JHAA.PDF 2011-02-16 dead and had the distinction of capturing Linfen from Chinese forces. Later it was responsible for security in Shanxi province. The division returned to Japan in January 1940 and was dissolved in February 1940. From the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War until its return to Japan in January 1940, the 108th Division suffered 2,205 killed, 452 dead from illnesses, and 5,575 wounded.第１０８師団長状況報告 https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F2007110515394479858&ID=M2007110515395479983&REFCODE=C07091494200 Japan Center for Asian Historical Records 2026-03-0714 Second formation As the situation in the Pacific War deteriorated, the 108th Division was re-established 12 July 1944 in Chengde as a triangular division. It was assigned directly to the Kwantung Army, fighting Chinese Communist forces in the Chengde area. In early 1945, the 171st Cavalry Regiment joined the division. On 23 May 1945, the division was reassigned to the 3rd Area Army, and reinforced by a veterinary detachment plus an ordnance company.Record of Operations Against Soviet Russia Northern and Western Fronts (August-September 1945), p. 143 Gradually, during June 1945 the 108th Division was re-deployed to counter the Soviet threat. Some elements of the division were left behind in Chengde for a planned anti-communist offensive. On 1 August 1945, the most capable men of the infantry and cavalry regiments were assembled into an assault battalion, leaving vacancies behind. At the same time, the divisional artillery battalion was expanded to an artillery regiment. The majority of men drafted during this wave of expansion were not armed (not even with rifles or bayonets), and did not have uniforms. The 108th Division was still drafting as late as 13 August 1945.Record of Operations Against Soviet Russia Northern and Western Fronts (August-September 1945), p. 148 With the start of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, the 108th Division was at Jinzhou. On 10 August 1945, the Mizunuma detachment, comprising an infantry battalion and an artillery battalion, was reassigned to the 136th Division. At the same time, the rest of the 108th Division was reassigned to the 44th Army. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria finished with the surrender of Japan before the 108th Division saw any major combat. At the termination of hostilities, the 108th Division was at Liaoyang. A total of 110 men from the 108th Division were killed during the service.Record of Operations Against Soviet Russia Northern and Western Fronts (August-September 1945), p. 267 See also List of Japanese Infantry Divisions Notes This article incorporates material from Japanese Wikipedia page 第108師団 (日本軍), accessed 14 June 2016 Reference and further reading 30em Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols] Allentown, PA: 1981 Category:Japanese World War II divisions Category:Infantry divisions of Japan Category:Military units and formations established in 1937 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1940 Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Category:1937 establishments in Japan Category:1940 disestablishments in Japan Category:1944 establishments in Japan Category:1945 disestablishments in Japan