46th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

The 46th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army was an infantry division from central and southern Kyushu formed during World War II.

Service
Originally the 66th Independent Infantry Group, the 46th Division was formed in about May 1943. Troops were drawn from the Kumamoto Divisional District (Shikanku) which consisted of Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima prefectures.

The Japanese intended to use the Division as part of the 2nd Area Army to bolster its defences in the Dutch East Indies and possibly spearhead an attack on northern Australia. As part of the process the 2nd Area Army transferred its headquarters from Manchuria to Davao in the Philippines.

The Division's 123rd Regiment landed in the eastern part of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Two months later the 147th Regiment landed in Sumbawa. The remaining 145th Regiment was unable to be transported and instead was diverted from Saipan in June 1944 to Iwo Jima under the Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi's Ogasawara Corps where it was wiped out in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The remainder of the Division was temporarily placed under control of the 16th Army before it was placed under control of the 19th Army. This in turn was under the 2nd Area Army of the Southern Army. The 19th Army was disbanded on 1 March 1945 and the 46th was transferred to the 7th Area Army based at Singapore. It was disbanded at Kluang, Johore after the end of the war.

Units

 * 123rd Infantry Regiment - stationed in Dutch East Indies in 1944
 * 145th Infantry Regiment - raised in 1943; moved from Saipan to Iwo Jima in 1944 under Colonel Masuo Ikeda. The unit was a significant participant in the battle for the island. Few, if any, of its soldiers survived the battle.
 * 147th Infantry Regiment - moved to the Dutch East Indies in February 1944
 * 46th Tank unit
 * 46th Transport regiment
 * Army division communication unit

Commanders

 * Lieutenant General Takashi Kayashima - 10 June 1943 - 15 October 1943
 * Lieutenant General Wakamatsu Tadaichi 15 October 1943 - 14 November 1944
 * Lieutenant General Kokubushin Shichiro 14 November 1944 - till disbanded

Headquarters and senior staff at disbandenment

 * Chiefs of Staff: Colonel Nizeki Eisaku, Lieutenant Colonel Masugi Kazuo, Major Yamamoto Tatsuo, and Major Emi Hideaki
 * Adjutant: Lieutenant Colonel Tsuchiya Masanori
 * 123 Infantry Regiment (Kumamoto): Colonel Chujo Toyo-ba
 * 147 Infantry Regiment (Miyakonojo) Colonel Sairenji
 * 46th Division Tank Corps: Major Matsunaga YoshiSho
 * 46th Division Communication Corps: Captain Harada Magokai
 * 46th Division Ladder Corps: Captain Arima Yasunari
 * 46th Division Weapons Work Corps: Major Omoneman Tetsuo
 * 46th Division Accounting Work: Accountant Lieutenant Santsumori Bun'ichi
 * 46th Division Field Hospital: Surgeon Colonel Tanaka Heikichi

Reference and further reading

 * Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols] Allentown, PA: 1981
 * HataYu 彦編 "Japanese army and navy comprehensive encyclopedia," second edition, University of Tokyo Press, 2005
 * Toyama Misao-Morimatsu Toshio eds "Imperial Army curriculum overview" Furong Shobo Publishing, 1987
 * Separate volume history reader Senki series No.32 - Pacific Division military history, Shinjinbutsuoraisha, 1996