10th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

The 10th Division (第10師団) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Iron Division (鉄兵団).

History
The 10th Division was formed on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War. It consisted of troops from the Himeiji region, namely the three prefectures of Hyōgo, Okayama and Tottori, plus a portion of Shimane prefecture. The 10th Division participated heavily in the Russo-Japanese War, seeing combat at the Battle of Liaoyang, Battle of Shaho, and Battle of Mukden.

It remained stationed in Manchuria after the war, and participated in the Manchurian Incident of 1931 and in the Chinchow Operation of 1932.

During Second Sino-Japanese War, the 10th Division was in combat during the Beiping–Hankou Railway Operation, Tianjin–Pukou Railway Operation and Battle of Xuzhou where it suffered a serious reverse in the Battle of Taierzhuang. It was also in the northern pincer of the Japanese offensive in the Battle of Wuhan. It was withdrawn back to Manchukuo in 1940 and placed under the control of the Kwantung Army.

In 1944, as the situation in the Pacific War against the United States grew increasing desperate, the 10th Division was transferred to the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army in the Philippines, where it was mostly annihilated in the subsequent Battle of Luzon continued by joint the U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth forces.

Noteworthy commanders in the history of the 10th Division included: HIH Prince Fushimi Sadanaru, Kawamura Kageaki, Ando Sadami, Matsukawa Toshitane, Katsu Yamaguchi, Ugaki Kazushige, Shigeru Honjō.

Organization
The initial Order of Battle of the 10th Division was organized as a square Division:

10th Division
 * 8th Infantry Brigade
 * 39th Infantry Regiment (Himeji)
 * 40th Infantry Regiment
 * 33rd Infantry Brigade
 * 10th Infantry Regiment (Okayama)
 * 63rd Infantry Regiment (Matsue)
 * 10th Field Artillery Regiment
 * 10th Cavalry Regiment
 * 10th Engineer Regiment
 * 10th Transport Regiment

After 1940 the 10th Division was transformed into a Triangular division:

10th Division
 * 8th Infantry Brigade Group
 * 10th Infantry Regiment
 * 39th Infantry Regiment
 * 63rd Infantry Regiment
 * 10th Field Artillery Regiment
 * 10th Recon Regiment
 * 10th Engineer Regiment
 * 10th Transport Regiment

Reference and further reading
Allentown, Pennsylvania: 1981
 * Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]