Order of battle for Guangdong Operation explained
Below is the order of battle for the Canton Operation, October to December 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Imperial Japanese Army
21st Army - Lt. Gen. Motoo Furusho [8]
- 5th Division - Lt. Gen. Rikichi Ando [8]
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 11th Infantry Regiment
- 41st Infantry Regiment
- 21st Infantry Brigade
- 21st Infantry Regiment
- 42nd Infantry Regiment
- 5th Field Artillery Regiment
- 5th Cavalry Regiment
- 5th Engineer Regiment
- 5th Transport Regiment
- 18th Division - Lt. Gen. Seiichi Kunou [8]
- 23rd Infantry Brigade
- 55th Infantry Regiment
- 56th Infantry Regiment
- 35th Infantry Brigade
- 114th Infantry Regiment
- 124th Infantry Regiment
- 22nd Cavalry Battalion
- 18th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 12th Military Engineer Regiment
- 12th Transport Regiment
- 104th Division - Lt. Gen. Toshio Miyake [8]
- 107th Infantry Brigade
- 132nd Infantry Brigade
- 137th Infantry Regiment
- 161st Infantry Regiment
- 104th Field Artillery Regiment
- 104th Cavalry Regiment
- 104th Engineer Regiment
- 104th Transport Regiment
Forces directly under 21st Army:
- 3rd Independent Machinegun Battalion (独立機関銃第三大隊)
- 6th Independent Machinegun Battalion (独立機関銃第六大隊)
- 21st Independent Machinegun Battalion (独立機関銃第二十一大隊)
- 11th Independent Light Armored Car Company (独立軽装甲車第十一中隊)
- 51st Independent Light Armored Car Company (独立軽装甲車第五十一中隊)
- 52nd Independent Light Armored Car Company (独立軽装甲車第五十二中隊)
- 111th Mountain Artillery Regiment (山砲兵第百十一聯隊)
- 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (独立山砲兵第十聯隊)
- 1st Heavy Field Artillery Brigade (野戦重砲兵第一旅団)
- 2nd Mortar Battalion (迫撃第二大隊)
- 21st Mortar Battalion (迫撃第二十一大隊)
- 11th Independent Heavy Siege Artillery Battalion (独立攻城重砲兵第十一大隊)
- 1st Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion (独立臼砲第一大隊)
- 2nd Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion (独立臼砲第二大隊)
- 3rd Division's 6th and 7th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries (第三師団第六、第七野戦高射砲隊)
- 3rd Division's 8th and 9th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries (第三師団第八、第九野戦高射砲隊)
- 1st Division's 6th and 8th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries (第一師団第六、第八野戦高射砲隊)
- 5th Division's 2nd Field Anti-Aircraft Battery (第五師団第二野戦高射砲隊)
- 20th Division's 2nd Field Anti-Aircraft Battery (第二十師団第二野戦高射砲隊)
- 1st Independent Balloon Company (独立気球第一中隊)
- 15th Independent Engineer Regiment (独立工兵十五聯隊)
- 8th Signal Communication Unit (第八通信隊)
- 6th Field Meteorological Unit (第六野戦気象隊)
- 3rd Field Survey Unit (第三野戦測量隊)
4th Flight Group - Major Gen. Tomo Fujita [8][2] (Formed on September 19, 1938, under the 21st Army)
- 64th Hiko Sentai - Major Tamiya Teranishi,[2][3] (Base: Ertaokou 8/38 – 11/38)
- 1st Chutai - Captain Mitsugu Sawada
- 2nd Chutai - Captain Tsuguroku Nakao
- 27th Hiko Sentai - ? [2][3]
- 31st Hiko Sentai - ? (Base: Canton 11/38 –) [2][3]
- 1st Aviation Corps (reconnaissance aircraft)[2]
- 94th Flight Group [2]
- 97th Flight Group [2]
- 3rd Flying Field Squadron [2]
- 1st Field Operation Flying Field team.[2]
Notes:
- 21st Army formed on September 19, 1938, and attacks Guangzhou October 12, 1938. [2]
Tactical Organization of the 21st Army
21st Army
- Oikawa Detachment (及川支隊)
- 9th Infantry Brigade (Detached from 5th Division)
- 5th Engineer Regiment (Detached from 5th Division)
- Forces under Oikawa Detachment:
- 52nd Independent Light Armoured Car Company
- 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (1 Battalion)
- 15th Independent Engineer Regiment
- 18th Division
- 23rd Infantry Brigade
- 55th Infantry Regiment
- 56th Infantry Regiment
- 35th Infantry Brigade
- 114th Infantry Regiment
- 124th Infantry Regiment (Detached except for 3rd Battalion)
- 22nd Cavalry Battalion
- 18th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 12th Military Engineer Regiment
- 12th Transport Regiment
- Forces under 18th Division:
- 3rd Independent Machinegun Battalion
- 21st Independent Machinegun Battalion
- 11th Independent Light Armoured Car Company
- 51st Independent Light Armoured Car Company
- 111th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 2nd Mortar Battalion
- 2nd Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion
- 104th Division
- 107th Infantry Brigade (108th Infantry Regiment remained in Manchuria)
- 132nd Infantry Brigade (161st Infantry Regiment remained in Manchuria)
- 104th Field Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions remained in Manchuria)
- 104th Cavalry Regiment (1 Battalion remained in Manchuria)
- 104th Engineer Regiment
- 104th Transport Regiment
- Forces under 104th Division:
- 124th Infantry Regiment (Detached from 18th Division, 2 Battalions)
- 1st Battalion
- 2nd Battalion
- 6th Independent Machinegun Battalion
- 5th Field Artillery Regiment (1 Battalion)
- 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions)
- 2nd Battalion
- 3rd Battalion
- 21st Mortar Battalion (1 Company)
- 11th Independent Heavy Siege Artillery Battalion
- 5th Division
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 21st Infantry Brigade
- 21st Infantry Regiment
- 42nd Infantry Regiment
- 5th Field Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions)
- 1st Battalion
- 3rd Battalion
- 5th Cavalry Regiment
- 5th Engineer Regiment (Except for 1st Company)
- 5th Transport Regiment
- Forces under 5th Division:
- 21st Mortar Battalion (3 Companies)
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- 1st Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion
- 3rd Division's 8th Field Anti-Aircraft Battery
- 21st Army Direct Control
- 1st Heavy Field Artillery Brigade
- 3rd Division's 6th, 7th and 9th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries
- 1st Independent Balloon Company
Imperial Japanese Navy
5th Fleet - Vice Admiral Kōichi Shiozawa (塩澤中将)
- 9th Cruiser Division - Vice Admiral Kōichi Shiozawa (塩澤中将)
- Cruiser Myōkō (妙高) (Flagship)
- Light Cruiser Tama (多摩)
- 10th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Seiichiro Fujimori (藤森少将)
- 8th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa (小澤少将)
- Light Cruiser Kinu (鬼怒)
- Light Cruiser Yura (由良)
- Light Cruiser Naka (那珂)
- 2nd Torpedo Squadron
- Light Cruiser Jintsū (神通)
- 8th Destroyer Division
- 12th Destroyer Division
- 5th Torpedo Squadron
- Light Cruiser Nagara (長良)
- 16th Destroyer Division
- 23rd Destroyer Division
- First Carrier Division
- Aircraft Carrier Kaga (加賀)
- 29th Destroyer Division
- Second Carrier Division
- Aircraft Carrier Sōryū (蒼龍)
- Light Aircraft Carrier Ryūjō (龍驤)
- 30th Destroyer Division
- Second Base Force
- 14th Air Group
- Takao Air Group
- Seaplane Tender Chitose (千歳)
- Seaplane Tender Kamikawa Maru (神川丸)
- 3rd Destroyer Division
- 1st Gunboat Division
- Special Gunboat Shuri Maru (首里丸)
- Special Gunboat Nagatoshiyama Maru (長壽山丸)
- Special Gunboat Nagashiroyama Maru (長白山丸)
- 1st Combined Air Group
- Additional Units:
- 11th Minesweeper Division
China
Canton Area Defense October 1938 [1]
4th Route Army - Yu Han-mou [1]
- 62nd Army - Chang Ta
- 151st Division - Mo His-teh
- 152nd Division - Chen Chang
- 63rd Army - Chang Jui-kuei
- 153rd Division - Chang Jui-kuei
- 154th Division - Liang Shih-chi
- 182nd Division - Li Zhen
- 65th Army - Li Chen-chiu
- 156th Division - Li Chiangi
- 157th Division - Huang Tao
- 158th Division - Tseng Yu-chiang
- 9th Separate Brigade - Li Chen-liang
- 20th Separate Brigade - Chen-liang
- 2nd Separate Regiment - ?
- Humen Fortress Command - Chen Tse
- Chen Chongfan’s Artillery Brigade - Chen Chongfan
- A Tank Battalion from Canton Tank Corps - ?
- Anti-Aircraft Gun Battalion - ?
- Tax Police Division - Sun Liren
Navy[1]
- River Defense Command - ?
- Haimen Fortress
- Pearl River flotilla
- Shao-ho
- Hai-chou
- Hai-hu
- Hai-ou
Airforce[1]Kwang tung Air Defense command - ? (3 x 75mm AA batteries, 20 lesser caliber AA batteries, 4 searchlights)
- 41st AAA Regt.
- 1 battery ? mm (Humen Fortress)
- ?
- 45th AAA Regt.
- 2 76.2mm AA batteries (Canton)
- ?
- 3rd Searchlight detachment
Sources
[1] Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.
[3] Sino-Japanese Air War 1937-45
[4] Madej, W. Victor Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]Allentown, PA: 1981
March 1938
- 2nd Carrier Division
- RYUJO (CF Toshihiko Odawara)
- SORYU
- F 18 A5M & A4N1
- DB 27 DA2
- TB 12 B4Y1
References
Bibliography
