IMPERIAL JAPANESE WWII INFANTRY IN TROPICAL UNIFORM

Formally, the Empire of Japan entered World War II with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but from 1937, Japan carried out large-scale military operations in China. At the end of 1941, the Japanese army consisted of 51 divisions, which, together with numerous separated units, had a strength of approximately 1.7 million people. More than half of these forces (27 divisions) were stationed in China. The basic type of armed force in the Japanese army was, of course, infantry. Interestingly, in 1938, Japanese infantry divisions underwent an organization, as a result of which most of them (but not all!) Consisted of 3 infantry regiments, and each regiment consisted of 3 infantry battalions. At the division level, the infantry regiments were also joined by staff subunits, an artillery regiment, a cavalry battalion, an engineer battalion as well as transport, communication and medical units. In total, the Japanese infantry division (the so-called B-type) had about 19,800 full-time employees. It is worth adding that it had relatively weak anti-tank and anti-aircraft armament, and its supporting artillery was usually 70 or 75 mm caliber. Artillery units with more than 100 mm caliber artillery were rare. It should also be said that Japanese infantry units were characterized by a very high morale, almost fanatic, with iron discipline, but also (especially after 1942) they were clearly inferior tactically or in firepower to their Allied opponents. It should also not be forgotten that Japanese infantry units have committed a great many war crimes, bearing the hallmarks of crimes against humanity, with the macabre Nanking Massacre at the turn of 1937 and 1938 at the forefront.