30th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
30th Division
Active1943 - 1945
CountryEmpire of Japan
BranchImperial Japanese Army
TypeInfantry
Rolereserve
Garrison/HQPyongyang
Nickname(s)Panther Division
EngagementsBattle of Leyte
Battle of Mindanao
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Gyosaku Morozumi

The 30th Division (第30師団, Dai-sanjū Shidan) was an

infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Panther division (豹兵団, Hyō-heidan). The 30th Division was formed on 14 May 1943 as a triangular division in Pyongyang
. The 30th division was not recruited but rather assembled from the infantry regiments detached from the other units.

Action

The 30th division was initially based on the

Carigara to Jaro, which was under heavy US attack at the moment. They did not make it in time, as Jaro defenses failed 29 October 1944. By 9 November 1944, the 41st regiment has stalled 3.5 km northwest of Jaro town. Although until 29 October 1944 Japanese has planned to leave only 3 battalions of the 30th division,[2] after heavy losses of the 26th division during landing in Ormoc the future reinforcements were held back. Nonaka battalion of a 30th division was ordered to prepare an emergency beach defences near Ipil, Ormoc, which was considered a rear area at the moment.[3] The US forces landed in Ormoc 7 December 1944, and Nonaka battalion "fought bravely", in one case conducting a counter-landing from junks
by a machine gun company and an infantry company. By the nightfall 8 December 1944, the Nonaka battalion forces were pushed from the beaches at all points, suffering heavy casualties in the process.

Remained forces of the 30th division

Maramag was able to hold back US attack 6–12 May 1945 in rearguard action, while the rest of the 30th division was trying to assemble in Macajalar Bay area. This objective was done only partially, as US 108th regiment have landed in Macajalar Bay unopposed 10 May 1945, and proceeded 30 km inland until encountering Japanese rearguard 13 May 1945 (and overrunning it 18 May 1945). Another rearguard action has happened in Malaybalay
, where remnants of the 30th field artillery regiment (left behind because deemed too heavy for escape to the mountains) were able to hold back the US forces from 20 May 1945 until night of 21 May 1945.

The 30th division plans was to retreat to the Waloe (in now Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary), but US troops have reached Waloe first, resulting in Japanese retreating to the west after a skirmish 27 June 1945. The scattered Japanese forces have largely survived in the mountains of the Central Mindanao until surrender of Japan 15 August 1945.

Some detachments (approximately battalion-sized) of the 30th division guarding airfields of Sarangani Bay on the far south of the island were eliminated in July 1945.

See also

  • List of Japanese Infantry Divisions
  • This article incorporates material from the Japanese Wikipedia page 第30師団 (日本軍), accessed 10 March 2016

Reference and further reading

  • Madej, W. Victor. Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols]

Allentown, PA: 1981

References

  1. ^ "HyperWar: US Army in WWII: Leyte: The Return to the Philippines [Chapter 6]". Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "HyperWar: US Army in WWII: Leyte: The Return to the Philippines [Chapter 7]". Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  3. ^ "HyperWar: US Army in WWII: Leyte: The Return to the Philippines [Chapter 16]". Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  4. ^ "HyperWar: US Army in WWII: Triumph in the Philippines [Chapter 32]". Retrieved 5 June 2016.
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