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2nd Tank Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Encyclopedia
The , was one of four armored divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army
in World War II
.
on March 24, 1942.
Stationed in Mudanjiang in northeastern Manchukuo, it was tasked primarily with border patrol of Manchukuo's eastern frontier with the Soviet Union
under the overall command of the Japanese First Area Army
.
In February 1945, its IJA 11th Armored Regiment was transferred to the control of the Japanese Fifth Area Army and redesignated the IJA 91st Division. It was stationed in the northern Kurile islands, where it was in combat against the Soviet
Red Army
at Paramushir
during Invasion of the Kuril Islands at the end of World War II.
As the situation in the Pacific War
against the Allies
deteriorated for Japan, in July 1944, the remaining units of the 2nd Tank Division was reassigned to the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army, and sent to the Philippines
, where it was annihilated at the subsequent Battle of the Philippines in various engagements on Luzon
, Leyte
and Mindanao
from the battles by joint Filipino and American troops.
The 2nd Tank Division was reconstituted in Japan as a training unit after the disaster in the Philippines. It was officially demobilized
in September 1945 with the rest of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
The 2nd Tank Division was raised in ManchukuoManchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
on March 24, 1942.
Stationed in Mudanjiang in northeastern Manchukuo, it was tasked primarily with border patrol of Manchukuo's eastern frontier with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
under the overall command of the Japanese First Area Army
Japanese First Area Army
The was a field army of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, based in northern Manchukuo and active in combat against the Soviet Union in the closing stages of the war...
.
In February 1945, its IJA 11th Armored Regiment was transferred to the control of the Japanese Fifth Area Army and redesignated the IJA 91st Division. It was stationed in the northern Kurile islands, where it was in combat against the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
at Paramushir
Paramushir
Paramushir , is a volcanic island in the northern portion of Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is separated from Shumshu by the very narrow Second Kuril Strait in the northeast , from Antsiferov by the Luzhin Strait to the southwest, from Atlasov in the...
during Invasion of the Kuril Islands at the end of World War II.
As the situation in the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
against the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
deteriorated for Japan, in July 1944, the remaining units of the 2nd Tank Division was reassigned to the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army, and sent to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where it was annihilated at the subsequent Battle of the Philippines in various engagements on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
and Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
from the battles by joint Filipino and American troops.
The 2nd Tank Division was reconstituted in Japan as a training unit after the disaster in the Philippines. It was officially demobilized
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
in September 1945 with the rest of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Commanding officer
| Name | From | To | |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Tasuku Okada | 20 September 1942 | 7 December 1943 |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Yoshiharu Iwanaka | 27 December 1943 | 30 September 1945 |