2nd Tank Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

2nd Tank Division
Japanese tanks moving toward Manila
Active	1942 - 1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Armored division
Garrison/HQ	Tokyo, Japan
Nickname(s)	撃 = Geki (Attack)
Engagements	Second Sino-Japanese War Invasion of Lingayen Gulf Battle of Luzon

The 2nd Tank Division (戦車第2師団, Sensha Dai-ni Shidan^?), was one of four armored divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II.

The 2nd Tank Division was raised in Manchukuo on June 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 1944, the 11th Tank Regiment was sent to the Kuriles. In the following month, the Recon Unit was renamed the 27th Tank Regiment and with the AA unit, sent to China. As the situation in the Pacific War against the Allies deteriorated for Japan, in early August 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 deployed on the main island of Luzon. In October 1944, the US forces made amphibious landings on Luzon and the army units pushed inland in late January 1945. General Tomoyuki Yamashita held back the tank division and had them withdraw inland to the north. During this time, the 2nd Tank Division came under heavy air attacks. Most of the 2nd Tank Division, dug in around San Jose. It lost 108 of its 220 tanks in heavy fighting in just over a week. The remaining tanks were used to support infantry or were dug in like pillboxes and annihilated during the remainder of the Battle of the Philippines in various engagements on Luzon, Leyte and Mindanao by joint Filipino and American troops.