33rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

33rd Division
Soldiers of the 33rd division occupying the oilfields at Yenangyaung, 1942
Active	1939–1944
Country	Empire of Japan
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Garrison
Size	Division
Garrison/HQ
Nickname(s)	Bow Division
Engagements	First Battle of Changsha Battle of Yenangyaung Battle of Imphal
Commanders
Notable commanders	Shozo Sakurai

The 33rd Division (第33師団, Dai-sanjūsan Shidan^?) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Bow Division (弓兵団, Yumi Heidan^?). The 33rd Division was raised in Utsunomiya, , simultaneously with 32nd, 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th Divisions. Its headquarters were initially in Sendai. It was raised from conscripts largely from the northern Kantō prefecturers of , Ibaraki and Gunma.

Initially the 33rd division was assigned to the 11th army in central China and sent to Hubei. It saw combat at the First Battle of Changsha from 14 September 1939. In April 1941, the 33rd division was transferred to Shanxi, and its reconnaissance regiment was disbanded.