40th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
| 40th Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939 - 1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch |
 Imperial Japanese Army
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Zentsuji, Kagawa, Japan |
| Nickname(s) | Whale Division |
| Engagements | Second Sino-Japanese War |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment |
Tosho Koshiba (236th regiment) - the father of Masatoshi Koshiba |
| Notable commanders |
Naojikiro Amaya |
The 40th Division (第40師団 Dai-yonjū Shidan?) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Whale Division (鯨兵団 Kujira Heidan?).
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) 40th Division was raised as a triangular division on 30 June 1939 in Zentsuji, Kagawa prefecture, simultaneously with 38th, 39th and 41st divisions. Its manpower came primarily from the four prefectures of Shikoku island. Although intended as a garrison force to maintain public order and to cover police duties in Japanese-occupied portions of China, due to the deteriorating situation in the Second Sino-Japanese War it was quickly assigned to front-line combat duties.
The 40th Division was initially assigned to the Eleventh Army on 2 October 1939 and was stationed from Hankou to Guangji along the banks of the Yangtze River, then the Xianning city in Hubei area.
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