57th Division | |
---|---|
Active | 1940 - 1945 |
Country | Empire of Japan |
Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
Type | Infantry |
Garrison/HQ | Hirosaki |
Nickname(s) | Inner Division |
Engagements | none |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
The 57th Division (第57師団 Dai-gojūnana Shidan?) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Inner Division (奥兵団 Oku Heidan?).It was formed on 10 July 1940 at Hirosaki, Aomori, simultaneously with 51st, 52nd, 54th, 55th, and 56th divisions, as a reserve and provisional unit. Its call-sign “Oku” was taken from the ancient name of the Tohoku region of northern Honshū, "Oshu". The formation nucleus was the headquarters of the 8th Division. Its manpower came from the Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata and Akita prefectures. The 57th division was initially assigned to direct command of Emperor Hirohito, but was transferred to Northern District Army as soon as it formed 2 December 1940.