IJA 23rd Division
| 23rd Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1938 - 1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Kumamoto, Japan |
| Nickname(s) | "Sunrise Division" |
| Engagements |
Battle of Nomonhan Pacific War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Michitarō Komatsubara, Masakichi Inoue |
The 23rd Division (第23師団 Dai-nijūsan Shidan?) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the Sunrise Division (旭兵団 Kyokuhei-dan?). The 23rd Division was formed in Kumamoto on 4 April 1938, in the same day as 15th, 17th, 21st and 22nd divisions, as part of the military buildup following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The first divisional commander was Michitarō Komatsubara.
The 23rd Division was almost immediately sent to the northern frontier of Manchukuo, where it replaced a cavalry brigade on garrison duties in Hailar (in what is now part of Inner Mongolia). The 23rd Division was thus the primary Japanese division involved in the subsequent Battle of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union's Red Army from 11 May to September 1939. The 23rd division has engaged Soviet forces by progressively increasing detachments, first by reconnaissance regiment (which was promptly lost and reformed) and then by 64th infantry regiment, which was also defeated and forced to retreat. Attempt to counter-attack 4 July 1939 have failed, bringing an additional losses, including divisional chief-of-staff. 4 August 1939, the 23rd division was subordinated to 6th Army as conflict continued to escalate. The rest of 23rd division was nearly annihilated in the encirclement following Soviet attack 20 August 1939. The infantry regiments have ceased to exist as fighting units by 29 August 1939, as all regimental commanders were killed. In Battle of Khalkhin Gol, the 23rd Division suffered a total of 11,958 men killed, or about 80% of its combat strength. Notably, the only divisional sub-unit not suffering a crippling casualties was the reconnaissance regiment, which was able to break a Soviet encirclement. As a result, commanding General Michitaro Komatsubara was recalled to Japan in disgrace.
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