IJA 56th Division
| 56th Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940–1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch |
 Imperial Japanese Army
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Kurume |
| Nickname(s) | Dragon Division |
| Engagements |
Battle of Toungoo Siege of Myitkyina Battle of Mount Song |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Masao Watanabe Yuzo Matsuyama |
The 56th Division (第56師団 Dai-gojūroku Shidan?) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Dragon Division (龍兵団 Ryu Heidan?).It was formed on 10 July 1940 at Kurume, simultaneously with 51st, 52nd, 54th, 55th, and 57th Divisions. The formation nucleus was the headquarters of the 12th Division. Its manpower came primarily from Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. The 56th Division was initially assigned to the , under the command of the Western District Army.
In October 1941, the 146th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion of the 56th Field Artillery Regiment were re-organized as the "56th Independent Mixed Regiment" (subordinated to Sakaguchi detachment). It departed from Palau on 16 December 1941 and landed in Davao City on 17 December 1941 and sailed again on 7 January 1942 to Tarakan. Afterwards, it was slated for the Borneo invasion. On 21 January 1942 it sailed from Tarakan to Balikpapan and on 19 February 1942, the Sakaguchi detachment was sent to eastern Java, arriving on 1 March 1942, to cooperate with the 48th Division. The Sakaguchi detachment is credited with the capture of Cilacap Regency port after a 400 km long march. The detachment was merged back into the 56th Division in April 1942.
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