History
The 9th Division (第9師団, Dai-Kyū Shidan) was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the Warrior Division (武兵団, Take-heidan) or 1515 or 1573. The 9th Division was one of six infantry divisions newly raised by the Imperial Japanese Army after the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895). Its troops were recruited primarily from communities in the Hokuriku region of Japan (Ishikawa, Toyama and Fukui, with its headquarters located within the grounds of Kanazawa Castle.
In January 1932, the division participated in the first January 28 Incident under the command of Lieutenant General Kenkichi Ueda, and from 1935 to February 1937, the division was stationed as a garrison force in Manchukuo, before been withdrawn to Japan.
The 9th Division was redeployed to China after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, starting to move 11 September 1937 as part of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army together with 13th division and 101st division and participated in the Second Battle of Shanghai. The 9th division later participated in the subsequent drive inland to the Battle of Nanking.
The 9th Division thus escaped World War II intact, without having seen any combat at all. As Takushiro Hattori of Imperial General Headquarters affectively wrote afterwards, the zero utilisation of the highly-capable 9th division in Pacific War cannot be attributed to anything besides 9th division been cursed.
In January 1932, the division participated in the first January 28 Incident under the command of Lieutenant General Kenkichi Ueda, and from 1935 to February 1937, the division was stationed as a garrison force in Manchukuo, before been withdrawn to Japan.
The 9th Division was redeployed to China after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, starting to move 11 September 1937 as part of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army together with 13th division and 101st division and participated in the Second Battle of Shanghai. The 9th division later participated in the subsequent drive inland to the Battle of Nanking.
The 9th Division thus escaped World War II intact, without having seen any combat at all. As Takushiro Hattori of Imperial General Headquarters affectively wrote afterwards, the zero utilisation of the highly-capable 9th division in Pacific War cannot be attributed to anything besides 9th division been cursed.
Featured Missions
| Campaign | Mission |
|---|---|
| Battle of Nanking | Panzers at Chunhua |
| Battle of Nanking | Guanghua Gate Siege |