84th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 84th Division was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Bamboo Division (竹兵団, Take Heidan).
History
The 84th Division was formed on February 28, 1944, in Kumamoto. It was a so-called "security division," created as part of a rapid, late-war expansion of the Japanese military to bolster defenses against a potential Allied invasion. As such, it primarily comprised older reservists and conscripts, often lacking the equipment and training of front-line divisions.
The division was assigned to the 32nd Army and deployed to Okinawa. Its primary responsibility was the defense of the Motobu Peninsula in northern Okinawa.
During the Battle of Okinawa, which began in April 1945, the 84th Division was largely destroyed during the fierce fighting. Allied forces landed elsewhere and then turned their attention to the Motobu Peninsula. The division's defensive positions were eventually overwhelmed, and surviving elements retreated southwards to participate in the broader defense of the island.
The remaining units of the 84th Division were effectively wiped out during the remainder of the battle, with the Japanese forces suffering extremely high casualties.
Organization
The 84th Division typically consisted of:
- 81st Infantry Regiment
- 82nd Infantry Regiment
- 83rd Infantry Regiment
- 84th Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 84th Engineer Regiment
- 84th Transport Regiment
Commanding Officers
- Lieutenant General Saburo Teshima (February 28, 1944 – April 28, 1945, KIA)
- (Unknown – effectively ceased to exist after the death of Teshima)
See Also
- Imperial Japanese Army
- Battle of Okinawa
- List of Japanese Infantry Divisions