6th Division (Kumamoto Division)
Open the military map第六師団
Army Division
The 6th Division, garrisoned in Kumamoto, was one of the most aggressive IJA divisions. It participated in the Nanjing Massacre in 1937 and later fought a brutal defensive battle on Bougainville in 1944–1945.
- Armament
- 歩兵第13連隊・歩兵第23連隊・歩兵第45連隊・歩兵第47連隊
- Fate
- In being at the end of the war
History
The 6th Division (第六師団, Dai-roku Shidan) was formed on May 14, 1888 in Kumamoto. Its call sign was the "Bright Division" (明兵団, Mei Heidan). Recruited from Kyushu's warrior tradition, the Kumamoto division had a reputation for ferocity.
During the assault on Nanjing in December 1937, the 6th Division entered the city from the Zhonghua Gate (中華門) and was heavily implicated in the Nanjing Massacre. Multiple post-war testimonies and military records documented systematic killings by 6th Division troops. Later in the war, the division was sent to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, where it fought a desperate defensive campaign against Australian forces from 1944 to 1945, suffering severe losses from combat, starvation, and disease.
Related sites (3)
- Battle32.060, 118.797
Nanjing, China — Nanjing Massacre, December 1937
- Battle-6.217, 155.550
Bougainville, Solomon Islands — defensive battle, 1944–1945
- Headquarters32.790, 130.742
6th Division HQ, Kumamoto Castle area, Kumamoto