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When it comes to the Japanese divisions during World War II, the first thing that everyone thinks of must be "fanatic" and "cruel". Typical examples are the Sendai Division and the Kumamoto Regiment.
But there is a Japanese division, which is evaluated by the US military as a "peace messenger" and is called a "wimp" by Japanese historians.
Even feared a head-on confrontation and let go of the 400,000 national troops in the encirclement - this was the Japanese 4th Division, Osaka Division.
Are they strong or weak? Cowardly or smart? What is the real Osaka Division in history?
Origin: Commercial City
On May 14, 1888, the Japanese organized the 4th Division with Osaka Town as the mother body.
As the "old-timer" in the Japanese army, the 4th Division should have been respected by other divisions, but the fact is completely opposite.
Not to mention the actual combat capabilities of this unit, it is generally recognized that this unit is not "valiant" enough in fighting, but instead shows the "treacherousness" of a stock market businessman, which is incompatible with other units.
In fact, there are two main reasons for this situation.
First, the Osaka area could be called the "commercial capital" at that time. The people's living conditions were relatively good and the people's intelligence was relatively enlightened.
Therefore, the soldiers who come from there are more careful about their lives and are more rational in fighting, and will not pursue fearless charges. This is also reflected in the prosperous areas of Tokyo.
Second, the Osaka Division is mainly composed of vendors and traveling merchants.
As the old saying goes, "There is no business without crooks." When an army composed of businessmen fights, they naturally pay more attention to "cost-effectiveness."
It is no wonder that the slogan of the 4th Division at that time was "If you don't take advantage, you will suffer a loss."
When World War II broke out, the Osaka Division was one of the 17 standing divisions of the Japanese army, and it was also the most well-equipped Category A division here.
sounds very bluffing, but in fact there are too many "anecdotes" about this division, and most of them are hilarious. Let's give you some examples below.
Anecdotes: The funny past of the Osaka Division
First of all, the Osaka Division was once called the "Invincible Imperial Army."
In 1939, the Soviet Union and Japan started a war in the Nomenkan area on the Sino-Mongolian border. At that time, the Japanese headquarters sent the Sendai Army and the Omoto Army to support them.
After receiving the order, the Sendai Army marched day and night. It took only 4 days to arrive at Nomenkan and entered the battle on the same day.
But what about the Osaka Division? As soon as the soldiers heard that there was going to be a war, they ran to the infirmary one after another and said that they had "headaches and sore feet." Finally, the frustrated unit commander sat in the infirmary himself.
The soldiers then gave up pretending to be sick.
Although they gave up pretending to be sick, the members of the Osaka Division still had many ways to avoid fighting. They were so slow on the road that they took seven or eight days to complete the road that could be covered in four days.
When they finally arrived at the battlefield, the Sendai Division had been beaten and fled in all directions.
At this time, Japan and the Soviet Union still had an armistice.
The Osaka Division did nothing in the end and gained a reputation as "encountering fierce battles with minimal losses". It was vigorously promoted by the Japanese rear, and people even shouted the slogan "Invincible Imperial Army 4th Division" at that time. .
In the end, the propaganda officer of the Kwantung Army couldn't stand it and changed "invincible" to "invulnerable", mocking the people of the 4th Division as "cowards".
Secondly, the Osaka Division is known for "strictly following orders".
During the Battle of Xuzhou, Li Zongren's 400,000 Nationalist Army was unfortunately surrounded by the Japanese army. He finally escaped from the encirclement, only to find a well-equipped "Japanese Army" in front.
Li Zongren ordered his troops to evacuate towards the mountainous area on one side, preparing to use the terrain to fight a wave of "guerrilla warfare" with the Japanese army. However, after he led his troops into the mountains, he waited for a long time but failed to wait for the Japanese army to come.
sent people to investigate and found out that the troops were already stationed on the roadside cooking pots.
In the end, Li Zongren led his troops away and successfully escaped the Japanese encirclement and suppression.
It is said that the unit that appeared here was the 4th Division, the Osaka Division. Later, the Japanese command also asked them why they did not block the attack, and the answer they gave was,
"There was no response to the attack on China." The army ordered to intercept. "
As soon as the news came out, our army learned that "soldiers from Osaka do not know how to fight", so that in the end the commander of the Japanese Eleventh Army idled the 4th Division in the rear.
Third, the Osaka Division is also known as the most "fashionable" unit.
Each division in Japan basically has its own internal unified farewell speech, which is used to say goodbye to other troops.
Take the 2nd Division as an example. When the situation is better, their farewell speech is "The military will last forever." It's the Yasukuni Shrine.
But the Osaka Division is different. Regardless of whether the situation is good or bad, what this unit says when it is separated is "Goshen Daqi", which translated into Chinese means to be healthy and take care of yourself.
Not only did they passively avoid fighting, they also brought this emotion to other troops. When they encountered some injured soldiers after pretending to be sick and were hospitalized, the "seniors" of the Osaka Division often asked,
"Why are you working so hard?" Ah? Life is important. "
is the only one in the Japanese army who is so afraid of death.
Finally, this unit is "peace-loving" certified by the US military.
After Japan's defeat, some fanatical war elements were unwilling to surrender at all, but this situation was rare in the Osaka Division.
Not long after the emperor announced his surrender, they surrendered and returned home smoothly. On the second day after returning home, many soldiers came to the US military barracks to sell some war souvenirs.
At the same time, this unit was also directly distinguished from other units in spirit. At that time, almost all the soldiers in various Japanese units were languid, sallow and thin.
Only the soldiers in the Osaka Division were rosy-cheeked and full of energy, without any sign of being tempered by war.
Of course, the 4th Division has also become the unit with the fewest casualties and the most complete equipment and supplies among the Japanese Southern Army. It is no wonder that this unit is evaluated as "peace-loving" by the US military.
The truth: treacherous but not cowardly
However, many people have underestimated this unit. The real Osaka Division is indeed treacherous, but not cowardly, let alone weak. The reason why
calls it treacherous is because as we mentioned above, the urban atmosphere of Osaka is there.
In ancient Japan, farmers were basically attached to the "daimyo" who owned the land, and the daimyo was loyal to the emperor.
This made Japanese culture extremely obedient, and was the basis for the soldiers' fanatical belief in the emperor during World War II.
But it was different in Osaka. This commercial city did not believe in "upper-lower rule". Although it obeyed the emperor, it often considered the issue of exorbitant taxes and battles of wits with the "daimyos".
In this case, they may die loyal to the emperor, but they will never blindly obey all orders and die "meaninglessly".
The fact that the Osaka Legion is not "weak" has actually been reflected in various periods.
For example, during the Southwest War, the Osaka Division showed no weakness when facing the rebels composed of Satsuma samurai. After a fierce battle, it became the only unit among the divisions participating in the war to be commended by the Emperor.
html During the Russo-Japanese War, the 1st Division had positions that it could not conquer, so it was replaced by the 4th Division, and it didn't take long to successfully attack them.
And the 70th Sasayama Infantry Regiment, the "Ghost of Tanba" later famous for its mountain warfare, was also adapted from the 4th Division. It can be seen that this is no accident.
No matter what, this is still a Type A corps. How weak can it be, no matter how weak it is? Furthermore, if this was really a helpless Adou, the Japanese military would not have spent so much effort on this division.
Of course, the deeds we mentioned above were not fabricated by the Chinese. Most of them came from the article "The First Wasted Division of the Japanese Army" written by the Japanese historian Seki Yusuke.
The Osaka Division is actually a rare "strategic force" in the Japanese army. They are not blindly reckless, but pay more attention to strategy.
For example, when fighting a critical battle, they would not launch a sudden charge like the 2nd Division. Instead, they would retreat to search for information after a round of charge.
It can be said that both the reckless type like the 2nd Division and the strategic type like the 4th Division have their own advantages and disadvantages.
If you are fighting an enemy with average strength, then it is obvious that the 2nd Division's combat method is easier to achieve results.
However, if the enemy is stronger, then the 2nd Division's combat method will be frustrated, and even if it succeeds, it will suffer huge losses.
This point was fully reflected in the battles between the Japanese army, the Chinese army, and the US military.
You must know that the establishment of the 4th Division is still retained. How can it be possible without some strength?
evaluation: Lucky Osaka Division
Since the Osaka Division is powerful, doesn’t anyone stand up to refute Seki Yusuke’s article?
Of course there is an answer. The author of Japanese military history once wrote a special article to refute it, saying that this was a form of discrimination against the Osaka troops.
However, the effect is not obvious because the Osaka troops are too "hateful".
You must know that most of the 17 standing divisions prepared by the Japanese Army before the war were "shattered". Like the Osaka Division, there are basically no divisions that retain their complete organization and have little damage to their combat power.
For example, when the 2nd Division fought in the Guadalcanal area, 20,000 people died and only 5,000 people were left.
finally completed the reconstruction, but was arranged to go to Myanmar again. As a result, more than 2/3 of the more than 18,000 people died there, and less than 6,000 people returned home successfully.
Especially the 16th Division, which was the chief culprit of the Nanjing Massacre, only 800 people survived out of more than 13,000 people, with a mortality rate as high as 94%, which is really karma.
The 6th Division went to Bougainville Island, but was severely damaged by the US military and the Australian army. More than 2/3 of the people died, and the remaining people also met a miserable end.
The 20th Division went to New Guinea. They were not seriously damaged because of the war, but mainly because they had no food. Many people starved to death, and less than 1/10 of them survived in the end.
These are all directly broken on the spot, and those divisions without jade will not feel comfortable either.
For example, although the 14th Division was lucky enough to survive during the battle on the mainland, half of its personnel and a divisional headquarters were left alive, but these people were later shattered in other areas, and few survived.
The 3rd Division, 9th Division and 11th Division were thrown on the Songhu battlefield, although they caused heavy casualties to the Chinese army.
However, they themselves did not get any benefits. Almost all the front-line infantry were eliminated, and the division personnel were basically added later.
After understanding the situation of other divisions, let's take a look at the Osaka Division. It is simply the "Chosen One".
were first ordered to be stationed in Manchuria, and then they were supposed to be transferred to participate in the Battle of Nomonhan, but it ended before they went there. Fortunately, they survived.
Although they later took orders to central China, they only participated in a few mopping up operations and the second battle of Changsha.
However, they had been transferred before the third battle of Changsha.
When they arrived in the Philippines, they caught up with the fighting, but the US-Philippine army was already dying at that time. Rather than saying that the Osaka Division went to fight, it would be better to say that they went to harvest.
was finally sent to support Burma, but the war ended without anyone arriving.
After fighting against the National Army, the Soviet Army, the British Army, and the American Army, or preparing to fight against each other, the Osaka Division actually did not suffer any losses. This is really good luck.
People who don’t know the inside story may really think that this army is invincible.
What’s interesting is that it was not just the Osaka Division that suffered much damage. Almost all the troops that left Osaka had not experienced any fierce battles.
For example, the 25th Division, the 34th Division, the 44th Division and the 104th Division. In this case, the Osaka Division will naturally be jealous.
Therefore, the Osaka Division is neither a group of cowardly and incompetent "ridiculous people", nor is it a "super strong army" that kills everyone.
This is an army that is well-equipped and relatively "life-conscious". If I have to say it hard, it is just luck, nothing more.
However, the US military's evaluation of them as "peace-loving" was biased. After all, they also participated in the war. Even if they were not as enthusiastic as other Japanese soldiers for war, they could never erase the fact that they had invaded.
