Wartime Infantry Division (triangular), Imperial Japanese Army, 8.12.1941

This depicts a typical organization for a wartime infantry division found in China. As can also be seen from the diagram above, actual organizations and equipment could vary from division by division. On paper, the triangular (three infantry regiment) Infantry Division had about 14,100 men. But the divisions were seldom as neat and tidy as this diagram. Elements were consistently being attached or detached, so that some divisions had as few as 10,000 men and some as others as many as 20,000.

The units in the divisions did not not always have the same size or configuration. A typical example would be the reconnaissance "regiment". In some divisions this was a cavalry-motorized unit, in others it was a battalion sized unit of horse cavalry, and in some divisions a reconnaissance element was missing altogether.

The artillery suffered similar variations being equipped with different types and numbers of guns, etc.

Infantry Divisions (Triangular)
(Type)	Division Commanding General	Raised	Infantry					Artillery				Recon Rgt	Engineer Rgt	Transport		Other Units	Notes
(Type)	Division Commanding General	Raised	(Type)	Grp	Inf Rgt	Inf Rgt	Inf Rgt	(Type)	Grp	Art Rgt	Equipment	Recon Rgt	Engineer Rgt	(Type)	Rgt	Other Units	Notes
(S)	15 LTG Naoji SAKAI	04.04.38	(S)	15	51	60	67	(S)	—	21 Fld	36× 75mm	—	15	(S)	15	15
(S)	17 LTG Morito HIRABAYASHI	04.04.38	(S)	17	53	54	81	(S)	—	23 Fld	36× 75mm	—	17	(S)	17	17
(S)	21 LTG Hisakazu TANAKA	04.04.38	(S)	—	62	82	83	(S)	—	51 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	21	(S)	21	21	[3]
(S)	22 LTG Katsumi OHTA	04.04.38	(S)	22	84	85	86	(S)	—	52 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	22	(S)	22	22
(S)	26 LTG Otosaburo YANO	30.09.37	(S)	26	11	12	13	(S)	—	11 Fld	36× 75mm	26 Recon	26	(S)	26	26
(S)	27 LTG Nobumasa TOMINAGA	21.06.38	(S)	27	1 China	2 China	3 China	(S)	—	27 Mtn	36× 75mm	27 Recon	27	(S)	27	27
(S)	32 LTG Tetsuzo IDE	07.02.39	(S)	32	210	211	212	(S)	—	32 Fld	36× 75mm	—	32	(S)	32	32	[1]
(S)	33 LTG Shozo SAKURAI	25.03.39	(S)	33	213	214	215	(S)	—	33 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	33	(S)	33	33	[2]
(S)	34 LTG Shigeru OHGA	07.02.39	(S)	34	216	217	218	(S)	—	34 Fld	36× 75mm	34 Recon	34	(S)	34	34
(S)	35 LTG Kumakichi HARADA	07.02.39	(S)	35	219	220	221	(S)	—	35 Fld	24× 75mm	—	35	(S)	35	35
(S)	36 LTG Mitsuru IZEKI	07.02.39	(S)	36	222	223	224	(S)	—	36 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	36	(S)	36	36
(S)	37 LTG Yuichiro NAGANO	07.02.39	(S)	37	225	226	227	(S)	—	37 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	37	(S)	37	37	[1]
(S)	38 LTG Tadayoshi SANO	30.06.39	(S)	38	228	229	230	(S)	—	38 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	38	(S)	38	38	[1][3]
(S)	39 LTG Raishiro SUMITA	30.06.39	(S)	39	231	232	233	(S)	—	39 Fld	36× 75mm	39 Recon	39	(S)	39	39
(S)	40 LTG Seiichi AOKI	30.06.39	(S)	40	234	235	236	(S)	—	40 Mtn	36× 75mm	40 Cav	40	(S)	40	40
(S)	41 LTG Noritsune SHIMIZU	30.06.39	(S)	41	237	238	239	(S)	—	41 Mtn	36× 75mm	—	41	(S)	41	41	[1]
(S)	104 LTG Koichi KOMODA	15.06.38	(S)	104	108	137	161	(S)	—	104 Fld	36× 75mm	104 Cav	104	(S)	104	104
(Type)	Division Commanding General	Raised	Infantry					Artillery				Recon Rgt	Engineer Rgt	Transport		Other Units	Notes
(Type)	Division Commanding General	Raised	(Type)	Grp	Inf Rgt	Inf Rgt	Inf Rgt	(Type)	Hqs	Art Rgt	Equipment	Recon Rgt	Engineer Rgt	(Type)	Rgt	Other Units	Notes
Notes: [1] One divisional tankette company instead of a reconnaissance regiment. [2] Departs for the southern area of operations in mid-December 1941. Organization changed prior to departure. [3] Departs for the southern area of operations in mid-January 1941. Organization changed prior to departure.