Mongolia Garrison Army - History

History

The Japanese Mongolia Garrison Army was raised on December 27, 1937 as a garrison force Japanese-dominated Inner Mongolia and adjacent areas of north China. From July 4, 1938, the Mongolia Garrison Army came under the administrative jurisdiction of the North China Area Army. January 1939 the IJA Cavalry Group was added, consisting of the IJA 1st Cavalry Brigade and IJA 4th Cavalry Brigade. In December 1942 the 4th Cavalry Brigade was sent to the Japanese Twelfth Army and the remainder of the Cavalry Group was converted into the IJA 3rd Tank Division.

During most of the Second Sino-Japanese War and due to the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Inner Mongolia was largely a backwater region, and the Mongolia Garrison Army, with its antiquated horse cavalry functioned largely to assist and train the Mengjiang National Army and Mongolian Cavalry Corps. It was thus unprepared for the massive Soviet Red Army armored assault at the end of World War II. The Mongolia Garrison Army was officially disbanded on July 27, 1946. Many of its survivors became Japanese POWs in the Soviet Union.