History
The 8th Division was formed on 1 October 1898, as one of the six new reserve divisions created after the First Sino-Japanese War. It consisted of troops from the Tōhoku region of Japan, primarily Aomori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture. Its first commander was General Tatsumi Naofumi, formerly commander of the Sendai Garrison.
The 8th Division became infamous in history over the Hakkōda Mountains incident in January 1902, where 199 of 210 members of the 5th Infantry Regiment froze to death. The story was immortalized in a novel by the famous author Jirō Nitta.
During the Russo-Japanese War, the 8th Division distinguished itself at the Battle of Sandepu and the subsequent Battle of Mukden. From 1910, it was assigned to garrison duties in Korea, and it also participated in the Siberian Intervention.
After the Manchurian Incident of 1931, the 8th Division sent its 4th Brigade to participate in the Invasion of Manchuria with the main body joining it in 1932 when it was stationed in Manchuria under the control of the Kwantung Army. There it participated in the pacification of the newly formed Manchukuo. Its 32nd Infantry Regiment was transferred to the newly formed 24th Division in 1937.
In September 1944, the 8th Division was re-assigned to the Philippines under the command of General Yamashita Tomoyuki's 14th Area Army, where it was divided between Luzon and Leyte islands. Following the Battle of Leyte and the Battle of Manila by joint Filipino and American troops, the 8th Division was almost completely annihilated and ceased to exist as an operational unit.
Noteworthy commanders in the history of the 8th Division included Tatsumi Naofumi, Jinzaburō Mazaki, and Toshinari Maeda.
Read more about this topic: 8th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
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