18th Infantry Regiment (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 18th Infantry Regiment (第18連隊, 歩兵第十八聯隊) Hohei Dai-Ju-hachi Rentai was an infantry regiment in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Its call sign and unit code was Thunder-3219 (雷3219, Kaminari-San-Ni-Ichi-Kyu). The unit was formed in 1884 and based in the city of Toyohashi as a branch of the Nagoya Garrison. Throughout its history, the majority of its soldiers came from the Mikawa region, or eastern Aichi prefecture.
| 18th Infantry Regiment 歩兵第十八聯隊 | |
|---|---|
The 18th Infantry at the battle for Dachang, China, 1937. | |
| Active | 1884–1944 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Garrison/HQ | Nagoya Toyohashi, Japan |
| Engagements | First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War Jinan Incident Operation Nekka Pacification of Manchukuo Second Sino-Japanese War Marianas Campaign |
The regiment first deployed for the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. In 1904, it deployed again for the Russo-Japanese War where it fought in several major battles. Between 1928 and 1936, the regiment was deployed to China where it engaged in two military operations in China, though it spent most of the time on garrison and occupation duty.
With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in the summer of 1937, the regiment participated in the Battle of Shanghai and then participated in the major campaigns of central China. In 1944, the 18th Regiment was sent to the Pacific theater as part of the 29th Division. On the way to Saipan, the transport ship that was carrying the regiment, the Sakito Maru, was torpedoed and sunk. Over half the regiment drowned, but survivors were rescued and delivered to Saipan. Some stragglers had to be left behind, but the majority of the regiment was sent to Guam and prepared to repel the American invasion. Members of the 18th Regiment participated in both the Battle of Saipan and the Battle of Guam. In both battles, nearly all soldiers of the 18th Regiment were killed in action. A few soldiers survived the massed banzai charges and attempted to evade capture by hiding in the jungles, but as an organization the regiment became defunct and the ranks were not replenished.
After the battle on Saipan, one officer of the regiment, Captain Sakae Ōba, distinguished himself when he took command of some soldiers and assumed responsibility for the civilians who had survived the battle. Ōba and his men surrendered in December 1945, three months after the official end of World War II.