107th Infantry Regiment (Imperial Japanese Army)

107th Infantry Regiment (Imperial Japanese Army) was a infantry regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army, originally formed as part of the 7th Division. The regiment was raised in Asahikawa, Hokkaido and saw extensive combat during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Its operational history included brutal campaigns in China and a final, devastating confrontation with Soviet forces in Manchukuo at the end of World War II.

History

The 107th Infantry Regiment was activated in 1937 as a component of the 7th Division, a formation historically garrisoned on Hokkaido. The regiment was quickly deployed to China following the escalation of the Second Sino-Japanese War, participating in numerous operations across North China. In 1939, elements of the regiment were involved in the Soviet–Japanese border conflicts, including the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, where it faced the Red Army under General Georgy Zhukov. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War, the regiment was transferred to the southern front, undertaking garrison and anti-partisan duties in occupied territories. In 1944, as the war situation deteriorated, the regiment was reassigned to the Kwantung Army in Manchukuo, where it was largely destroyed during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945.

Organization

As a standard IJA infantry regiment (1938 organization), the 107th consisted of a regimental headquarters, three infantry battalions, and supporting units. Each battalion contained four rifle companies, a machine gun company, and a battalion gun platoon. The regiment's organic support typically included a regimental gun company equipped with Type 41 75mm mountain guns and an anti-tank gun company. For much of its existence, it operated under the command structure of the 7th Division, which also included the 27th and 28th Infantry Regiments, along with artillery and cavalry units.

Commanding officers

* Colonel Yoshio Shiga: First commander during the regiment's activation and initial deployment to China. * Colonel Takeshi Mori: Led the regiment during the later stages of the Pacific War and its redeployment to Manchukuo. * Lieutenant Colonel Katsuyoshi Akiyama: Often served as a senior battalion commander within the regiment during critical engagements.

Notable engagements

The regiment fought in several major campaigns. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, it participated in the Battle of Xuzhou and subsequent operations in Shanxi province. In 1939, it was committed to the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, suffering significant casualties against Soviet armored forces. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the regiment was stationed in the Dutch East Indies and later in New Britain, facing Allied air raids and local resistance. Its final and most catastrophic battle was during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, where it was overrun by the Red Army's 6th Guards Tank Army in the vicinity of Mudanjiang.

Legacy

The 107th Infantry Regiment's legacy is one of the Imperial Japanese Army's prolonged and costly commitment to a war of aggression across Asia. Its destruction in Manchukuo symbolizes the overwhelming defeat of the Kwantung Army in 1945. The regiment's history is studied in the context of Japanese military operations in China and the final collapse of Japanese forces in Northeast China. Like many IJA units, its story is part of the broader narrative of World War II in the Pacific theater.

Category:Infantry regiments of Japan Category:Military units and formations established in 1937 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945