117th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

117th Division
第117師団
Active	1944–1945
Country	Empire of Japan
Allegiance	44th army
Branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Type	Infantry
Size	13694
Garrison/HQ	Xinxiang
Nickname(s)	Expansive division

The 117th Division (第117師団, Dai-hyakujūnana Shidan) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Expansive Division (弘兵団, Hiromu Heidan). It was formed 10 July 1944 in Xinxiang as a type-C(hei) security division, simultaneously with the 114th, 115th and 118th divisions. The nucleus for the formation was the 14th Independent Infantry Brigade. The division was initially assigned to the Twelfth Army.

Action

Although slated for the Battle of West Henan–North Hubei, the 117th division was reassigned to the 44th army and sent to Taonan in April 1945. During the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, the 117th division was tasked with the defense of Liaoyuan and has surrendered to Red Army in Gongzhuling. The last soldiers were returned to Japan only in 1963.

See also

• List of Japanese Infantry Divisions

Notes and references

• This article incorporates material from Japanese Wikipedia page 第117師団 (日本軍), accessed 27 June 2016
• Madej, W. Victor, Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937–1945 [2 vols], Allentown, PA: 1981.