Reconnaissance regiments (Japan)
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Reconnaissance regiment (Sōsaku-rentai (搜索聯隊) or Sōsaku-tai (搜索隊)) in
Japanese language is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ma ...
, was the type of the military establishment within
Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
in the 1940-1945 period. ''Reconnaissance regiment'' was the type of unit derived from Cavalry regiment, tasked with combat scouting. In Japanese military literature ''reconnaissance regiment'' is usually abbreviated by SO letters. These regiments were attached to the large number of the Japanese division at the opening stages of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
. In modern Japan, these regiments are equivalent to Reconnaissance battalion in the divisions of the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
.


Historical background

During the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
, the Japanese military commanders were frequently challenged with situations requiring reconnaissance, rapid messages transfer and using the advantages of the
maneuver warfare Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare, is a military strategy which seeks to shatter the enemy's overall cohesion and will to fight. Background Maneuver warfare, the use of initiative, originality and the unexpected, combined with a rut ...
. Such tasks in Japanese army were regularly performed by cavalry regiments (see Japanese cavalry regiments). Unfortunately, development and wide usage of the
machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
during
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
have exposed extreme weakness of the horseback-riding troops against any defensive positions. Simultaneously, the rapid expansion of automobile production have resulted in many experiments with motorized and mechanized cavalry across the world. Although in Japan was observed a long retention of cavalry regiments and battalions, in 1937-1938 the initial batch of seven Sōsaku-tai (reconnaissance regiments) was introduced into the army of Japan. These were renamed as Sōsaku-rentai during the great army reorganization leading to
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
. Since 1940, the existing cavalry regiments were also reorganized into the reconnaissance regiments. Some cavalry regiments were retained. Most notably, Imperial Guard division have kept cavalry regiment while also including ''reconnaissance regiment''. Also, 3rd, 6th, 25th and 26th cavalry regiments were not reorganized until the end of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
. In Imperial Guard division cavalry regiment did include an armoured car company, and many cavalry regiments have unofficially hoarded tanks even when the 1st Tank Division (Imperial Japanese Army) was formed.


Problems with concept

While the ''Reconnaissance regiment'' was envisioned as combination of the
Armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s and
Motorized infantry Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ca ...
, initial vehicles available for the army was very sparse. It happened because
Type 92 Heavy Armoured Car The , also known as the Type 92 cavalry tank, was the Empire of Japan's first indigenous tankette. Designed for use by the cavalry of the Imperial Japanese Army by Ishikawajima Motorcar Manufacturing Company (currently Isuzu Motors), the Type 92 ...
tankette,
Type 94 tankette The Type 94 tankette ( ja, 九四式軽装甲車, Kyūyon-shiki keisōkōsha, literally "94 type light armored car"; also known as TK, an abbreviation of ''Tokushu Keninsha'', literally "special tractor") was a tankette used by the Imperial Japane ...
and Type 97 Te-Ke tankette earmarked for reconnaissance, were also overloaded with attack role, and absorbed into the tank regiments. Also, while initial concept was what ''Reconnaissance regiment'' must be a self-sufficient fighting force, in practice (especially during
Battles of Khalkhin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (russian: Бои на Халхин-Голе; mn, Халхын голын байлдаан) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Jap ...
) the mechanized forces were predominantly used to reinforce under-powered infantry units. Therefore, the supply of
Armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s is turned to be grossly inadequate. As
Nanshin-ron was a political doctrine in the Empire of Japan that stated that Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands were Japan's sphere of interest and that their potential value to the Empire for economic and territorial expansion was greater than elsewh ...
strategy was adopted for the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
, the ''reconnaissance regiments'' were initially very successful during
Japanese conquest of Burma The Japanese invasion of Burma was the opening phase of the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, which took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign (December 1941 to mid-1942) ...
, but later the operations have become increasingly focused on smaller islands. Because the performance limitations of light
armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s were obvious at this point, the ''reconnaissance regiments'' were frequently left behind on mainland while infantry forces have headed to outlying islands. Therefore, ''reconnaissance regiments'' have turned unnecessary one after another and disbanded. Personnel was typically reassigned to the tank units. While at the peak the Japanese army had 40 ''reconnaissance regiments'', by the end of war only 23 remained, of them 9 being significantly under-strength.


Orders of battle

''Reconnaissance regiments'' were a small-scale units, comprising about 500 men in total. Therefore, they did not have battalions in structure, and were usually commanded by
Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
instead of
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
as was typical for infantry regiment. Difference in order of battle between regiments and even between same regiment in different times were very large. Furthermore, the regiment was frequently tailored to fit into the available transport ship.


Order of battle (1937-1938)

*Headquarters *Cavalry squadron *Armored car company - 5 x
Type 92 Heavy Armoured Car The , also known as the Type 92 cavalry tank, was the Empire of Japan's first indigenous tankette. Designed for use by the cavalry of the Imperial Japanese Army by Ishikawajima Motorcar Manufacturing Company (currently Isuzu Motors), the Type 92 ...
tankette or other available tankettes


Order of battle (1939-1941)

*Headquarters *Cavalry squadron *Motorized infantry company (with Type 94 6-Wheeled Truck,
Type 95 reconnaissance car The Type 95 was a Japanese scout car built by , and was used during the war with China and World War II in the East. Between 1936 and 1944 approximately 4,700 were built. It was the only completely Japanese designed reconnaissance car ever us ...
and other vehicles) *Armored car company - 5-8 x various armoured cars or tankettes (based on availability)


Order of battle (1942-1945, of infantry division)

This the typical wartime ''reconnaissance regiment'' (most typical being 2nd and 16th regiments), compared to earlier version it has part of horses replaced by
Type 97 motorcycle The Type 97 motorcycle, or Rikuo, was a copy of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle produced with a sidecar from 1935 in Japan under license from Harley-Davidson by the Sankyo Company (later Rikuo Nainen Company). Some 18,000 of the machines were used ...
s. *Headquarters *1. Cavalry squadron *2. Cavalry squadron *1. Armored car company - 8 x tankettes *2. Armored car company - 8 x tankettes *Signals platoon


Order of battle (1942-1945, of tank division)

First three tank divisions had the ''reconnaissance regiment'' attached. Due to lack of Japanese self-propelled guns, these were frequently substituted for
Type 97 Chi-Ha The was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against the Soviet Union, and the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II. T ...
medium tanks or even for light tanks. *Headquarters *1. Light Tank Company - 10 x
Type 95 Ha-Go The was a light tank used by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Battles of Khalkhin Gol, Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry but, like the American M3 Stu ...
or other light tank *2. Light Tank Company - 10 x
Type 95 Ha-Go The was a light tank used by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Battles of Khalkhin Gol, Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry but, like the American M3 Stu ...
or other light tank *3. Light Tank Company (optional) - 10 x
Type 95 Ha-Go The was a light tank used by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Battles of Khalkhin Gol, Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry but, like the American M3 Stu ...
or other light tank * Cavalry squadron *
Self-propelled artillery Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
company - 10 x
Self-propelled gun Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
and 2 x
Type 95 Ha-Go The was a light tank used by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Battles of Khalkhin Gol, Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry but, like the American M3 Stu ...
or other light tank * Maintenance company


Notable military operations


23rd division

During the
Battles of Khalkhin Gol The Battles of Khalkhin Gol (russian: Бои на Халхин-Голе; mn, Халхын голын байлдаан) were the decisive engagements of the undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts involving the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Jap ...
the ''reconnaissance regiment'' of the 23rd division was just organized. During Japanese advance in July 1939, it was responsible for cutting the retreat route of the Soviet army. Although it reached designated position, failure of other units has resulted in regiment being surrounded and wiped out. Immediately reorganized, it was used to augment Japanese defense at (Fui Height). Notable, ''reconnaissance regiment'' was only unit who was able to retreat from height after running out of ammunition and food (all other troop were annihilated), and regiment commander (Ioki Sasaki) has pleaded guilty for unauthorized retreat before court-martial.


56th division

During the early stages of
Japanese conquest of Burma The Japanese invasion of Burma was the opening phase of the Burma campaign in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II, which took place over four years from 1942 to 1945. During the first year of the campaign (December 1941 to mid-1942) ...
, the ''reconnaissance regiment'' of the 56th division played an active role at the spearhead of advance. Regiment landed in
Yangon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...
26 March 1942, and soon Regiment landed to Rangoon on March 26, 1942, and occupied
Taungoo Taungoo (, ''Tauñngu myoú''; ; also spelled Toungoo) is a district-level city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, 220 km from Yangon, towards the north-eastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to the east and west. The main industry ...
220 km away 1 April 1942. Then, a motorized infantry company and engineer (bridging) company headed north, reaching
Bhamo Bhamo ( my, ဗန်းမော်မြို့ ''ban: mau mrui.'', also spelt Banmaw; shn, မၢၼ်ႈမူဝ်ႇ; tdd, ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ᥛᥨᥝᥱ; zh, 新街, Hsinkai) is a city in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, south of the ...
4 May 1942 after over 1400 km long travel.


Battle of Leyte A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

The ''reconnaissance regiment'' of the 1st division, tailored down to headquarters, infantry company and machine gun platoon without any vehicles (about 200 men in total), have landed in
Ormoc Ormoc (IPA: oɾˈmok, officially the City of Ormoc ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Ormoc; war, Syudad han Ormoc; fil, Lungsod ng Ormoc), is a 1st class independent component city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 ce ...
in late November 1944. After receiving horses and tanks from 2nd division, it took mountain-top positions and was able to defend the critical passes for over the month against
24th Infantry Division (United States) The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army that was inactivated in October 1996. Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, firs ...
. After all other Japanese units in vicinity have started retreating, the order of retreat had difficulty reaching the ''reconnaissance regiment'', with only 45 members of the regiment surviving as the result.


List of reconnaissance regiments


References and future reading

This page incorporates material from the Japanese Wikipedia page Reconnaissance regiment, accessed 22 January 2016 {{reflist Cavalry regiments Army reconnaissance regiments Regiments of World War II Military units and formations of the Imperial Japanese Army