103rd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
Military unit
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The 103rd Division (第103師å£, Dai-hyakusan Shidan) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Steed Division (é§¿å µå£, Shun Heidan). The division was formed 15 June 1944 in Luzon. The nucleus of the formation was the 32nd Independent Mixed Brigade. The 103rd division was a Type C (hei) security division therefore the division backbone has comprised independent infantry battalions instead of infantry regiments.
| 103rd Division | |
|---|---|
| 第103å¸«å£ | |
| Active | 1944â1945 |
| Country | Empire of Japan |
| Branch |  Imperial Japanese Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 15500 |
| Garrison/HQ | Luzon |
| Nickname | Steed division |
| Engagements | Battle of Luzon |
Action
Initially 103rd division was tasked with the garrisoning of north Luzon, with 79th infantry brigade covering north-west and 80th infantry brigade covering north-east quarter of the island.
During the Battle of Luzon since 9 January 1945, the 103rd division zone of responsibility was from Aparri to west. Soon the 103rd division has retreated to the mountains inland and largely survived around Magat River[2] until surrender of Japan 15 August 1945.