Chapter 460: Co-Prosperity Sphere Imperial Guards
Chapter 460: Co-Prosperity Sphere Imperial Guards:
The Japanese Imperial Guard (近衛師団 Konoe Shidan) was dedicated to the protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family, palaces and other imperial properties. It was a quasi-independent branch of the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Guard Headquarters (皇宮警察本部 Kōgū-Keisatsu Honbu), was also a civilian Imperial Guard formed as part of the National Police Agency of Japan. At the start of the Second Great War, it's Division consisted of the 1st and 2nd Guards Brigades. The 1st Guards Brigade, which contained the 1st and 2nd Guards Infantry Regiments, the cavalry regiment, and half of the support units, was transferred to the Wang Jingwei Shanghai/ Nanjing Government as part of the Japanese Expedition Army. There it became known as the Mixed Guards Brigade. In October 1940, it joined other Japanese units that liberated French Indochina into the Kingdoms of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In April 1941 the Mixed Guards Brigade returned to Tokyo to rejoin the Imperial Guards Division. The 2nd Guards Brigade, which contained 3rd and 4th Guards Regiments, also went to China. In 1940, it went to Shanghai before being posted to Hainan Island. In May 1941, the 5th Guards Infantry Regiment joined the 2nd Guards Brigade becoming the Imperial Guard Division. It later saw action in the Battles of Malaya and Singapore with Tomoyuki Yamashita's 25th Army. Later all designated Imperial Guard units were renamed again. The Mixed Guards Brigade in Tokyo became the 1st Guards Division (which now consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guard Regiments) and the Imperial Guard Division became the 2nd Guards Division (with the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Guard Regiments) The 3rd Guards Division, which never left Japan, was formed later in 1943. It consisted of the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Guards Regiments.
With the Creation of Japanese vasalls and puppe regimes inside the Co-Prosperity Sphere, the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy expanded their branches to these new member states supporting the build up of their own armies and navies with Japanese help. This included the Japanese Imperial Guard, who under the Emperors of Chosen and Manchukuo established the Chosen Imperial Guard and the Manchu Imperial Guard respectively. With the expansion of the Co-Prosperity Sphere, this system was expandet to all member states. In the Mangjiang Khanate (with the Kheshig devided into two groups; the day guard Kheshig and the night guard Khevtuul) as the Imperial Guard of the Khan, his family, palaces and other imperial properties. In the Empire of Yankoku they were known as the Yan Imperial Guard, in the State of National Han China, they were known as the National Han Imperial Guard and so on. Some newly liberated states like Manchukuo, Chosen, Mengjiang, Burma, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia revived their old guards, modernized and prepared them for a modern war. Others, like Siam/ Thailand or Brunei and those liberated out of the former Dutch East Indies and South East Asia would either recreate and renewe their own Imperial Guards, or even form their own versions for the firs time, since they themselves were only just liberated again, or even created for the first time in their existence, even if nearly all of them claimed some former kingdom, empire or dinasty of one region as their legitimation and ancestors. In some chases this meant that the Imperial Guards of several mamber states even fought alongside the regular armed forces of the Co-Prosperity Sphere against the United Chinese Front, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union during some campaigns and battles. Because they received the best and latest equipments, best weapons and training of most of the armed forces, they were often a elite force within, or alongside the regular army forces. This naturally only increased their legendary status, beside regular propaganda use of the Imperial Guards and further cemented their myth as elite, unbeatable superior forces, even if in reality, this wasn't always the chase.
The Japanese Imperial Guard (近衛師団 Konoe Shidan) was dedicated to the protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family, palaces and other imperial properties. It was a quasi-independent branch of the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Guard Headquarters (皇宮警察本部 Kōgū-Keisatsu Honbu), was also a civilian Imperial Guard formed as part of the National Police Agency of Japan. At the start of the Second Great War, it's Division consisted of the 1st and 2nd Guards Brigades. The 1st Guards Brigade, which contained the 1st and 2nd Guards Infantry Regiments, the cavalry regiment, and half of the support units, was transferred to the Wang Jingwei Shanghai/ Nanjing Government as part of the Japanese Expedition Army. There it became known as the Mixed Guards Brigade. In October 1940, it joined other Japanese units that liberated French Indochina into the Kingdoms of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In April 1941 the Mixed Guards Brigade returned to Tokyo to rejoin the Imperial Guards Division. The 2nd Guards Brigade, which contained 3rd and 4th Guards Regiments, also went to China. In 1940, it went to Shanghai before being posted to Hainan Island. In May 1941, the 5th Guards Infantry Regiment joined the 2nd Guards Brigade becoming the Imperial Guard Division. It later saw action in the Battles of Malaya and Singapore with Tomoyuki Yamashita's 25th Army. Later all designated Imperial Guard units were renamed again. The Mixed Guards Brigade in Tokyo became the 1st Guards Division (which now consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guard Regiments) and the Imperial Guard Division became the 2nd Guards Division (with the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Guard Regiments) The 3rd Guards Division, which never left Japan, was formed later in 1943. It consisted of the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Guards Regiments.
With the Creation of Japanese vasalls and puppe regimes inside the Co-Prosperity Sphere, the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy expanded their branches to these new member states supporting the build up of their own armies and navies with Japanese help. This included the Japanese Imperial Guard, who under the Emperors of Chosen and Manchukuo established the Chosen Imperial Guard and the Manchu Imperial Guard respectively. With the expansion of the Co-Prosperity Sphere, this system was expandet to all member states. In the Mangjiang Khanate (with the Kheshig devided into two groups; the day guard Kheshig and the night guard Khevtuul) as the Imperial Guard of the Khan, his family, palaces and other imperial properties. In the Empire of Yankoku they were known as the Yan Imperial Guard, in the State of National Han China, they were known as the National Han Imperial Guard and so on. Some newly liberated states like Manchukuo, Chosen, Mengjiang, Burma, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia revived their old guards, modernized and prepared them for a modern war. Others, like Siam/ Thailand or Brunei and those liberated out of the former Dutch East Indies and South East Asia would either recreate and renewe their own Imperial Guards, or even form their own versions for the firs time, since they themselves were only just liberated again, or even created for the first time in their existence, even if nearly all of them claimed some former kingdom, empire or dinasty of one region as their legitimation and ancestors. In some chases this meant that the Imperial Guards of several mamber states even fought alongside the regular armed forces of the Co-Prosperity Sphere against the United Chinese Front, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union during some campaigns and battles. Because they received the best and latest equipments, best weapons and training of most of the armed forces, they were often a elite force within, or alongside the regular army forces. This naturally only increased their legendary status, beside regular propaganda use of the Imperial Guards and further cemented their myth as elite, unbeatable superior forces, even if in reality, this wasn't always the chase.
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