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The 56th Independent Mixed Brigade was an Imperial Japanese Army unit of World War II. It was raised in June 1944 to reinforce the defences of Japanese-occupied Borneo, and was initially stationed in the north-east of the island. In early 1945 most of the brigade's units were ordered to move to the Brunei Bay area of west Borneo, with the brigade's personnel subsequently making a difficult march across the centre of the island.
The 21st Independent Mixed Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Imperial Japanese Army raised during World War II. Formed in January 1941 in Osaka, Japan, the brigade consisted of a single infantry regiment and support elements. It undertook occupation duties in Indochina before being sent to Malaya and then Rabaul. In late 1942, the brigade was sent to take part in the Battle of Buna–Gona in New Guinea. It was withdrawn to Rabaul, and then Japan, in June 1943. Elements of the brigade were converted into other formations and the formation ceased to exist in July 1943.
References
- MacArthur, Douglas (1994a) [1966]. Reports of General MacArthur: Volume II, Part 1. Japanese operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office (compiled from Japanese Demobilization Bureaux Records). OCLC 643562232.
- MacArthur, Douglas (1994b) [1966]. Reports of General MacArthur: Volume II, Part 2. Japanese operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office (compiled from Japanese Demobilization Bureaux Records). OCLC 841039409.
- Miller, John Jr. (1959). Cartwheel: The Reduction of Rabaul. OCLC 63151382.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - Ness, Leland (2015). Rikugun: Guide to Japanese Ground Forces 1937–1945: Volume 1: Tactical Organization of Imperial Japanese Army & Navy Ground Forces. Helion. ISBN 978-1-91217-457-7.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). Duncan Anderson (ed.). Japanese Army in World War II: The South Pacific and New Guinea, 1942–43. Oxford and New York: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-870-7.