Below is the order of battle for the Canton Operation, October to December 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Imperial Japanese Army
21st Army - Lt. Gen. Motoo Furusho [8]
- 5th Division - Lt. Gen. Rikichi Ando [8]
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 11th Infantry Regiment
 - 41st Infantry Regiment
 
 - 21st Infantry Brigade
- 21st Infantry Regiment
 - 42nd Infantry Regiment
 
 - 5th Field Artillery Regiment
 - 5th Cavalry Regiment
 - 5th Engineer Regiment
 - 5th Transport Regiment
 
 - 9th Infantry Brigade
 - 18th Division - Lt. Gen. Seiichi Kunou [8]
- 23rd Infantry Brigade
- 55th Infantry Regiment
 - 56th Infantry Regiment
 
 - 35th Infantry Brigade
- 114th Infantry Regiment
 - 124th Infantry Regiment
 
 - 22nd Cavalry Battalion
 - 18th Mountain Artillery Regiment
 - 12th Military Engineer Regiment
 - 12th Transport Regiment
 
 - 23rd Infantry Brigade
 - 104th Division - Lt. Gen. Toshio Miyake [8]
- 107th Infantry Brigade
- 108th Infantry Regiment
 - 170th Infantry Regiment
 
 - 132nd Infantry Brigade
- 137th Infantry Regiment
 - 161st Infantry Regiment
 
 - 104th Field Artillery Regiment
 - 104th Cavalry Regiment
 - 104th Engineer Regiment
 - 104th Transport Regiment
 
 - 107th Infantry Brigade
 
Forces directly under 21st Army:[1]
- 3rd Independent Machinegun Battalion (独立機関銃第三大隊)
 - 6th Independent Machinegun Battalion (独立機関銃第六大隊)
 - 21st Independent Machinegun Battalion (独立機関銃第二十一大隊)
 - 11th Independent Light Armored Car Company (独立軽装甲車第十一中隊)
 - 51st Independent Light Armored Car Company (独立軽装甲車第五十一中隊)
 - 52nd Independent Light Armored Car Company (独立軽装甲車第五十二中隊)
 - 111th Mountain Artillery Regiment (山砲兵第百十一聯隊)
 - 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (独立山砲兵第十聯隊)
 - 1st Heavy Field Artillery Brigade (野戦重砲兵第一旅団)
 - 2nd Mortar Battalion (迫撃第二大隊)
 - 21st Mortar Battalion (迫撃第二十一大隊)
 - 11th Independent Heavy Siege Artillery Battalion (独立攻城重砲兵第十一大隊)
 - 1st Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion (独立臼砲第一大隊)
 - 2nd Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion (独立臼砲第二大隊)
 - 3rd Division's 6th and 7th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries (第三師団第六、第七野戦高射砲隊)
 - 3rd Division's 8th and 9th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries (第三師団第八、第九野戦高射砲隊)
 - 1st Division's 6th and 8th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries (第一師団第六、第八野戦高射砲隊)
 - 5th Division's 2nd Field Anti-Aircraft Battery (第五師団第二野戦高射砲隊)
 - 20th Division's 2nd Field Anti-Aircraft Battery (第二十師団第二野戦高射砲隊)
 - 1st Independent Balloon Company (独立気球第一中隊)
 - 15th Independent Engineer Regiment (独立工兵十五聯隊)
 - 8th Signal Communication Unit (第八通信隊)
 - 6th Field Meteorological Unit (第六野戦気象隊)
 - 3rd Field Survey Unit (第三野戦測量隊)
 
4th Flight Group - Major Gen. Tomo Fujita [8][2] (Formed on September 19, 1938, under the 21st Army)
- 64th Hiko Sentai - Major Tamiya Teranishi,[2][3] (Base: Ertaokou 8/38 – 11/38)
- 1st Chutai -  Captain Mitsugu Sawada
- Nakajima Ki-27 fighter aircraft
 
 - 2nd Chutai -  Captain Tsuguroku Nakao
- Kawasaki Ki-10 fighter aircraft
 - Nakajima Ki-27 fighter aircraft
 
 
 - 1st Chutai -  Captain Mitsugu Sawada
 - 27th Hiko Sentai - ? [2][3]
- 1st Chutai - ?
- Light bomber - ?
 
 
 - 1st Chutai - ?
 - 31st Hiko Sentai - ? (Base: Canton 11/38 – ) [2][3]
- Light bomber unit.
 
 - 1st Aviation Corps (reconnaissance aircraft)[2]
 - 94th Flight Group [2]
 - 97th Flight Group [2]
 - 3rd Flying Field Squadron [2]
 - 1st Field Operation Flying Field team.[2]
 
Notes:
- 21st Army formed on September 19, 1938, and attacks Guangzhou October 12, 1938. [2]
 
Tactical Organization of the 21st Army
21st Army[2]
- Oikawa Detachment (及川支隊)
- 9th Infantry Brigade (Detached from 5th Division)
- 11th Infantry Regiment
 
 - 5th Engineer Regiment (Detached from 5th Division)
- 1st Company
 
 - Forces under Oikawa Detachment:
- 52nd Independent Light Armoured Car Company
 - 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (1 Battalion)
- 1st Battalion
 
 - 15th Independent Engineer Regiment
 
 
 - 9th Infantry Brigade (Detached from 5th Division)
 - 18th Division
- 23rd Infantry Brigade
- 55th Infantry Regiment
 - 56th Infantry Regiment
 
 - 35th Infantry Brigade
- 114th Infantry Regiment
 - 124th Infantry Regiment (Detached except for 3rd Battalion)
- 3rd Battalion
 
 
 - 22nd Cavalry Battalion
 - 18th Mountain Artillery Regiment
 - 12th Military Engineer Regiment
 - 12th Transport Regiment
 - Forces under 18th Division:
- 3rd Independent Machinegun Battalion
 - 21st Independent Machinegun Battalion
 - 11th Independent Light Armoured Car Company
 - 51st Independent Light Armoured Car Company
 - 111th Mountain Artillery Regiment
 - 2nd Mortar Battalion
 - 2nd Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion
 
 
 - 23rd Infantry Brigade
 - 104th Division
- 107th Infantry Brigade (108th Infantry Regiment remained in Manchuria)
 - 132nd Infantry Brigade (161st Infantry Regiment remained in Manchuria)
- 137th Infantry Regiment
 
 - 104th Field Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions remained in Manchuria)
 - 104th Cavalry Regiment (1 Battalion remained in Manchuria)
 - 104th Engineer Regiment
 - 104th Transport Regiment
 - Forces under 104th Division:
- 124th Infantry Regiment (Detached from 18th Division, 2 Battalions)
- 1st Battalion
 - 2nd Battalion
 
 - 6th Independent Machinegun Battalion
 - 5th Field Artillery Regiment (1 Battalion)
- 2nd Battalion
 
 - 10th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions)
- 2nd Battalion
 - 3rd Battalion
 
 - 21st Mortar Battalion (1 Company)
- 1st Company
 
 - 11th Independent Heavy Siege Artillery Battalion
 
 - 124th Infantry Regiment (Detached from 18th Division, 2 Battalions)
 
 - 5th Division
- 9th Infantry Brigade
- 41st Infantry Regiment
 
 - 21st Infantry Brigade
- 21st Infantry Regiment
 - 42nd Infantry Regiment
 
 - 5th Field Artillery Regiment (2 Battalions)
- 1st Battalion
 - 3rd Battalion
 
 - 5th Cavalry Regiment
 - 5th Engineer Regiment (Except for 1st Company)
 - 5th Transport Regiment
 - Forces under 5th Division:
- 21st Mortar Battalion (3 Companies)
- 2nd Company
 - 3rd Company
 - 4th Company
 
 - 1st Independent Heavy Mortar Battalion
 - 3rd Division's 8th Field Anti-Aircraft Battery
 
 - 21st Mortar Battalion (3 Companies)
 
 - 9th Infantry Brigade
 - 21st Army Direct Control
- 1st Heavy Field Artillery Brigade
 - 3rd Division's 6th, 7th and 9th Field Anti-Aircraft Batteries
 - 1st Independent Balloon Company
 
 
Imperial Japanese Navy
5th Fleet - Vice Admiral Kōichi Shiozawa (塩澤中将)[3]
- 9th Cruiser Division - Vice Admiral Kōichi Shiozawa (塩澤中将)[3]
 - 10th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Seiichiro Fujimori (藤森少将)[3]
 - 8th Cruiser Division - Rear Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa (小澤少将)[3]
 - 2nd Torpedo Squadron[3][4]
 - 5th Torpedo Squadron[3][4]
 - First Carrier Division[3][4]
 - Second Carrier Division[3][4]
 - Second Base Force[3]
 - 14th Air Group[3]
 - Takao Air Group[3]
 - Seaplane Tender Chitose (千歳)[3]
 - Seaplane Tender Kamikawa Maru (神川丸)[3]
 - 3rd Destroyer Division[3][4]
 - 1st Gunboat Division[3][4]
- Special Gunboat Shuri Maru (首里丸)
 - Special Gunboat Nagatoshiyama Maru (長壽山丸)
 - Special Gunboat Nagashiroyama Maru (長白山丸)
 
 - 1st Combined Air Group[3]
 - Additional Units:
 
China
Canton Area Defense October 1938 [1]
4th Route Army - Yu Han-mou [1]
- 62nd Army - Chang Ta
- 151st Division - Mo His-teh
 - 152nd Division - Chen Chang
 
 - 63rd Army - Chang Jui-kuei
- 153rd Division - Chang Jui-kuei
 - 154th Division - Liang Shih-chi
 - 182nd Division - Li Zhen
 
 - 65th Army - Li Chen-chiu
- 156th Division - Li Chiangi
 - 157th Division - Huang Tao
 - 158th Division - Tseng Yu-chiang
 
 - 9th Separate Brigade - Li Chen-liang
 - 20th Separate Brigade - Chen-liang
 - 2nd Separate Regiment - ?
 - Humen Fortress Command - Chen Tse
 - Chen Chongfan’s Artillery Brigade - Chen Chongfan
 - A Tank Battalion from Canton Tank Corps - ?
 - Anti-Aircraft Gun Battalion - ?
 - Tax Police Division - Sun Liren
 
Navy[1]
- River Defense Command - ?
- Haimen Fortress
 - Pearl River flotilla
- Shao-ho
 - Hai-chou
 - Hai-hu
 - Hai-ou
 
 
 
Airforce[1] Kwang tung Air Defense command - ? (3 x 75mm AA batteries, 20 lesser caliber AA batteries, 4 searchlights )
- 41st AAA Regt.
- 1 battery ? mm (Humen Fortress)
 - ?
 
 - 45th AAA Regt.
- 2 76.2mm AA batteries (Canton)
 - ?
 
 - 3rd Searchlight detachment
- 4 searchlights
 
 
Sources
[1] Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) 2nd Ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; 33, 140th Lane, Tung-hwa Street, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China.
[3] Sino-Japanese Air War 1937-45
[4] Madej, W. Victor Japanese Armed Forces Order of Battle, 1937-1945 [2 vols] Allentown, PA: 1981
March 1938
- 2nd Carrier Division
- RYUJO (CF Toshihiko Odawara)
- F 9 Mitsubishi A5M
 - DB 15 D1A1
 
 - SORYU
- F 18 A5M & A4N1
 - DB 27 DA2
 - TB 12 B4Y1
 
 
 - RYUJO (CF Toshihiko Odawara)
 
References
Citations
Bibliography
- 戦史叢書第079巻 中国方面海軍作戦<2>昭和十三年四月以降 [Senshi Sōsho Volume 79] (in Japanese). The National Institute for Defense Studies. 1975.
 - 戦史叢書第089巻 支那事変陸軍作戦<2>昭和十四年九月まで [Senshi Sōsho Volume 89] (in Japanese). The National Institute for Defense Studies. 1976.