Branch: Imperial Daitōjin Army
Type: Infantry Division
Size: 19,000
Garrison/HQ: Camp Shikabe, Shikabe, Shinkyō
Nickname: "Vanguard"
March: "Be Prepared" The Imperial Guard, formally the
1st Imperial Guard Division (近衛第一師団,
Konoe dai ichi shidan), is a division within the Imperial Daitōjin Army. Formed in 1867, it became the foundation of the Imperial Daitōjin Army after Emperor Keiō assumed all powers of state during the Keiō Restoration. The Imperial Guard, which numbered 12,000 men and was trained along Achkaerinese military lines, first saw action during the Tottori Rebellion in 1877. It was, at that time, organized into the 1st Guards Infantry Brigade, which had 1st and 2nd Regiments. The 3rd and 4th Regiments belonged to the 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade. By 1885, the Imperial Daitōjin Army consisted of seven divisions, one of which was the Imperial Guard. At that time, a division consisted of four regiments containing an HQ and two battalions each. The Imperial Guard division was based in Shinkyō and was recruited on national lines; officers, likewise, were drawn nationally. Following the annexation of Tsukishima in 1908, the decision was made to recruit a second division from among the indigenous peoples on the island; the Dalseomin were, however, initially excluded from this policy. In 1920 the Guards Cavalry Regiment, Guards Field Artillery Regiment, Guards Engineer Battalion, and Guards Transport Battalion, plus other Guards service units were raised, adding to the overall ORBAT of the force. From 1937 to 1939 the Guards Engineer Battalion was expanded into a regiment as was the Guards Transport Battalion.
In July of 1939, the division was split into 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 Ardian Peninsula. Here, it became known as the Mixed Guards Brigade. In October 1940, it joined other Daitōjin and Allied forces in the Rio Blanco Offensive. The Mixed Guards Brigade returned to Shinkyō in early 1941, however, it did not rejoin the Imperial Guards Division. The 2nd Guards Brigade, which contained 3rd and 4th Guards Regiments, also went to the Peninsula. In 1940, it was stationed in the north of Toshikawa, where it helped provide security as well as briefly engaged in fighting in the latter half of the year. In June of 1941, the 5th Guards Infantry Regiment joined the 2nd Guards Brigade, with it becoming the Imperial Guard Division again. Later in the year, it was transferred to Kalasin, where it served under Haruichi Matsukawa's 17th Army. In June of 1943, all designated Imperial Guard units were renamed again. The Mixed Guards Brigade in Shinkyō became the 1st Guards Division (which now consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 6th Guard Regiments) and the Imperial Guard Division became the 2nd Guards Division. The 3rd Guards Division, which never left Daitō, was formed in 1944. It consisted of the 8th, 9th and 10th Guards Regiments. The 1st Guards Division was deployed to the Satsunan Islands as part of Operation Ni-gō in August of 1945, where it played an instrumental role in liberating the islands.
Following the Great War, in part due to measures to cut expenses, the Imperial Guards Divisions were downsized, with the 2nd and 3rd Guards Divisions being inactivated on the 18th of April, 1946 and the 3rd of March, 1947, respectively. At the same time, the 1st Guards Division was renamed the 1st Imperial Guards Division and its recruitment expanded to include Tsukishima and Paechon. It would largely be relegated to guarding the various residences of the Imperial Family as well as members of the Imperial Family themselves, a role which was supplemented by members of the newly-established 301st Military Police Company starting in 1955. The 1st Imperial Guard Division was called to serve during the 1st Kalasinese War starting in 1967. During the war, the Guard's role in protecting the Imperial Family was temporarily entirely relegated to the 301st, while the Guard became known as the first full division to arrive in the country. It would see fighting throughout the war, where it served with distinction, and it would be the last division to withdraw from the country on the 15th of November, 1976. The 1st Imperial Guard Division would resume normal duties starting in 1977, with this remaining the case until the modern day, with the exception of 2017, when it would once again be deployed to the Mathilda Channels. It was reorganized once again in 2011 as part of the Division Modernization Program (DMP), where it became classified as a Light Division. To this day, the Guard has served Daitō and its Emperors with distinction, earning its place in history.
Organization
The 1st Imperial Guard Division consists of the following elements: a Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (HHB), two Light Brigade Combat Teams, one Mobile Brigade Combat Team, a Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF;
armored) Battalion, a Division Artillery (DIVARTY), a Combat Aviation Brigade, an Engineer Battalion, a Protection Brigade, a Division Sustainment Brigade (DSB), and Division Sustainment Support Battalion (DSSB).
Equipment
Generally speaking, the 1st Imperial Guard Division uses the same equipment as any other unit in the Imperial Daitōjin Army, however, there are some pieces which are worth noting. The 1st Imperial Guard was the first unit to receive the Type 81 Assault Rifle in 2021, which replaced the older Type 49 which entered service in 1989. It also maintains a stockpile of Type 96 Semi-Automatic Rifles for ceremonial duties. Due to its nature as a "Light" Division, the Imperial Guard is equipped with the
Matsui Light Tank, typically numbering around 42 units of it at any given time, alongside a number of other vehicles of the type. Infantry Battalions are furthermore provided with the Type 76
Victor and Type 72 Unmanned Ground Vehicles, as well as a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles to provide ISR and light strike capabilities. As a result of past efforts to modernize the military, the Division, like all in the Army and Naval Landing Corps, is capable of deploying unattended ground sensors which can link with existing ground and air assets to provide a comprehensive "view" of the battlefield, although with the Guard, such capabilities are
rarely used outside of training.
