56th Division
Japanese soldiers on the march.
General Yamashita invaded Malaya and Singapore with three divisions, the 18th Division, the 5th Division and the Imperial Guards Division. However, he had initially been allocated a fourth division as well, the 56th Division. Yamashita elected to leave the 56th Division behind in Japan, concerned that he did not have the logistics capability to support four divisions in Malaya, especially with the high-tempo, high-intensity combat strategy that he was to employ. In end, he was proved correct, as his three divisions were sufficient to capture Singapore, and even then, they nearly ran out of ammunition before they secured victory.
If things had gone badly for Yamashita in Malaya, it is probable that he would have called upon the 56th Division to be transported to Malaya as reinforcements for the three divisions already in the field.
References:
Sinister Twilight, Noel Barber, 1968
The War Against Japan Vol.1, Maj-General S Woodburn Kirby, 1957
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, Norman Dixon, 1976
History of the Second World War, B.H. Liddell Hart, 1971
The Fall of Singapore, Justin Corfield and Robin Corfield, 2012
If things had gone badly for Yamashita in Malaya, it is probable that he would have called upon the 56th Division to be transported to Malaya as reinforcements for the three divisions already in the field.
References:
Sinister Twilight, Noel Barber, 1968
The War Against Japan Vol.1, Maj-General S Woodburn Kirby, 1957
On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, Norman Dixon, 1976
History of the Second World War, B.H. Liddell Hart, 1971
The Fall of Singapore, Justin Corfield and Robin Corfield, 2012
Card: Japanese
Supply cost: 4
Game effect: When played, allows the Japanese player to immediately place an Infantry Battalion (strength 8) on the Tebrau hex. This can only be done if there is an unused Japanese Infantry Battalion counter available (as in, there aren't already two Japanese Infantry Battalions in the game). The Tebrau hex must also be empty of any units. Using this card and placing the new Infantry Battalion does not count as a move on the Japanese player's turn.
Supply cost: 4
Game effect: When played, allows the Japanese player to immediately place an Infantry Battalion (strength 8) on the Tebrau hex. This can only be done if there is an unused Japanese Infantry Battalion counter available (as in, there aren't already two Japanese Infantry Battalions in the game). The Tebrau hex must also be empty of any units. Using this card and placing the new Infantry Battalion does not count as a move on the Japanese player's turn.