Japanese fighting on the eastern front?

I saw this thing donkey years ago where there were japanese fighting with germans against the russians and its been annoying me ever since,they werent just there as observers but actually fought.

Can anyone educate me in any way about it?

 

Sorry, I've never heard of that. There are some photos of Japanese observers in a Tiger tank, and the Germans sold equipment to the Japanese.

 

Haven't heard anything like that either. A quick search around the 'net turned up nothing.

 

I've looked all over the place but no joy,just goes to show the internet doesnt know everything.

 

Japan declared its neutrality when Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, and went out of its way not to provoke the Soviets, so there is no possibility of any Japanese fighting alongside the Germans in the Soviet Union .

ps; The Soviet Union didn't declare war on Japan until after the European war had ended.

 

Yup, I'm with the others. I have seen photos of the Japanese observers but no combat troops. There are also photos of Japanese in Army Uniforms but they were attending classes at the military school.

 

I wonder if they're thinking of some captured Soviet troops from the far east. I'd seen photos of distinctly asian faces in German uniforms taken during Normandy, the caption claiming they were asian Soviet POW's pressed into service by the Germans.

 

There are Russians that look Asian the further east you ago. Many in Siberia and along the Mongolian border have a closer resemblance, so this many very well be the case. I have also seen pictures of captured Japanese fighting along side the Red Army and even a few Japanese in German uniform (at least they looked Japanese)... Ill try to find some pictures or something.

 

There were a number of Korean nationals who were serving in the Wehrmacht on the beaches of Normandy. These young men had been conscriped into the Japanese army, and fought the Soviets in the east. Some of them were captured, and conscripted into the Red Army. After being transferred to the west they fought against the Germans, where some of them were once again captured. Now they fought the Soviets on the eastern front and some were sent to the beaches of Normandy to fight the invading western allies. For them it really was a WORLD WAR wasn't it?

Goto:

http://thomo.coldie.net/wargaming/korean-soldiers-in-ww2-german-army

And don't forget Chiang Kai-Shek’s adopted son, Chiang Wei-kuo who went to military college in Munich Germany, joined the Wehrmacht, and participated in the Anschluss of Austria riding a panzer into that country. When the Nazis invaded Poland he was waiting to ride his panzer into action again, but was recalled to China where he fought there, now against both the Communists, and the invading Japanese.

Goto:

Chiang Wei-kuo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His story is quite interesting as well.

 

This is the one I was referring to in uniform. Forgot it was Chang's son. Good find Clint

 

I think maybe the observers was probably the right call,
Its was about 30 years ago i saw it and there were some big japanese victory flags,
I guess they must have just used some stock film.

Thanks for the effort anyway.

 

There was a thread on here about a Korean serving in the IJA was captured during Khalkin Gol and was then captured by the Germans in Barbarossa. Later he was pressed into service and found himself defending the Normady beaches!

 

Dang. One helluva story to tell their grand kids, if they survived.

 

That would provide good subject matter for an epic movie, starring, let's say, Jackie Chan as the globe trotting Korean warrior....

It could be pitched as an anti-war movie, like "All Quiet on the Western Front" was.

I'm serious here this time!