91st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

It was an oversized type C(hei) security division, with its constituent brigades consisting of six infantry battalions each from July 1944.

Taken completely by surprise, the Japanese at first mounted a disorganized defense, but by 0530 had manned machine guns in pillboxes and foxholes and began to inflict heavy casualties on the Soviets,[4] and Japanese artillery sank five Soviet Navy landing craft when the second wave headed towards shore at 0530.

[5] During the night of 18–19 August, the Soviets wiped out the 91st Division forces defending the Japanese coastal artillery sites.

[5] Soviet heavy artillery came ashore on the morning of 19 August, and small groups of Japanese began to surrender.

[5] Sporadic fighting continued to flare up on Shumshu until 23 August 1945, when the last Japanese on the island finally surrendered.