Imperial Japanese Armed Forces |
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The following is a list of Japanese military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels, and other support equipment of both the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), and Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from operations conducted from start of Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 to the end of World War II in 1945. [1]
The Empire of Japan forces conducted operations over a variety of geographical areas and climates from the frozen North of China bordering Russia during the Battle of Khalkin Gol (Nomonhan) to the tropical jungles of Indonesia. Japanese military equipment was researched and developed along two separate procurement processes, one for the IJA and one for the IJN. Until 1943, the IJN usually received a greater budget allocation, which allowed for the enormous Yamato-class battleships, advanced aircraft such as the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" series, and the world's largest submarines. In addition, a higher priority of steel and raw materials was allocated to the IJN for warship construction and airplane construction. It changed to a degree in 1944/45, when the Japanese home islands became increasingly under direct threat, but it was too late. Therefore, during the prior years the Imperial Japanese Army suffered by having a lower budget allocation and being given a lower priority as to raw materials, which eventually affected its use of equipment and tactics in engagements during World War II.
A majority of the materials used were cotton, wool, and silk for the fabrics, wood for weapon stocks, leather for ammunition pouches, belts, etc. But by 1943 material shortages caused much of the leather to be switched to cotton straps as a substitute.
Model | Type | Role | Blade length (cm) | From (year) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guntō | Ceremonial sword | Ceremonial purpose/Close combat | variable | 1875 | Collective term for military swords |
Type 30 bayonet | Combat knife/bayonet | Close combat | 40 | 1897 | Fitted on rifles from Type 30 to Type 99 |
Type 4 bayonet | Combat knife/bayonet | Close combat | ? | 1911 | Integrated with Type 44 Cavalry Carbine |
Type 2 bayonet | Combat knife/bayonet | Close combat | 19.5 | 1942 | Fitted on Type 2 TERA Rifle and Type 100 SMG |
Pole bayonet | Combat knife/bayonet | Close combat | 38.6 | 1945 | Last-ditch weapon |
Bamboo Spear | Spear | Close combat | 170-200 | As late as 1942-1945 | Primary weapon when low on supplies |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(November 2023) |
Name | Type | Role/s | Action | Origin | Base model/s | Manufacturer/s | Cartridge/s | Effective firing range (m) | Cyclic rate of fire (round/min) | From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity | Unloaded mass (kg) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type 100 SMG | Submachine gun | Close-quarters | Blow-back | Empire of Japan | Nambu | 8×22mm Nambu | 150 | 450–800 | 1939 | 10,000~ | 3.70 | ||
Model 1 submachine gun | Submachine gun | Close-quarters | Blow-back | Empire of Japan | Nambu | 8×22mm Nambu | 800 | 1935 | ? | 3.37 | |||
Model 2 submachine gun | Submachine gun | Close-quarters | Blow-back | Empire of Japan | Nambu | 8×22mm Nambu | 500 | 800 | 1935 | 120-200 | 3.37 | ||
Mauser C96 (Type MO Large pistol) | Machine pistol | Close-quarters / Sidearm | Short recoil | German Empire | Mauser | 7.63×25mm Mauser | 10000 | 900–1000 (M712 Schnellfeuer) | 1896 | ? | 1.130 | ||
Type Be | Submachine gun | Close-quarters | Open-bolt blow-back | Switzerland | MP18 | Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft | 7.63×25mm Mauser | 100 | 1920 | 445~ [25] | 4.18 | Designation for the Swiss SIG M1920. Used in limited numbers by the Special Naval Landing Forces in Shanghai, Hainan Island, Chuuk Lagoon and Saipan. Captured Chinese guns were also put into service. | |
Type Su | Submachine gun | Close-quarters | Open-bolt blow-back | Austria | S1-100 | Steyr-Solothurn A.G. | 7.63×25mm Mauser | 200 | 600 | 1929 | 6,000~ | 4.48 | Used in limited numbers by the Special Naval Landing Forces in Shanghai and Hainan Island. |
Tree chart of Japanese rifles of World War II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Grenade | Launcher | From (year) | Type | Filling | Mass (kg) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type 10 grenade | Type 10 | 1914 | Fragmentation | TNT | 0.530 | Inaccurate fuse timing |
Type 91 grenade | Type 89 | 1931 | Fragmentation | TNT | 0.530 | Improvement of Type 10 |
Type 92 grenade | Type 10 | 1933 | Chemical | TNT | 0.590 | Green (skin irritant) and red (tear gas) versions, 30g bursting and 37-40g chemical charges |
Type 97 grenade | No | 1937 | Fragmentation | TNT | 0.450 | Evolution of Type 91 optimized for hand-throw |
Type 98 grenade | No | 1939 | Fragmentation | Cast picric acid | 0.595 | Copy of Model 24 grenade, long handle |
Type 99 grenade | Type 100 | 1939 | Fragmentation | Cast picric acid | 0.300 | Variant of Type 97 for grenade launcher |
Type 2 grenade (30mm) | Type 2 | 1942 | Anti-tank | 50% TNT, 50% RDX | 0.230 | |
Type 2 grenade (40mm) | Type 2 | 1942 | Anti-tank | 50% TNT, 50% RDX | 0.369 | 98mm RHA penetration |
Type 3 grenade | No | 1943 | Anti-tank | 50% TNT, 50% PETN | 0.830-1.270 | Shaped charge, fabric body |
Type 4 grenade | No | 1944 | Fragmentation | Ammonium perchlorate explosive | 0.480 | Ceramic (Pottery) grenade |
Name | Type | Role/s | Origin | Base model/s | Manufacturer/s | Cartridge/s | From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity | Unloaded mass (kg) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type 10 signal pistol (35 mm) | Flare gun | Distress call / sidearm | Empire of Japan | Koishikawa Arsenal Kokura Arsenal | 1921 | ? |
Name | Type | Role/s | Origin | Base model/s | Manufacturer/s | Cartridge/s | From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity | Unloaded mass (kg) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type 4 70 mm AT rocket launcher | rocket launcher | Anti-tank / Anti-material / Breaching | Empire of Japan | 72x359mm | 1944 | 3,500~ | 8 | |||
Type 5 45 mm AT rocket launcher | rocket launcher | Anti-tank / Anti-material / Breaching | Empire of Japan | ? | ||||||
81mm recoilless rifle | rocket launcher | Anti-tank / Anti-material / Breaching | Empire of Japan | ? | 300 produced in 1944 and used up in battle for Okinawa | |||||
10.5 cm recoilless rifle | rocket launcher | Anti-tank / Anti-material / Breaching | Empire of Japan | ? |
Name | Type | Role/s | Origin | Base model/s | Manufacturer/s | From (year) | Estimated wartime quantity | Mass (kg) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type 93 flamethrowers | Flamethrower | Specialized role | Empire of Japan | 1933 | ? | 26 + 4.5 | |||
Type 100 flamethrowers | Flamethrower | Specialized role | Empire of Japan | 1940 | ? | 26 + 4 |
Name | Caliber (mm) | Eff. alt. | From (year) | Estimated quantity | Mass (kg) | Fire rate (RPM) | Note/s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QF 3.7-inch AA gun Mk1 | 94 | 7,300 | 1941 | 0 | 9,317 | 15 | captured from British |
Type 11 | 75 | 6,650 | 1922 | 44 | 2,061 | 5~ | used as railroad gun and in home islands fortresses |
Type 14 | 100 | 10,500 | 1925 | 70 | 5,194 | 5~ | civil defense in Kyushu only |
Type 10 | 120 | 10,065 | 1927 | 2,000 | 7,800 | 11 | cheap coastal defense tool, dual-purpose |
Type 88 | 75 | 7,250 | 1928 | 2,000 | 2,740 | 18 | based on QF 3-inch 20 cwt design, mainstay of civil defense |
Type 89 naval gun | 127 | 9,439 | 1932 | 1,306 | 20,300 | 11 | standard heavy AA gun of IJN |
Type 99 | 88 | 10,420 | 1938 | 1,000 | 6,500 | 15 | 2nd most produced after Type 88 for civil defense |
8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun | 76.2 | 5,400 | 1914 | 69 | 2,600 | 13 | dual-purpose naval gun, during World War II used on gunboats and for civil air defense |
Type 3 12cm | 120 | 13,000 | 1944 | 120 | 19,800 | 20 | the only mass-produced Japanese weapon effective against B-29 |
Type 4 | 75 | 10,000 | 1944 | 70 | 5,850 | 10 | reverse-engineered Bofors gun captured from Chinese, intended to replace Type 88, modified as Type 5 75 mm Tank Gun |
Type 5 | 149.1 | 16,000 | 1945 | 2 | 9,200 | 10 | had a fire-control electronic computer |
Note: Amphibious tanks were used by the IJN.
Name | Chassis | Gun | From (year) | Estimated quantity | Role/s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type 97 Ki-To SPAAG | Type 97 Te-Ke | Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon | 1938 | 1 | self-propelled anti-aircraft gun |
Type 98 Ko-Hi | half-track prime mover | unarmed | 1938 | unknown number | towing a Type 4 75 mm AA gun |
Type 98 20 mm AA half-track vehicle | Type 98 Ko-Hi half-track | Type 98 20 mm AA machine cannon | 1942 | 1 | self-propelled anti-aircraft gun |
Type 4 Ha-To | Type 4 Chi-So | Type 3 30 cm mortar | 1944 | 4 | self-propelled mortar/rocket launcher |
Name | Armament/s | Rail wheels? | Maker/s | From (year) | Estimated quantity | Comment/s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austin armoured car | none | No | Austin Motor Company/Nissan | 1920s | ? | |
Vickers Crossley armoured car | 2× 7.7mm Vickers .303 MG | No | Crossley | 1925 | ? | |
Wolseley armoured car | 1× 6.5mm Type 3 MG | No | Sumida (Isuzu) under license from Wolseley Motors Limited | 1928 | ? | |
Type 2592 Chiyoda | 3x6.5mm Type 11 MG | No | Sumida(Isuzu) | 1931 | 200 | Also known as "Chiysda" (misspelled) |
(Chiyoda QSW) "Aikoku" | 3x6.5mm Type 11 MG | No | Sumida(Isuzu) | 1931 | 2 | |
(Chiyoda) "Kokusan" | 3x6.5mm Type 11 MG | No | Sumida(Isuzu) | 1931 | ? | |
Type 2592 Sumida | none | No | Sumida(Isuzu) | 1932 | ? | |
Sumida M.2593 | 1x 7.7mm machine gun | Yes | Sumida(Isuzu) | 1931 | 1,000 | Also known as Type 91 Broad-gauge railroad tractor Sumi-Da or Type 91 armored railroad car So-Mo |
Type 95 So-Ki armored APC and railroad car | none | Yes | Mitsubishi | 1935 | 121–135 | |
Type 93 armoured car | 1× 7.7mm Vickers .303 MG & 4x 6.5mm MG | Yes | Osaka Naval arsenal | 1933 | 5 | Also known as Type 2593 "Hokoku" or Type 93 "Kokusan" or "Type 92" naval armored car |
Manchukyo Type 93 armored car [39] | Type 11 37mm gun, Type 11 MG | No | Daidou (Manchu) automobiles | 1933 | ? | |
Type 2598 railroad car | none | Yes | ? | 1938 | ? |
Japanese has used routinely road-railroad convertible automobiles. These are covered in "Armoured cars" section
See List of Japanese Army military engineer vehicles of World War II
Name | Type | From (year) | Mass (kg) | Role/s | User/s | Comment/s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kawasaki Ki-147 I-Go Type1 – Ko | guided missile | 1944 | 1,400 | air-to-surface | IJA | Radio-guided, also known as I-Go-1A |
Mitsubishi I-Go-1B | guided missile | 1944 | 680 | air-to-surface | IJA | Radio-guided, also known as Ki-148 or I-Go Type 1-Hei |
Ke-Go | guided missile | 1944 | 680 | air-to-surface | IJA | IR homing version of Ki-148 |
Funshin-dan | unguided missile | 1943 | 40 | surface-to-air | IJN | used in battle of Iwo Jima |
Funryu | guided missile | 1943 | 1,900 | surface-to-air | IJN | Radio-guided, models Funryu-1 to Funryu-4 |
Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka | guided missile | 1945 | 2,140 | surface-to-air | IJN | guided by suicide pilot |
Type 92 No. 1 | bomb | 1932 | 15 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 92 No. 25 | bomb | 1932 | 250 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 92 No. 50 | bomb | 1932 | 500 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 94 No. 5 | bomb | 1934 | 50 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 94 Mod. No. 5 | bomb | 1934 | 50 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 94 No. 10 | bomb | 1934 | 100 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 94 No. 10 Mod. | bomb | 1934 | 100 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 97 No. 6 | bomb | 1937 | 60 | air-to-surface | IJN | used in Pearl Harbor attack |
Type 98 No. 25 | bomb | 1938 | 30 | air-to-surface | IJN | used in Pearl Harbor attack |
Type 99 No. 3 Mod. | bomb | 1939 | 30 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 99 No. 80 | bomb | 1939 | 800 | anti-ship | IJN | used in Pearl Harbor attack |
Type 99 No. 25 | bomb | 1939 | 30 | anti-ship | IJN | used in Pearl Harbor attack |
Type 1 No. 5 | bomb | 1941 | 50 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 1 No. 10 | bomb | 1941 | 100 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 1 No. 25 | bomb | 1941 | 250 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 3 No. 10 | bomb | 1943 | 100 | air-to-surface | IJA | – |
Type 3 No. 25 | bomb | 1943 | 250 | air-to-surface | IJA | Skipping bomb |
Type 4 No. 10 | bomb | 1944 | 100 | anti-ship | IJA | – |
Type 4 No. 25 | bomb | 1944 | 250 | anti-ship | IJA | – |
Type 4 No. 50 | bomb | 1944 | 500 | anti-ship | IJA | – |
Name | Bullet mass (g) | Bullet type | Velocity (m/s) | Energy (J) |
---|---|---|---|---|
7×20mm Nambu | 4 | FMJ | 240 | 108 |
8×22mm Nambu | 7 | FMJ | 290 | 274 |
9×22mmR Japanese | 9.7 | LRN | 229 | 252 |
6.5×50mmSR Arisaka (9g Ball) | 9 | FMJ | 770 | 2,666 |
7.7×56mmR (10g SP) | 10 | SP | 844 | 3,463 |
7.7×56mmR (12g SP) | 12 | SP | 783 | 3,574 |
7.7×56mmR (11g HPBT) | 11 | HPBT | 761 | 3,265 |
7.7×58mm Arisaka (11g Ball) | 11 | FMJ | 740 | 3,136 |
7.7x58mmSR (13g Ball) | 13 | FMJ | 670 | 3,190 |
Gun | Caliber (mm) | Mass (kg) | Length (mm) | Penetration (mm) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Type 90/97 tank gun | 57 | 1.80 | 189 | 55 |
Type 92 infantry gun | 70 | 3.38 | 281 | 90 |
Type 41 75 mm mountain gun | 75 | 3.95 | 297 | 100 |
Type 38 12 cm howitzer | 120 | 13.03 | 387 | 140 |
Type 4 15 cm howitzer | 149 | 21.04 | 524 | 150 |
Among them, the HEAT of Type 41 mountain gun was used in action and destroyed several Allied tanks in Burma and other places. The use of the HEAT for other guns is not known.
Other HEAT shell was the projectile of Type 94 mountain gun. The HEAT of Type 94 mountain gun was not produced though it was developed.
The Type 98 20 mm AAG tank was a Japanese self-propelled anti-aircraft gun using a twin Soki Type 2 20 mm anti-air gun. It utilized the chassis of the Type 98 Ke-Ni light tank.
The Type 2 Gun tank Ho-I was a derivative of the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. Similar in concept to the early variants of the German Panzer IV, it was designed as a self-propelled howitzer to provide the close-in fire support for standard Japanese medium tanks with additional firepower against enemy anti-tank fortifications.
The Type 98 light tank Ke-Ni or Type 98A Ke-Ni Ko was designed to replace the Imperial Japanese Army's Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, Japan's most numerous armored fighting vehicle during World War II. Although designed before World War II began, production did not start until 1942, with 104 being produced by the end of the war in the Pacific.
A huge number of M113 armored personnel carrier variants have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 armored personnel carrier has become one of the most prolific armored vehicles of the second half of the 20th century, and continues to serve with armies around the world in many roles.
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) initially purchased foreign tanks for evaluation during World War I, and began developing its own indigenous designs during the late 1920s.
The Type 4 Ke-Nu was a light tank of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. It was a conversion of existing Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks, re-fitted with the larger turret of the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank.
This article deals with the history and development of tanks of the Japanese Army from their first use after World War I, into the interwar period, during World War II, the Cold War and modern era.
The Type 60 armoured personnel carrier is an armored personnel carrier that entered service with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in 1960.
The experimental Type 98 Ta-Se was a Japanese self-propelled anti-aircraft gun using a Type 98 20 mm anti-aircraft gun. It used the chassis of the Type 98 Ke-Ni light tank. It did not enter production.