News from Heroes and Leaders mod

[asl3d]

Type 90 Howitzer 75L

The Type 90, based on a modern French design (the Schneider 85mm mle 1927). The Type 90 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2590 of the Japanese calendar (1930). It was intended to replace the Type 38 75 mm field gun in front line combat units, but due to operational and budgetary constraints, the Type 38 continued to be used.
It was adopted in 1930 amid great secrecy, and was produced in two versions: with wooden spooked wheels for horse draft and with pneumatic tires for vehicular towing (the latter being dubbed the "Machine-Moved" version). The horse-drawn version was intended for use in divisional, and the vehicle-towed model was to be used in independent, field artillery battalions. Once in service, however, it was found to suffer from excessive bore wear and, reputedly, recoil malfunctions.
However, few units were built, and the design never achieved its intended purpose of replacing the Type 38 75 mm field gun. The Schneider design was very complex and expensive to build, requiring very tight dimensional tolerances that were beyond the limits of Japanese industry at the time. In particular, the recoil system required a high amount of complex maintenance, which was difficult to sustain in front line combat service. The Type 90 75 mm field gun was unique among Japanese artillery pieces in that it had a muzzle brake. The carriage was of the split trail type.
The Type 90 75 mm field gun was capable of firing high-explosive, armor-piercing, shrapnel, incendiary, smoke and illumination shells. Its range of 15,000 metres for a weight of 1,400 kilograms compared well with its contemporaries.
The Type 90 75 mm field gun was issued primarily to units based in Manchukuo, and was rarely deployed to the Pacific theatre of operations. Its initial use in combat was against the Soviet Red Army at the Battle of Nomonhan. The Type 90's anti-tank potential was noted as early as 1939 in combat against the Russians at Nomonhan, so later in the war some were used as AT guns, primarily against the Americans. When deployed later against Allied forces, it was often used as an anti-tank gun, as its high speed shells were effective against armored vehicles. It was also used at the Battle of the Philippines, Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa, often deployed together with armored units. The Type 90 continued to be used as field artillery until the surrender of Japan.

[asl3d]

ORIGINAL: GiveWarAchance

Golly those Japanese unit cards look so good. Smoking hot!

asl3d, I just reinstalled LnL Heroes of Stalingrad. What is going on here? Are you making battles for the Pacific War?
That must be very fun. I want to try.

I want to try some of your classic Stalingrad battles too. Wow you've built up a treasure trove of material here. Thank you for your incredible creativity.
More people should find out about this and make you famous.

What do you recommend for me? I am thinking of some of your earlier Stalingrad battles first. I was a beginner when I tried before so I did very poorly. I am slightly more experienced now from playing the LnL Normandy and Vietnam battles but still no expert. My hapless Wehrmacht troops will probably go down under a fusillade of Russian rifle and submachine gun fire. [font="Courier New"][/font]

Hello GiveWarAchance,

Thank you very much for your words, always so kind and generous.

I am working on the expansion for Heroes and Leaders mod, "Pacific", which includes the Imperial Army of Japan as well as the rest of the United States Army Order of Battle (Marines, Artillery, Vehicles, Amphibians and Aircraft).

I am also working on a new Historical Module, "Ardennes", which will simulate the main battles of the winter of 1944 in the Ardennes. This will allow you to pit the best tanks in Germany against the best tanks in the United States.

"...... What do you recommend for me? ........"

Well, it is a difficult question. My main recommendation is that you keep in mind that the most important thing, at least for me, is to have fun. Therefore, it is not necessary to win every scenario, but the important thing is to have fun playing each scenario.

If you have not finished the Barrikady scenarios, perhaps it is best to finish the scenarios that you still have to play.

You also have a historical module focused on the territory of Russia: "Grossdeutschland". You will be able to play with the vast majority of tanks and units that the Soviet Army and the German Army deployed during the Second World War. As you are a fan of World War II, you will see the reproduction of some of the most famous battles of the war.

You also have another new historical module: "Partizani", with battles between the German Army in the rear and the main resistance forces in Europe. There are several stages located in Warsaw.

Well, you have a lot of stuff to have fun with. I hope you have as much fun as I have.

[GiveWarAchance]

[font="Courier New"]Thanks asl3d for the detailed reply and advice.
I will go for some Barrikady action and I have no lofty expectations of ever winning a battle but just want to trade some fire in the beloved ruins of Stalingrad.
You sure branched out over a lot of campaigns. Even partisans! Sweet.

I like Grossdeutschland and read about that regiment/division in two books. One was "On a Knife's Edge: Ukraine 42-43" by Prit Buttar and a David Glantz book about Russia's failed invasion of Romania in 1944. This Gross...etc division was in deep in both operations and saved the front from collapse many times. Oh ya and I read about them at Kursk too.

Hey if you ever want another idea for more battles, you can try the Warsaw Uprising. It was a major urban battle very difficult for both sides but also fun and interesting. I read about it the Osprey Campaigns book about it and there is a Stackpole book about one Polish fighter in the battle. Now that I mention it, I see your partizani battles include Warsaw. Is that the Uprising itself or earlier partisan activity?

Maybe I can write some AARs in December. I have to move next week so very messed up my life is, but I can do some AARs after settling in if you don't mind seeing AARs about me losing badly but don't worry I will take full responsibility for my inevitable failures. I did do well in the other LnL titles but I think your Barrikady scenarios are much more difficult than the LnL material. I remember getting whipped really badly before.

Thank you for your huge contributions to this game. There should be thousands of people hanging out here using your material. I wonder if Lock n Load would like to re-release this game with all your material included in it?[/font]

[asl3d]

Type 92 Daitaiho INF 70*

Commonly referred to as the "battalion gun" (daitaiho), the Type 92 designation was for the year the gun was accepted, 2592 in the Japanese imperial year calendar, or 1932 in the Gregorian calendar. Each infantry battalion included two Type 92 guns; therefore, the Type 92 was referred to as battalion gun.
The Type 92 was developed to replace the Year-11 Type 70mm mortar and Year-11 Type flat-trajectory infantry gun with a single weapon capable of both direct and indirect fire. Both lacked sufficient firepower and range, and infantry divisions did not like the fact that they had to carry two different types of weapons with different ammunition into combat. As a result, the army technical bureau developed a design which could be used either at low angle direct fire to take out fortified positions, machine gun nests and light armor, but also could be used at high angle indirect support fire. The caliber of the new weapon was increased to 70 mm to address the issue of inadequate firepower. The new design was available to front line divisions by 1932.
Though much heavier than the other two guns, it was still extremely light for its caliber and could be rapidly manhandled from one position to another. In addition, it could be disassembled and animal-packed, or even man-packed if necessary. Its short range was not seen as a detriment, for it was to be used right up with the forward troops. Allied intelligence spoke of its unreliability and unpopularity, but its users do not seem to have shared these opinions. Each infantry battalion was authorized a platoon of two Type 92 in its infantry-gun company; sometimes two platoons were allotted, especially in independent infantry battalions. As originally organized, a Special Naval Landing Force generally had one or two Type 92 platoons; however, by 1943 they were often replaced by coast-defense/AA artillery.
Somewhat unusual in appearance, the Type 92 battalion gun had a short gun barrel with a split trail carriage. The barrel could be configured from a horizontal to near vertical position with a hand-crank. It had an interrupted thread type, drop breechblock mechanism. Lightweight and maneuverable, it was designed to be pulled by a single horse, although in practice teams of three horses were usually assigned. The wheels were originally wooden, but were changed to steel after troops complained that the noise from the squeaky wooden wheels was a threat.
The Type 92 battalion gun was first used in combat during the Manchurian Incident, and was subsequently in heavy use throughout the invasion of Manchuria, the Battle of Nomonhan and subsequent Second Sino-Japanese War. It later accompanied units assigned to the Pacific front and was used with considerable effectiveness against Allied forces throughout the South Seas Mandate and in Southeast Asia.

[asl3d]

ORIGINAL: GiveWarAchance

[font="Courier New"]Thanks asl3d for the detailed reply and advice.
I will go for some Barrikady action and I have no lofty expectations of ever winning a battle but just want to trade some fire in the beloved ruins of Stalingrad.
You sure branched out over a lot of campaigns. Even partisans! Sweet.

I like Grossdeutschland and read about that regiment/division in two books. One was "On a Knife's Edge: Ukraine 42-43" by Prit Buttar and a David Glantz book about Russia's failed invasion of Romania in 1944. This Gross...etc division was in deep in both operations and saved the front from collapse many times. Oh ya and I read about them at Kursk too.

Hey if you ever want another idea for more battles, you can try the Warsaw Uprising. It was a major urban battle very difficult for both sides but also fun and interesting. I read about it the Osprey Campaigns book about it and there is a Stackpole book about one Polish fighter in the battle. Now that I mention it, I see your partizani battles include Warsaw. Is that the Uprising itself or earlier partisan activity?

Maybe I can write some AARs in December. I have to move next week so very messed up my life is, but I can do some AARs after settling in if you don't mind seeing AARs about me losing badly but don't worry I will take full responsibility for my inevitable failures. I did do well in the other LnL titles but I think your Barrikady scenarios are much more difficult than the LnL material. I remember getting whipped really badly before.

Thank you for your huge contributions to this game. There should be thousands of people hanging out here using your material. I wonder if Lock n Load would like to re-release this game with all your material included in it?[/font]

Grossdeutschland: At the beginning of all Grossdeutschland scenarios, the credits of the books consulted appear. If you look at these credits, there are several books written by David Glantz that I have been inspired to do the scenarios, especially in the battles during the retreat to Romania and in Romania itself. The same is true of Kursk.

Warsaw: exact. There are several scenarios that reproduce the Warsaw uprising of 1944. There is also one scenario during 1943, which reproduces a famous ambush carried out by the Polish Partisans to free their leaders detained by the German security forces.

AAR: What a great idea. I am looking forward to reading them. I still remember the great AAR you wrote a few months ago about the Barrikady factory. It was shining. And don't worry about defeats. Everything is compensated with your chronicles full of imagination and a magnificent sense of humor.

By the way, I wish you have a happy move next week.

[asl3d]

Type 94 ATG 37L

The Type 94 37-mm AT gun was introduced in 1936. The design originated as an improvement to the Type 11 37 mm infantry gun, which was also used as a primitive anti-tank weapon. Approximately 3,400 units were produced. The Type 94's number was designated for the year the gun was accepted, 2594 in the Japanese imperial year calendar, or 1934 in the Gregorian calendar. This gun was used for infantry support and AT defense. It was small and light, and could be dismantled for man or animal-pack transport, but was not designed to be towed by a vehicle.
As with many Japanese designs, it had a very low profile and was intended to be operated from a squatting or prone position. The gun had a gun shield to protect the gunner and open carriage-style legs which could be spread to improve the stability. The breech had a semi-automatic cartridge case ejection system to improve reloading time. When the shell was loaded, the rear of the cartridge case tripped a catch closing the breechblock. The recoil action of firing opened the breech and extracted the cartridge case. Is an infantry close support weapon firing both high explosive and armor piercing high explosive ammunition. It has a semiautomatic, horizontal, sliding type breechblock. When the shell is loaded, the rear of the cartridge case trips a catch that closes the breechblock. Recoil action of firing opens the breech and extracts the cartridge case. Sighting is by a straight telescopic sight. The carriage was equipped with either wooden spoked or perforated steel wheels, and the whole assembly could be broken down into four pack loads each weighing less than 100 kilograms to permit transport in four horse loads. Sighting was by a straight telescopic sight. The gun could fire either high-explosive or armor-piercing rounds. With the standard AP shell, it could penetrate 43 mm of armor at 460 meters. The Army Technical Bureau continued to experiment with ways to increase muzzle velocity through 1941.
In most infantry divisions, a company of 4-6 Type 94 was allotted to each infantry regiment, and another platoon was sometimes present in the divisional recon unit. In Independent Mixed Brigade and Independent Mixed Regiment, the infantry-gun company authorized in each independent infantry battalion sometimes contained a platoon of Type 94. There were also a number of independent rapid-fire gun companies (with eight guns) and battalions (with twelve guns) equipped with the Type 94. Two guns formed a platoon. Each weapon was manned by a squad of 11 personnel, and was kept in contact with the regimental headquarters (typically up to 300 meters away) by field telephone or messenger runners. The Type 94 37mm AT gun was considered obsolete against more advanced Allied tanks, such as the M4 Sherman. However, it remained in service on most fronts in World War II for lack of a better replacement.

[asl3d]

Type 96 Single AA 25LL

These guns were the standard light AA armament of Imperial Japanese Navy vessels. As the war went on, large numbers, still on their shipboard mountings and manned by naval personnel, were used on land to protect airfields, harbours and beaches. For beach defense they were often emplaced in bunkers positioned to bring fire on any approaching landing craft. A company of Type 96 generally comprised 4-6 mountings, with two per platoon. A locally-built variant of the French Hotchkiss 25mm anti-aircraft gun, it was designed as a dual-purpose weapon for use against armored vehicles and aircraft, but was primarily used as an anti-aircraft gun in fixed mounts with one to three guns.
In 1935 the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to replace the earlier 40 mm Vickers "pom-pom" guns with a 25 mm Hotchkiss design. A party of Japanese officers and engineers traveled to France to evaluate the design in 1935, and an order was placed for a number of guns and mounts for evaluation. Firing tests of these guns were conducted at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in 1935. The first few weapons were built in France under the designation “Type 94” and “Type 95”, with the mass production model produced at the Yokosuka Arsenal being designated “Type 96”. The double-mount type was the first to enter service, with triple mounts following in 1941 and finally single mounts later in 1943. The Japanese made a number of minor changes to the original Hotchkiss design and production process, changing some components from forgings to castings to simplify production, and replacing the simple conical flash suppressor with a Rheinmetall-type design. A submarine-mountable version of the gun which made extensive use of stainless steel was also produced.
The Type 96 25mm Gun is a simple air-cooled gas operated design. The barrel is a forging screwed into the breech mechanism. Additional support is provided to the breech end of the gun barrel by the finned cooling jacket. The barrel is changeable, requiring two men and special tools; the operation took a trained crew approximately five minutes. By adjusting the gas valve setting it was possible to vary the rate of fire between 200 and 260 rounds per minute, with 220 rounds per minute being the standard setting.
The gun mounts were normally provided with one of three gun sights: A Le Prieur mechanical lead computing sight; an open ring sight; An etched glass optical ring sight. Land mountings and all single mountings all used the single open-ring sight. The Type 95 sight was used on ship-based multiple mounts, in the case where the mount has a powered drive linked to a fire director it was used as a backup.
The Type 95 sight was originally designed with a maximum target speed of 600 kilometers per hour; however, experience showed that aircraft often exceeded this speed. To compensate for the problem, a ring was added to the sighting telescope to provide an additional offset for speeds up to 900 kilometers per hour. The gun was normally used without a gun shield, although some multiple mounts on Yamato-class battleships were fitted with Ducol (High tensile steel) shields. Many ship-based mounts also had splinter shields.

[GiveWarAchance]

[font="Courier New"]Thanks asl3d.

Those new Japanese guns look good. They also look so spindly that a moderate wind can knock them over and they collapse into a pile of metal parts. But I can tell those are genuine heavy trash heaps... I mean genuine heavy weapons from the time. I like the deep yellow background for the Japanese cards. Anything Japanese in WWII makes me think of yellow. I think it's because I used to play the Axis & Allies boardgame which had Japan in deep yellow on the board. [/font]

[asl3d]

Type 96 Triple AA 3x25LL

The Type 96 was a mediocre weapon compared to its contemporaries in other navies. It was hampered by slow training and elevating speeds (even in power-operated triple mounts), excessive vibration and muzzle flash, and that the ammunition feed was via a 15-round fixed magazine, which necessitated ceasing fire every time the magazine had to be changed. All magazines had to be loaded by hand as no specialized loading equipment was ever developed. Overall, it was more comparable to the 20mm Oerlikon, though vastly inferior to the 40mm Bofors weapons used by the US and allies in every respect except rate of fire (and only barely in that respect: the Bofors could put out a sustained 120 round/minute because of its constant-fire top-fed ammo clip design, whereas the 25mm's frequent ammo box changes lowered its nominal rate of fire to only half of its theoretical maximum of 260 rounds per minute).
The Japanese ranked in order of seriousness the problems with the gun as: Elevation and traverse were too slow, even with powered mounts; The sights were ineffective against high speed targets; Firing the multiple mounts caused excessive vibration, which reduced accuracy and prevented effective target tracking; Too little ammunition in each magazine resulted in a low overall rate of fire.
The intermediate calibre weapons (including the US Navy's 1.1"/75 caliber gun 28×199mm L/75) were relatively unsuccessful during World War II: the mounts were much heavier and more complex than smaller calibre guns, but the shells lacked the range and hitting power of the larger 37 and 40 millimeter weapons. The Japanese viewed increasing the caliber of autocannons as the number one priority of research and development in the field.
These guns were the standard light AA armament of Imperial Japanese Navy vessels. As the war went on, large numbers, still on their shipboard mountings and manned by naval personnel, were used on land to protect airfields, harbours and beaches. For beach defense they were often emplaced in bunkers positioned to bring fire on any approaching landing craft. A company of Type 96 generally comprised 4-6 mountings, with two per platoon. A locally-built variant of the French Hotchkiss 25mm anti-aircraft gun, it was designed as a dual-purpose weapon for use against armored vehicles and aircraft, but was primarily used as an anti-aircraft gun in fixed mounts with one to three guns.

[asl3d]

ORIGINAL: GiveWarAchance

[font="Courier New"]Thanks asl3d.

Those new Japanese guns look good. They also look so spindly that a moderate wind can knock them over and they collapse into a pile of metal parts. But I can tell those are genuine heavy trash heaps... I mean genuine heavy weapons from the time. I like the deep yellow background for the Japanese cards. Anything Japanese in WWII makes me think of yellow. I think it's because I used to play the Axis & Allies boardgame which had Japan in deep yellow on the board. [/font]

Well, I was inspired by the yellow color because in Advanced Squad Leader the units of the Imperial Army of Japan are also yellow, very similar to the one I have selected for the Heroes and Leaders mod.

In the Documents pack there is a document dedicated entirely to the units of the Imperial Army of Japan, especially their infantry and their qualities that are practically unique in the world, which earned them the respect and admiration of the rest of the armies that fought in World War II. Everyone agrees that Japan's infantry was the best in the world. Poorly equipped, poorly trained and with fanatical but inefficient leaders, the Japanese infantry fought with honor and to the last bullet.

Heroes and Leaders mod brings all that and more together in "Pacific".

[asl3d]

Type 96 Twin AA 2x25LL

The Type 96 cartridge case was a rimless type design with a deep extraction groove at the base. The projectiles fired by the weapon were slightly unusual in that they had two rotating bands. The forward band was slightly smaller in diameter than the rear band. It was believed that this was to reduce wear on the rifling near the chamber. The case of the cartridge was crimped around the rear rotating band. The complete round weighed approximately 820 g with the projectile weighing 320 grams. The propellant was 102 grams of single-perforated, graphite grains of nitrocellulose approximately 2 millimeters in diameter and between 2.5 and 4.5 millimeters in length.
Normally one tracer round was added every four or five rounds to aid laying: High-explosive shells (orange body); high explosive incendiary (green body); high explosive tracer )orange or red body); high explosive tracer self-destroying (orange or red body); armor-piercing (black, white or smoky blue body). They had approximately 42mm of penetration at 0-100m and 0 degrees from normal.
The Type 96 was the standard Japanese medium anti-aircraft weapon of the Imperial Japanese Navy, being mounted aboard practically every ship in the fleet. The gun was also used in land bases in the Japanese Empire and in the Japanese overseas combat fronts. These weapons were also used as anti-tank guns in some defensive actions in Pacific theaters and against land objectives in southeast Asia/Chinese mainland during the Pacific War. The gun was used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. It was also used by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army during the Bougainville Civil War which lasted from 1988-1998.
The Type 96 was most effective when used at ranges of 1,000 meters or less, but second in effectiveness to the 100 mm Type 98 anti-aircraft gun, and was the most reliable Japanese anti-aircraft weapon. The Japanese military estimated that it required an average of 1,500 rounds to shoot down an aircraft at a height of 1,000 meters and a range of 2,000 meters, and that fire beyond that range was completely ineffective. Later in the war, when ammunition supply was restricted, firing was held until the targets were within 800 meters range, dropping this ratio to as low as seven rounds per aircraft.
These guns were the standard light AA armament of Imperial Japanese Navy vessels. As the war went on, large numbers, still on their shipboard mountings and manned by naval personnel, were used on land to protect airfields, harbours and beaches. For beach defense they were often emplaced in bunkers positioned to bring fire on any approaching landing craft. A company of Type 96 generally comprised 4-6 mountings, with two per platoon. A locally-built variant of the French Hotchkiss 25mm anti-aircraft gun, it was designed as a dual-purpose weapon for use against armored vehicles and aircraft, but was primarily used as an anti-aircraft gun in fixed mounts with one to three guns.

[GiveWarAchance]

I like the information you include and will look at your documents. Unlike the ATG, that 25mm AA gun looks ferocious. I wonder how well the AA gun worked against tanks? A Stuart might get banged up quite badly. The landing craft must have been crumpled up when hit by it. I wonder how the Vietcong got these weapons? As far as I know, Japan became zealously anti-war after the war so they would not have held any WW2 weapon stocks. Maybe the guns were on the mainland during WW2 and grabbed by Vietnamese communists long before the wars there happened.

[asl3d]

Type 97 Mortar 81*

The Type 97 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted and entered service in the year 2597 of the Japanese calendar (1937). This was a licensed copy of the famed Stokes-Brandt mortar, and as such was almost identical to the U.S. 81mm mortar; in fact, the light HE rounds of either weapon could be fired from the other. The weapon was manufactured in 1942 in the Osaka Army Arsenal.
Japanese infantry units often were equipped with 81-mm mortars. The Type 97 81 mm mortar were very commonly used and is referred to by the Japanese as an "Infantry Gun", which breaks down into 3 sections for transport. The Type 97 was generally used in non-divisional mortar battalions and independent mortar companies, though at times it could also be found in the infantry-gun company of the infantry battalion (in lieu of 70mm infantry guns). Toward the end of the war, some Independent Mixed Brigade contained an 81mm mortar platoon in each of its independent infantry battalions and/or one or two companies of 81s as brigade artillery. An 81mm mortar platoon contained four mortars, and a company comprised 2-3 such platoons. The mortar and its calibre had its origin as almost all 81.4 mm, 82 mm or "8 cm" mortars in the French Brandt mle 27 81.4 mm mortar.
Although the Japanese weapon closely resembles the US 81-mm mortar, M1, there are several identifying features by which the two can be distinguished. The adjusting nut of the Japanese mortar is on the right bipod leg, while the sight is on the left. Other differences are the buttress-type threads on the traversing and elevating screws of the Japanese weapon, as well as the use of welding to fasten bipod legs to the clevis joint and grease fittings dissimilar to those used by the US model. The Japanese sight was made entirely of steel, except for the brass bushings used for the elevating and cross-levelling screws. A US M4 sight may be fitted to the Japanese weapon by shimming the sight bracket slightly. The Type 97 is a smooth bore, muzzle-loading weapon. It has a fixed firing pin in the breech assembly, and the percussion of the propelling cartridge of the mortar shell against the firing pin propels the shell from the mortar. As many as six propellant increments can be attached to the fins of the mortar shell for the purpose of increasing the range.
Ammunition for the Type 97 was usually the Type 00 (1940) HE shell. This shell is 12.87 inches long and weighs 6.93 pounds, 1 pound of which is the weight of the TNT filler. The fuze is of the instantaneous type, which can be set for delay action, however, by the insertion of a delay pellet in the fuze nose prior to firing. The shell can be fired in the US 81-mm mortar M1.

[asl3d]

ORIGINAL: GiveWarAchance

I like the information you include and will look at your documents. Unlike the ATG, that 25mm AA gun looks ferocious. I wonder how well the AA gun worked against tanks? A Stuart might get banged up quite badly. The landing craft must have been crumpled up when hit by it. I wonder how the Vietcong got these weapons? As far as I know, Japan became zealously anti-war after the war so they would not have held any WW2 weapon stocks. Maybe the guns were on the mainland during WW2 and grabbed by Vietnamese communists long before the wars there happened.

The ATG 25mm AA gun is not very effective against Sherman type tanks. However, an anti-aircraft gun is always effective against infantry, and in a defensive position it can do its job.

Regarding the Vietcong, I can't tell you what happened. The truth is that, after the end of the war, much Japanese material was left on the mainland of Asia. Perhaps that material was not properly confiscated by the Allies and it is possible that it was ended up in paramilitary circuits.

[asl3d]

Japan Type 97 Mortar 90*

The larger-calibre Japanese mortars are the more common, "standard", examples; in the case of the 81mm and 90mm weapons, they represent some of the better (and lighter) members of a larger family. Why both 81mm and 90mm calibres were adopted beggars understanding, and only illustrates the poor coordination and haphazard approach of Japanese weapons procurement. The effects on logistics were, needless to say, unfortunate.
The Type 97 90 mm infantry mortar was a simplified version of the Japanese Type 94 90 mm Infantry Mortar. The Type 97 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2597 of the Japanese calendar (1937). The Type 90-mm mortar was a Stokes-Brandt type mortar similar in appearance to the US 81-mm mortar, M1 and the Japanese Type 97 81 mm piece. It is believed that the 90 mm weapon has been introduced later than its model number would imply, as a captured specimen was marked "Model 97 light trench mortar, manufactured in 1942, Osaka Army Arsenal".
During the Manchurian Incident of 1931 the DA found their 70mm mortars outclassed by the French-built 81mm mortars used by the Chinese. Noting that many nations were adopting this French weapon, the Japanese secretly developed a more powerful, longer-ranged mortar. This was the Type 94 90mm Light Close-Attack Gun which was adopted in 1934. However, due to having two heavy recoil cylinders which greatly increased its weight, this model was only a partial success. The recoil cylinders turned out to be unnecessary anyway, so in 1937 the Imperial Japan Army adopted the Type 97 which was nearly identical to the Type 94 aside from the absence of the recoil cylinders. As the Type 97 supplanted the Type 94 the latter was relegated to largely static roles. 90mm mortars were employed in the same ways as 81s but were more often found in non-divisional mortar units. Both 90mm types were normally carried in special wagons or on pack animals.
The Type 97 is approximately 54 kg, lighter than the Type 94 90 mm mortar. This weight saving was created largely by the elimination of the Type 94's recoil mechanism, which weighed 50 kg. The bipod assembly of the Type 97 is 6.4 kg lighter than that on the Type 94. There is a cover for the level on the yoke of the Type 97 which is not on the Type 94, and the sliding bracket of the Type 97 is hinged to permit its easy removal from the leg of the bipod, whereas it is integral on the Type 94. Certain compromises in material and workmanship were made in the manufacture of the Type 97. The bipod feet and chain hooks were held to the legs of the bipod by pins, joined with solder, whereas on the Type 94 they are welded. No welds were polished on the Type 97, although no indications of fractures were reported despite the poor quality of the welding. The adjusting nut, sliding bracket, and hand wheels of the Type 97 are made of steel, rather than brass which was utilized in the Type 94.

[asl3d]

Type 97 Mortar 150*

The Type 96 and Type 97 were Japanese 150 mm calibre mortars. This was the largest-caliber Japanese mortar of conventional design. In the early 1920s the Imperial Japan Army started showing interest in what they called light trench mortars of 150mm. Finally, by mid-1941, it had been decided that the 90mm caliber was too small for the artillery role, while the 150mm weapons, even the lightened models, simply weighed too much to take advantage of the mortar's generic portability.
The 150mm Type 97 was placed in production in 1939, apparently replacing the 90mm Type 94 at Osaka Arsenal. Surprisingly, the old, heavy 150mm Type 96 was also placed in production shortly thereafter, with the first coming off the production line in June 1941. It is unclear why both 15cm models were produced, although the earlier model was slightly more stable in firing, yielding marginally greater accuracy. It had a caliber of 150.5 mm, and approximately 90 were produced.
The Type 96 was used in Iwo Jima and China. In 1941 the weapon was developed into the more portable Type 97 150 mm Mortar, which simply has the recoil absorber removed. It was used mainly in non-divisional medium mortar battalions. By 1945 some Independent Mixed Brigade included one or two companies of 150mm mortars as all or part of their "heavy artillery". 150mm mortars were sometimes used as coast defense weapons as well. A platoon comprised two pieces; a company, four.
This weapon is a smooth-bore, muzzle-loaded mortar of conventional Stokes-Brandt-type design. It employs the same bipod as the Type 2 (1942) 120-mm mortar, which it closely resembles. The 90mm and 150mm mortars fired primarily HE rounds using the Type 93 and Type 100 PD fuzes and chemical rounds and WP rounds.
The 150mm Type 97 was essentially the Type 96 but with the recoil mechanism eliminated and a ball-shaped protrusion added to the rear of the tube. This ball sat directly in a socket in the baseplate in the manner normal to mortars. This led to less, but still satisfactory, stability in a weapon that weighed less than half that of the Type 96. It was produced with two barrel lengths: 1.935 m and 1.395 m. The bipod was of conventional design except that the elevating screw was formed as two concentric screws, aiding in stability and overall length. The main components were the base-plate (153 kg), barrel (116 kg for the long) and bipod (79 kg). It could fire the Type 96 HE shell (25.8 kg) as used in the Type 96 mortar with identical range, and was also issued with the lighter Type 99 shell (23.5 kg) and Type 2 shell (23.1 kg), each of which used six increments to vary the range. Only HE ammunition was manufactured for the 150mm trench mortars, the Type 99 being the standard round in production during the war.

[asl3d]

Type 98 20 mm AA

Due to the lack of a developed design school and traditions of self-creation of models of small arms and artillery weapons, Japan had to acquire licenses for the release of or illegal production of foreign models to equip its own armed forces. This fully applies to small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. Adopted in 1938, the 20-mm Type 98 automatic cannon repeated the French design of the 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun of the 1930s, which the Japanese forces had bought and further developed at home.. This weapon was originally developed as a dual-use: to combat lightly armored ground and air targets, and was also considered a light AT gun. The Type 98 was sometimes referred to as the HO-KI Gun, apparently due to having been derived from a Hotchkiss design.
The Type 98 20 mm AA, also referred to as a machine cannon, was the most common light anti-aircraft gun of the Japanese military. The Type 98 designation was given to this gun as it was accepted in the year 2598 of the Japanese calendar (1938). It entered service that same year and first saw combat in Nomonhan. It was used until the end of World War II. About 80% of the Imperial Japanese Army light AA guns were Type 98s.
The tall bed rested on two wooden wheels with knitting needles and was towed by a light truck or horse cart. The possibility of dismantling the gun for transportation by packs was also provided. The gun is normally fired from the tripod formed by its split trail and a forward detachable outrigger, on the position of the paws of the bed divorced, forming two rear supports, in addition to the third, front. The gun was highly portable and, after the final installation of the paws of the tripod (to calculate from 2-3 people, this process took 3 minutes), the gunner-gunner was located on a small seat. It can also be fired from its wheels, although accuracy and field of fire under these conditions are impaired.
Aside from its carriage and special AA sights it was quite similar to the 20mm ATR; in fact, both could fire the same projectiles. Despite the relatively low rate of fire and 20 charging magazine, which limited the practical rate of fire, the gun was widely used in air defense. With a rate of fire of only 120 rpm this 20-mm gun was not considered an effective automatic anti-aircraft gun. The high calibre and reasonably high rate of fire also made the design effective against enemy infantry. The Type 98 was a gun with an angle of vertical guidance: 10 - 85 could fire targets in the 360 degrees sector. The type 98 gun was quite powerful - the same as a Type 97 anti-tank gun. It pierced 30 mm armor at a distance of 245 m with a initial velocity of the projectile of 830 m/s and a reach in height of 3500 m.
The Type 98 equipped field machine-cannon companies, which in all but a few cases were not organic to divisions, Independent Mixed Brigade or IMR Independent Mixed Regiment. Such a company comprised six Type 98 machine cannons and six Type 93 AAMG. During the war the Japanse troops received about 2500 20-mm Type 98.

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Japan ARTILLERY AND TEAM AVAILABILITY

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Japan Aichi D3A Type 99

The Aichi D3A Type 99 Carrier Bomber was the primary dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Aichi D3A was the first Japanese aircraft to bomb American targets in the war, commencing with Pearl Harbor and U.S. bases in the Philippines, such as Clark Air Force Base. They sank more Allied warships than any other Axis aircraft.
In December 1939, the Navy ordered the aircraft as the Navy Type 99 Carrier Bomber Model 11 (kanbaku). The production models featured slightly smaller wings and increased power in the form of the 746 kW (1,000 hp) Kinsei 43 or 798 kW (1,070 hp) Kinsei 44. The directional instability problem was finally cured with the fitting of a long dorsal fin-strake which started midway down the rear fuselage, and the aircraft actually became highly maneuverable. The pilot position was equipped with a Type 95 telescopic gunsight in the earlier models and a Type 99 in the later models, which were used for aiming the bomb during the dive. The observer/navigator position was equipped with a Type 97 Mk1 drift sight, which was a long vertical tube located in the front-left of the observer's seat. In addition, the observer position was equipped with a drift meter that was mounted on the floor in the front-right of the observer's seat. The observer also operated a Type 96 Mk2 radio set that was mounted in front of the observer's seat and behind the pilot's seat. On top of the radio set was a Type 3 reflector compass for precise navigation. Armament was two fixed forward-firing 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns, and one flexible 7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun at the rear end of cockpit, which was operated by the observer. Normal bomb load was a single 250 kg bomb (e.g., Type 99 No 25 semi-AP or Type 98 No 25 land bomb) carried under the fuselage, swung out under the propeller on release by a trapeze. Two additional 60 kg bombs (e.g., Type 99 No 6 semi-AP or Type 2 No 6 land bomb) could be carried on wing racks located under each wing outboard of the dive brakes
The D3A1 took part in all major Japanese carrier operations in the first 10 months of the war. The dive bombers of reserve force were rearmed with semi-AP bombs to land bombs. As the war progressed, there were instances when the dive bombers were pressed into duty as fighters in the interceptor role, their maneuverability being enough to allow them to survive in this role. In June 1942, an improved version of the D3A powered by a 969 kW (1,299 hp) Kinsei 54 was tested as the Model 12. The extra power reduced range, so the design was further modified with additional fuel tanks to bring the total tankage to 900 L, giving it the range needed to fight effectively over the Solomon Islands. The D3A2s ended up with land-based units and when American forces recaptured the Philippines in 1944, land-based D3A2s took part in the fighting.

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Japan Bicyclists

In its 1937 invasion of China, Japan employed some 50,000 bicycle troops. At the beginning of the Second World War, what the German army showed in Poland and France in 1940, Japan was willing to repeat in East Asia, following the concept of wiping out the Western colonialism from the region.
Early in World War II their southern campaign through Malaya en route to capturing Singapore in 1941 was largely dependent on bicycle-riding soldiers. In both efforts bicycles allowed quiet and flexible transport of thousands of troops who were then able to surprise and confuse the defenders. Bicycles also made few demands on the Japanese war machine, needing neither trucks nor ships to transport them, nor precious petroleum. Although the Japanese were under orders not to embark for Malaya with bicycles, for fear of slowing up amphibious landings, they knew from intelligence that bicycles were plentiful in Malaya and moved to systematically confiscate bicycles from civilians and retailers as soon as they landed. Using bicycles, the Japanese troops were able to move faster than the withdrawing Allied Forces, often successfully cutting off their retreat. The speed of Japanese advance, usually along plantation roads, native paths and over improvised bridges, also caught Allied Forces defending the main roads and river crossings by surprise, by attacking them from the rear. Another advantage that the Japanese had with using bicycles was that it allowed an individual soldier to carry more without needing to rest and resupply often: British soldiers carried only 18 kilograms of equipment in order to march long distances through the jungles whereas Japanese bicycle soldiers could carry 36 kilograms of equipment.
The qualities of a bicycle were noted by the Japanese army during the Malayan campaign against Allied forces in the course of the Second World War. The unexpectedly swift and devastating advance of the Japanese troops, using bicycles to invade Malaya and capture Singapore, went down in history under the name of “Bicycle Blitzkrieg”. The invasion began on 8 December 1941, one hour and 20 minutes before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and so it was the first major battle of the Pacific war. Japanese army decided to use bicycles rather than horses. This decision allowed the soldiers to travel faster and with less effort, allowing them to surprise and confuse the defenders. Under normal conditions, retreating armies move faster than their pursuers because the invaders are slowed down by destroyed infrastructure such as blown-up bridges or obstructed roads. But this time, Japanese soldiers on light bicycles were able to use narrow roads, hidden paths and improvised log bridges. Using bicycles had also an unintended effect of deceiving Allied troops. When enemies were pursued, punctured tires of Japanese bikes were simply taken off in a hurry and the bicycles were ridden on their bare rims. The sound of forthcoming peloton made a noise resembling that of the tanks turning the Allied forces in uncoordinated flee with the panic and outcries saying