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It is, of course, well known that during the Second World War, particularly on the Eastern front, both sides used vehicles and equipment that were captured during the course of the war. In fact, War in the East actually models this, which I think is awesome, but that's another story entirely.

My question is: to what extend this this happen in the Pacific War. Specifically, did the Japanese make use of equipment captured during their expansion in the early war? Did either side make a practice of this in China?

Just curious.

Marines & the local CAU used Japanese equipment to finish the initial strip on Henderson. They also confiscated the ice cream maker [;)] Once they got going the US just bulldozed Japanese equipment. The Japanses used a lot of stuff they found in HK, Singapore, Sebang, and Palembang. I'm not sure anywhere else.

Been a while since I played it, but WITE simulates in pretty well.

You get ridiculously excited when your Romanian Tank Division upgrades to captured T-34s!

Japanese definitively used anything they captured, that said, there was not a lot of "interesting" equipment available, most of the American and British equipment captured was old/ substandard and in small numbers.

I can see them using Allied Stuarts, trucks, halftrucks, and construction equipment, otherwise not a lot to show. Aircraft captured probably was more useful for R&D and propaganda purposes

You get ridiculously excited when your Romanian Tank Division upgrades to captured T-34s!

I thought that the captured T-34 was one of few tanks that Germany didn't allow to be used as tanks. This because the T-34 was so well known and dangerous that Germans fired on them at first sighting without checking if it was a captured tank or not. The risk for friendly fire was simply to great.

The Japanese captured a large amount of merchant shipping and made good use of it. As for weapons, I am sure that they made good use of tanks, trucks and weaponry captured during the expansion. The problem was that Japanese industry did not have the capacity to expand to produce ammunition and spare parts. So any use was limited to existing stocks.

I thought that the captured T-34 was one of few tanks that Germany didn't allow to be used as tanks. This because the T-34 was so well known and dangerous that Germans fired on them at first sighting without checking if it was a captured tank or not. The risk for friendly fire was simply to great.

Nah, seen pics of lots of them in German markings, and they are in the OOB of quite a few units in 1942 on the Eastern Front.

Japanese made liberal use of big shore guns. Didn't the Singapore guns end up on Ponape or Tarawa?

ORIGINAL: Encircled

I thought that the captured T-34 was one of few tanks that Germany didn't allow to be used as tanks. This because the T-34 was so well known and dangerous that Germans fired on them at first sighting without checking if it was a captured tank or not. The risk for friendly fire was simply to great.

Nah, seen pics of lots of them in German markings, and they are in the OOB of quite a few units in 1942 on the Eastern Front.

They painted some more markings on them it seems:[;)] ASFAIK the 76mm ammo for T34 and the same calliber field/AT guns were manufactured in Germany (one of the few munitions for captured weapons, they had so many of them so it made sense... they would even ship some 76mm to Africa iirc - quite a long way)

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Japanese made liberal use of big shore guns. Didn't the Singapore guns end up on Ponape or Tarawa?

I believe Tarawa (betio?), check this awesome footage (he talks there about captured Japanese guns in it somewhere I believe VICKERS guns? - edit, he said these guns were purchased by the Japanese not captured)


WW2 1943 Battle of Tarawa Japanese sites (Kiribati, Gilbert Islands), Central Pacific

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5q-O7NqXx0

Germans used T-34
they added commander's cupola, radio equipment and oversize markings to reduce the chance of friendly fire

they used damaged tanks as AT guns

ORIGINAL: Orm

You get ridiculously excited when your Romanian Tank Division upgrades to captured T-34s!

I thought that the captured T-34 was one of few tanks that Germany didn't allow to be used as tanks. This because the T-34 was so well known and dangerous that Germans fired on them at first sighting without checking if it was a captured tank or not. The risk for friendly fire was simply to great.

Oh, no, the Germans definitely used t34s. They just painted a German cross on them.

The Japanese captured a few B-17"s. Experimented with them....GP

The Germans converted specifically a party of Soviet KV-1's for the planned invasion of Malta.
Here's a picture of my Hobby Master 1/72 scale model of it - they installed a new turret cupola.
This is the actual camo pattern intended to be used in the operation:

Marines Fire Captured Japanese Mountain Gun, Saipan

M3, but this one ex-Brit captured in Burma, Brit style stowage

Russian T26 in Burma

Thompson SMG (Fourth Soldier from right)

Captured Bofors 40mm AA Gun

Thank you, guys, for the info and correction about the T-34. [&o] [:)]

Apparently it was yet another fact wrong in a book of mine. It is so nice to be able to visit here and read your posts. Thank you.