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Japanese Tank Doctrine?
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2001 8:44 pm
by Mikimoto
Hello.
The Japanese fielded three Tank Divisions. The Infantry Divisions had organic Tankette and Light Tank companies. They had also those "armoured Cars" that seems Rifle platforms from my Spanish Civil War...
Japanese tanks seem so light and without punch, but I am sure they used them the best they could...
I was wondering about tactics and doctrine using those armoured elements... Thanks in advance.
Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2001 9:36 pm
by GuntherX
High
With the absence of any Guderian or other influences the Japanese relegated most of there tactics to infantry support. There usage as mobile armored infantry because of a lack of historical cavalry in there military context of samurai.
There isn't much published about this topic. I wish there was.
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2001 10:38 pm
by Mikimoto
Thanks GuntherX.
I knew about using tanks as infantry support, and tankettes and light tanks were used as cavalry scouts in China... but I hoped more feedback from the Marines Nation...
If you fighted them so well, I assume you know them so well... <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2001 6:23 am
by RichardTheFirst
Sorry I can't help you. I am doing an experience by playing with JA Engineer Tanks (with flamethrowers) in support of infantry, but as they have so bad fire control I'm not expecting much.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2001 6:40 am
by rlc27
Mikimoto,
You may already know about this, but there is a Yahoo! groups list on Japanese armor. Email it at
Senshagun@yahoogroups.com to subscribe. It's mostly a modelling group, but I'll bet there is a section on tactics if you look through past threads.
<img src="cool.gif" border="0">
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2001 8:29 pm
by Jeff_Ewing
Originally posted by RichardTheFirst:
Sorry I can't help you. I am doing an experience by playing with JA Engineer Tanks (with flamethrowers) in support of infantry, but as they have so bad fire control I'm not expecting much.
If you're talking about the SS Engineering tank, they rock, in my experience. I forget now who recommended playing an all-infantry Japanese campaign (perhaps it was "Grey Wolf"?), but I'm having a blast with it. The 4 flamers on the SS make up for the lack of fire control.
Jeff
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2001 11:00 pm
by RichardTheFirst
Originally posted by Jeff_Ewing:
If you're talking about the SS Engineering tank, they rock, in my experience. I forget now who recommended playing an all-infantry Japanese campaign (perhaps it was "Grey Wolf"?), but I'm having a blast with it. The 4 flamers on the SS make up for the lack of fire control.
Wow! No kidding?! I didn't notice they had 4 flamers, can't wait to see those in action
<img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2001 1:37 am
by Jeff_Ewing
Originally posted by RichardTheFirst:
Wow! No kidding?! I didn't notice they had 4 flamers, can't wait to see those in action
<img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
The only thing I don't like about them is easily fixable via the Editor: they were designed as smoke-laying vehicles, and they have no smoke! Apparently, they could also use demo charges:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/japan/japan-eng.html
Jeff