Japanese anti-tank artillery … As you know, any weapon becomes anti-tank when enemy armored vehicles appear within its reach. This fully applied to the artillery systems used for fire support of the Japanese infantry.
Field and mining guns of caliber 70-75 mm
The 70-mm light howitzer Type 92 became widespread in the Japanese army. This gun was created due to the insufficient fragmentation effect of shells from the 37-mm Type 11 infantry cannon and the low accuracy of the 70-mm Type 11 mortar. The leadership of the imperial army expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that infantry regiments and battalions were equipped with two types of weapons with different ammunition. As a result, the army technical bureau developed a weapon that could be used when firing direct fire at undeveloped enemy infantry, machine-gun nests and lightly armored vehicles, but it also had the ability to fire with a high aiming angle. In other words, the Type 92 70-mm light howitzer, if necessary, was supposed to provide direct fire support to infantry and fight light tanks, as well as, if necessary, hit visually unobservable targets in terrain folds and shelters.
The light 70-mm howitzer had a record low weight in combat position - 216 kg. The carriage with sliding cranked beds provided fire with an elevation angle of up to + 83 °. In the horizontal plane, the aiming angle could change within 22 ° in each direction, which made it easier to fire at fast moving targets. If necessary, the gun could be disassembled into parts suitable for carrying by individual infantrymen.
For short distances, the 70-mm howitzer was towed by the crew, for which there were holes and brackets in the gun carriage, for which a hook was hooked or a rope was threaded. In order to facilitate the design, the anti-splinter shield was often removed. Initially, the howitzer was equipped with iron-lined wooden wheels, but in 1936 they were replaced with all-metal ones.
The calculation of five people provided a combat rate of fire of up to 10 rds / min. But the price for the low weight was the short firing range. A fragmentation grenade weighing 3, 76 kg contained 0.59 kg of TNT. Having left the barrel with a length of 622 mm with an initial speed of 198 m / s, the projectile could hit the target at a distance of up to 2780 m. The effective firing range at visually observed objects was 900 m.
Serial production of Type 92 howitzers began in 1932 and continued until the summer of 1945. The gun became very widespread in the Japanese army and was the main means of artillery support for infantry battalions. In general, it fully corresponded to its purpose and, moving in the infantry battle formations, was capable of destroying light timber and earth fortifications, suppressing machine-gun nests, and making passages in wire barriers. When setting the fuse to detonate with a slowdown, a fragmentation projectile was able to break through armor up to 12 mm thick, which in the 1930s made it possible to fight light tanks and armored vehicles. After the appearance of tanks with anti-cannon armor, a 70-mm round with a cumulative grenade weighing 2, 8 kg was adopted. This ammunition, when hit at a right angle, provided penetration of 90 mm of armor. Due to the decrease in the mass of the cumulative projectile in comparison with the fragmentation grenade, it was possible to increase the muzzle velocity, which contributed to an increase in the direct firing range.
The Japanese first used the Type 92 in 1932 during the Mukden Incident, and 70-mm howitzers were actively used in China in the 1930s. Several serviceable Type 92s became trophies of the Red Army at Khalkhin Gol. Light 70-mm howitzers performed very well in combat operations in Southeast Asia. In jungle conditions, in most cases, a long range of fire was not needed. And due to its high prevalence, the Type 92 was fired at tanks even more often than specialized 37 and 47 mm guns. Fortunately for the Americans, the Japanese army has always had a shortage of shaped-charge projectiles, and their fuses were often unreliable. Unlike most Japanese artillery systems, after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the service of 70-mm light howitzers did not end. Until the early 1970s, they were in service with the People's Liberation Army of China and were actively used against American troops during the Vietnam War.
The 75-mm guns were quite numerous in the imperial army. During the Second World War, there were many frankly outdated guns in service, which were nevertheless actively used in hostilities and, if necessary, were involved in the fight against tanks. One of the most common artillery systems was the Type 38 75mm field cannon, which entered service in 1905. It was a 75-mm German 75-mm gun Model 1903, created by Friedrich Krupp AG. Licensed production of 75 mm cannons was established in Osaka. In total, the Japanese army received more than 2,600 of these guns.
Field 75-mm gun Type 38 in the military museum in Borden
The Type 38 gun had a design typical of the early 20th century, complete with a front end and a single-beam carriage. A simple hydraulic system was used to damp the recoil. The mass in the firing position was 947 kg, with the front end - 1135 kg. The gun was transported by a team of six horses. Calculation - 8 people. There was a shield to protect the crew from bullets and shrapnel. Shooting was carried out with 75x294R unitary ammunition. The piston shutter allowed 10-12 shots / min. With a barrel length of 2286 mm, a fragmentation grenade weighing 6, 56 kg left it with an initial speed of 510 m / s.
By the early 1920s, the weapon was outdated. In 1926, a modernized version of the Type 38S appeared. During the modernization, the barrel was lengthened, a wedge breech was introduced, the elevation angle increased to + 43 °, which in turn increased the maximum firing range from 8350 to 11,600 m. The initial velocity of the fragmentation grenade was 603 m / s. Based on the experience of combat operations, the shield has become higher. The mass of the gun in the combat position was 1136 kg. Until the mid-1930s, about 400 Type 38S were produced. Simultaneously with the modernization, the range of ammunition was expanded. In addition to shrapnel and fragmentation grenades, high-explosive fragmentation grenades with an increased filling factor, incendiary with a thermite mixture, smoke and armor-piercing tracer projectiles were introduced into the ammunition.
Although the traverse angles (± 4 °) made it problematic to fire at moving targets, often for lack of a better old 75-mm field guns were involved in the fight against tanks. At a distance of up to 350 m, an unmodernized Type 38 cannon with an armor-piercing projectile could penetrate the frontal armor of an M4 Sherman tank. Despite the fact that the Type 38 and Type 38S did not fully meet modern requirements, the obsolete 75-mm field guns took part in the hostilities until the surrender of Japan.
In 1908, the Type 41 75-mm mountain gun was adopted, which is a licensed version of the German 75-mm Krupp M.08 cannon. Structurally, Type 38 and Type 41 had a lot in common. For its time, it was a very successful weapon used in all armed conflicts in which the imperial army participated.
In a combat position, a 75-mm mountain gun Type 41 weighed 544 kg, in a traveling position, with a gun ancestor - 1240 kg. Four horses were used for towing. A crew of 13 people could carry it disassembled or transport it in packs on six horses. In conditions of very rough terrain, up to 40 people were required to carry one gun. A high-explosive fragmentation projectile weighing 5.4 kg contained 1 kg of explosives, and left the barrel 1100 mm long with an initial speed of 435 m / s. Maximum firing range - 7000 m. Vertical aiming angles: from -8 ° to + 40 °. Horizontal: ± 6 °. When firing high-explosive fragmentation grenades and shrapnel with a fuse put on strike, the 75-mm mountain gun Type 41 posed a threat to armored vehicles with bulletproof armor. Although the muzzle velocity was relatively low, the ammunition load included an armor-piercing projectile capable of penetrating 58 mm armor at a distance of 227 m along the normal. In the conditions of a short range of opening fire when conducting hostilities in the jungle, this was quite enough to hit the American "Sherman" in the side.
Mountain artillery was intended to support mountain rifle units. The main requirement for mountain artillery guns was their demountability so that the gun could be transported in packs along narrow mountain paths. The weight of the packs did not exceed 120 kg. Organizationally, the Japanese mountain artillery resembled field artillery, but since the soldiers had to transport all their equipment and weapons with the help of pack animals, the staff number of mountain artillery regiments was higher and reached 3400 people. Usually, the Japanese mountain artillery regiment had 36 75-mm guns per staff in three divisions. However, the imperial army also had a separate mountain artillery regiment of 2,500 men in two divisions. It was equipped with 24 guns.
With the advent of the 75-mm Type 94 mountain gun, the Type 41 guns were removed from mountain artillery and transferred to the category of regimental artillery. Each infantry regiment was assigned a battery of four guns. In total, the Japanese army received 786 75-mm Type 41 guns.
In 1934, the Type 94 75-mm mountain gun entered service. At the design stage, this gun, in addition to mountain units, was supposed to be parachuted. The hydropneumatic recoil compensation mechanism was based on the French developments of Schneider. The Type 94 had an improved sliding carriage, a 1560 mm barrel and a wedge breechblock. The gun was equipped with a removable shield 3 mm thick, which protected the crew from small arms fire and light shrapnel.
The mass of the gun in the firing position was 535 kg. Within half an hour, the cannon could be disassembled into 11 parts. To transport the gun, 18-20 people or 6 pack horses were required. The vertical guidance angles of the Type 94 ranged from -2 ° to + 45 °. In the horizontal plane, targets could be hit in the 40 ° sector. The maximum firing range is 8000 m.
For firing from the 75-mm Type 94 mountain cannon, 75x294R unitary rounds were used, which in their dimensions and nomenclature did not differ from the ammunition intended for the Type 38 field gun. The armor-piercing projectile, known in the USA as the M95 APHE, weighed 6.5 kg and contained 45 g of picric acid. At a distance of 457 m, it could penetrate 38 mm armor. However, the casings intended for the Type 94 were equipped with a smaller charge of gunpowder and the firing of standard shots of the 75-mm Type 38 field guns was prohibited. The Americans noted the fairly high accuracy of fire of the Japanese 75-mm mountain guns, which were well suited for the specific conditions of war in the jungle.
The relatively light weight of the mountain guns allowed their crews to quickly maneuver on the ground, choosing the most convenient places for shooting and getting out of the retaliation in a timely manner. Firing from concealed positions, they sometimes inflicted heavy casualties on the American Marines. Direct fire was also very effective. According to the memoirs of American veterans, some tanks and tracked amphibians received 4-5 hits by 75-mm shells. In most cases, the fire was conducted with fragmentation grains, and the armor of the Sherman medium tanks was not penetrated, but many tanks partially or completely lost their combat effectiveness due to the failure of weapons, observation devices and sights. The LVT amphibious tracked transporters turned out to be much more vulnerable, for which a single shrapnel shell hit enough to fail.
During World War II, Type 94 mountain guns were used not only in mountain artillery, but also as regimental infantry guns. After the surrender of Japan, a significant number of 75-mm mountain guns were at the disposal of the Chinese communists, who actively used them during the hostilities in Korea.
Since the mid-1920s, Japan, along with the modernization of the old 75-mm field guns, has been developing modern artillery systems for the regimental and divisional level. Initially, the 75-mm Canon de 85 modèle 1927 gun proposed by Schneider was considered as the main model intended to replace the Type 38. However, after a detailed acquaintance with this gun, Japanese engineers found it too complicated and expensive to manufacture. On the basis of the French gun, after "creative processing" aimed at adapting to the capabilities of Japanese industry, a 75-mm field gun was created, which was put into service in 1932 under the designation Type 90.
Although externally, the gun had the traditional design with wooden wheels, characteristic of the 75-mm field guns of the First World War, in its combat capabilities it was in many ways superior to the Type 38. The rate of fire of the Type 90 was increased thanks to the use of a horizontal wedge breech opening to the right. The recoil devices consisted of a hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurler. The Type 90 was the first Japanese artillery piece to receive a muzzle brake. The carriage had a sliding box-type bed. The design of the upper gun carriage made it possible to bring the horizontal guidance angle to 25 ° to the left and to the right, which sharply increased the gun's capabilities in terms of firing at moving targets. Vertical guidance angles: from -8 ° to + 43 °. A fragmentation grenade weighing 6, 56 kg was accelerated in a barrel length of 2883 mm to 683 m / s. Maximum firing range - 13800 m. Rate of fire: 10-12 rds / min. The mass of the gun in the firing position is 1400 kg, in the transport one with the front end - 2000 kg. Towing was carried out by a team of six horses, the calculation was 8 people.
In addition to fragmentation, shrapnel, incendiary and smoke shells, the ammunition load included unitary shots with armor-piercing tracer shells. According to Japanese data, at a distance of 457 m, an armor-piercing projectile, when hit at a right angle, penetrated 84 mm of armor, at a distance of 914 m, armor penetration was 71 mm.
American sources say that the Type 90 field gun could penetrate armor whose thickness was about 15% less. But in any case, the 75-mm armor-piercing shells fired from the Type 90 cannon at a distance of up to 500 m were guaranteed to overcome the frontal protection of the Sherman tank.
In 1936, a modernized version of the Type 90 gun was adopted, adapted for towing by vehicles at a speed of up to 40 km / h. The gun received suspension, metal disc wheels with pneumatic tires and a lightweight shield. The mass of the gun in the combat position increased by 200 kg.
After modernization, the 75-mm field gun acquired a design that was quite modern for its time. According to its characteristics, the Type 90 was at the level of the best world analogues, and can be considered one of the most successful Japanese artillery systems. Its production continued until 1945. However, Japanese industry was unable to sufficiently saturate the armed forces with modern 75-mm guns. A total of 786 guns were fired. Despite the relative small numbers, Type 90s played a significant role in anti-tank defense. They were first used in 1939 during the hostilities on Khalkhin Gol, where one artillery battery managed to knock out 5 Soviet tanks. According to Japanese archival data, during the battles in the Philippines and in the battle for Iwo Jima, the Type 90 has destroyed Matilda II and M4 Sherman tanks. Successfully enough, 75-mm guns fired at the floating lightly armored tracked amphibians LVT.
On the basis of the Type 90, the 75-mm Type 95 gun was created in 1936. The main difference between this model and its prototype was the barrel shortened to 2278 mm. This was done to reduce the cost and weight of the gun, since at the maximum firing range it is almost impossible to observe the bursts of 75-mm shells and adjust the artillery fire.
The Type 90 and Type 95 were fired with the same ammunition. But the muzzle velocity of the Type 95 fragmentation grenade was 570 m / s. The decrease in the initial speed led to a decrease in the maximum firing range to 10,800 m. Although the armor penetration of the Type 95 gun was worse than that of the Type 90, the shorter barrel and 400 kg lighter weight facilitated transportation and camouflage. The Type 95 cannon was supposed to supplant the obsolete 75-mm guns in the infantry artillery, but this never happened. In total, from 1936 to 1945, the artillery arsenal in the city of Osaka produced 261 guns.
Japanese self-propelled artillery mounts
Unlike a number of other countries that participated in World War II, a very limited number of self-propelled artillery units entered service with the imperial army. In June 1941, the Type 1 Ho-Ni I ACS entered the test. Serial production of the self-propelled gun began in 1942.
This self-propelled artillery unit, armed with a 75 mm Type 90 gun, also known as the Type 1 “cannon tank”, is based on the chassis of the Type 97 Chi-Ha tank. A gun with elevation angles from −5 to + 25 ° and a horizontal firing sector of 20 ° was installed in the wheelhouse, covered in front and on the sides. The thickness of the armor of the cabin was 50 mm. The forehead and sides of the hull are 25 mm, the stern is 20 mm. Air-cooled diesel engine with 170 hp. could accelerate a car weighing 15, 4 tons up to 38 km / h. Crew - 5 people. Ammunition - 54 shots.
A number of sources say that the Type 1 Ho-Ni I was a tank destroyer, but this self-propelled gun was developed to equip companies with fire support for tank divisions. The design of the wheelhouse and the presence of an artillery panorama indicate that the Type 1 Ho-Ni I was originally intended for the role of self-propelled guns to support tanks and infantry on the battlefield. However, a self-propelled unit on a tracked chassis, armed with a Type 90 gun, during ambush operations was quite capable of successfully fighting all American tanks used in the Pacific theater of operations.
Due to the fact that Mitsubishi was able to deliver only 26 Type 1 Ho-Ni I machines, they did not have a noticeable effect on the course of hostilities. Japanese self-propelled guns with 75-mm guns first entered the battle at the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines in 1945, as part of the 2nd Panzer Division. Self-propelled guns, firing from camouflaged caponiers, helped the Japanese troops significantly delay the advance of the Americans into the interior of the island. The Type I Ho-Ni I self-propelled guns were also used by the Japanese army in Burma at the end of the war. Almost all of the vehicles were destroyed by the superior forces of the US Army, currently one Japanese SPG is on display at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Museum.
In 1943, the Type 1 Ho-Ni II self-propelled guns entered the series, armed with a 105-mm Type 91 howitzer. This is a typical self-propelled fire support weapon that should fire mainly from cover. Therefore, the wheelhouse, with the same dimensions as the Type 1 Ho-Ni I, was lighter armored. The thickness of the frontal armor of the cabin was 41 mm, the side of the cabin was 12 mm. The combat weight of the vehicle is 16.3 tons.
Due to the long recoil length of the barrel, the elevation angle of the gun when installed in the wheelhouse did not exceed 22 °. The gun could aim horizontally without turning the chassis in the 10 ° sector. Ammunition - 20 shots. A high-explosive fragmentation projectile weighing 15, 8 kg had an initial speed of 550 m / s. In addition to high-explosive fragmentation, the ammunition load could include incendiary, smoke, lighting, armor-piercing and cumulative shells. Rate of fire - up to 8 rounds / min.
According to American sources, the imperial army received 62 105-mm self-propelled guns. It is known that 8 Type 1 Ho-Ni II were used in the fighting in the Philippines. In addition to destroying fortifications and fighting enemy manpower, they could be successfully used against armored vehicles. At a distance of 150 m, an armor-piercing projectile, when hit at a right angle, penetrated 83 mm of armor, a cumulative projectile along the normal had armor penetration of 120 mm. Although the range of a direct shot from the Type 91 howitzer was less than that of the Type 90 cannon, a direct hit from a powerful high-explosive 105-mm projectile with a high degree of probability would disable the Sherman tank. The close explosions of such shells posed a threat to light tanks and tracked transporters.
Due to the weakness of the armament of Japanese tanks, they could not fight on equal terms with the American "Shermans". To remedy this situation, production of the Type 3 Ho-Ni III tank destroyer began at the beginning of 1944. Unlike other self-propelled guns, created on the basis of the Type 97 Chi-Ha tank, this vehicle had a fully enclosed armored wheelhouse with an armor thickness not exceeding 25 mm. The mobility of the Type 3 Ho-Ni remained at the level of the Type 1 Ho-Ni I self-propelled guns.
The self-propelled gun was armed with a 75-mm Type 3 tank gun, which in turn was developed on the basis of the Type 90 field gun. The Type 3 gun was originally created for the Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tank, production of which began in 1944. With an initial speed of an armor-piercing projectile of 680 m / s, at a distance of 100 m along the normal, it pierced 90 mm of armor.
In various sources, the number of tank destroyers built varies from 32 to 41 units. Most of the Type 3 Ho-Ni III entered the 4th Panzer Division based in Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu, where they were stationed until the surrender of Japan. Most researchers agree that no more than 120 self-propelled guns with 75 and 105 mm guns were produced by Mitsubishi using the chassis of the Type 97 Chi-Ha tank. Approximately 70% of SPGs in anticipation of the American invasion were stationed in the Japanese Islands, where they were until August 1945. It can be stated that the Japanese self-propelled artillery units, suitable for fighting tanks, due to their small number, did not have a significant impact on the course of hostilities. Small production volumes of self-propelled guns did not allow staffing all tank regiments and divisions with a regular number. The Japanese partly tried to compensate for the small number of their own self-propelled guns by means of captured vehicles.
So, during the battles with the Americans in the Philippines in 1944-1945, the Japanese troops used the American 75-mm T12 self-propelled guns on the chassis of the M3 half-track armored personnel carriers, captured by them here in early 1942.
In general, the state of the Japanese anti-tank artillery demonstrated the attitude of the Japanese leadership towards the fleet, aviation and ground forces. It is known that the financing of the creation and production of military equipment and weapons in Japan went under two different budgets. Until 1943, the main budgetary allocations and production resources were received by the fleet, which built aircraft carriers, superlinkers and the world's largest submarines. In 1944, having lost the initiative at sea and faced with a real threat of invasion of the Japanese Islands, the Japanese command made a redistribution of priorities. But by that time, time was lost, and the Japanese economy, experiencing an acute shortage of resources, could not meet the demands of the army.
