Military equipment of Japan during the Second World War

Aircraft carrier "Hiryu"

Military equipment of Japan during the Second World War - weapons and military equipment of Japan ( aviation , armored vehicles , artillery , small arms , warships ), used from 1939 to 1945 (from the time of the German attack on Poland in September 1939 until the signing of the surrender Japan in September 1945).

Content

Automotive Engineering

Armored vehicles

Despite the Japanese military leadership having an interest in armored vehicles, its development rate in Japan was lower than in Europe. The Japanese did not have large mechanized formations (as in the German or Soviet army), and separate armored forces in the imperial army never formed. The main armored fleet was made up of small tanks Type 94 and Te-Ke , light Ha-Go , as well as medium Chi-Ha and Shinhoto Chi-Ha ^[1] . Chi-He and Chi-Nu were also produced in small quantities.

Artillery

Field artillery was represented by 75-mm Type 38 field guns , 75-mm Type 90 guns , 70-mm Type 92 howitzers , 105-mm howitzer Type 91, 37-mm anti-tank guns Type 94, 47-mm anti-tank guns Type 1 and 75- mm anti-aircraft guns Type 88 ^[2] .

The large-caliber land artillery was made by howitzers: 150 mm Type 4 , 300 mm Type 7 , 100 mm Type 14 , 150 mm Type 38 , 100 mm Type 91 , 150 mm Type 96 .

Small arms

Arisaka Type 38 infantry rifles and Arisaka Type 97 sniper rifles were used as small arms in Japan. They also used Type 11 and Type 99 machine guns. In addition, Type 26 revolvers, as well as Hamad Type 1 , Nambu Type 14 and Nambu Type 94 pistols, were used as officers' personal weapons ^[3] .

Naval technology

In Japan, much attention was paid to the navy and carrier-based aviation. The A6M Zero carrier-based fighter in the initial period of the war was considered one of the best in the world ^[4] . Aichi D3A was used as a deck bomber, and Nakajima B5N as a torpedo bomber.

The imperial fleet of Japan at the beginning of the war had aircraft carriers Soryu , Hiru , Shokaku , Zuikaku , Kaga , Akagi , Shoho and Zuijo , as well as battleships of the Fuso type , “ Ise " and " Nagato " . In addition, during the war, the world's largest battleships of the Yamato type were commissioned ^[5] . But even such a sufficiently large fleet was ultimately almost completely destroyed by the Allies.

Notes

↑ T. Larkum, A. Kelly. Preserved Japanese Tanks. - Northampton: Armor Archive Publications, 2000 .-- 34 p. - (Preserved Tanks By Nationality Series).
↑ GL Rottman. Japanese Army in World War II. Conquest of the Pacific, 1941–42. - Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2005 .-- 96 p. - (Battle Orders No. 9). - ISBN 1-84176-789-1 .
↑ Leo J. Daugherty III , Fighting Techniques of a Japanese Infantryman 1941-1945, ISBN 1-86227-162-3
↑ Horikoshi D., Okumiya M., Kaydin M. “Zero!” (Japanese aircraft in World War II) . - M .: AST, 2001. - ISBN 5-17-007520-0 .
↑ Kofman V.L. Japanese battleships of the Second World War. Yamato and Musashi. - M .: Collection, Yauza, EKSMO, 2006. - 128 p. - (Arsenal Collection). - ISBN 5-699-15687-9 .

[1] T. Larkum, A. Kelly. Preserved Japanese Tanks. - Northampton: Armor Archive Publications, 2000 .-- 34 p. - (Preserved Tanks By Nationality Series).

[2] GL Rottman. Japanese Army in World War II. Conquest of the Pacific, 1941–42. - Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2005 .-- 96 p. - (Battle Orders No. 9). - ISBN 1-84176-789-1 .

[3] Leo J. Daugherty III , Fighting Techniques of a Japanese Infantryman 1941-1945, ISBN 1-86227-162-3

[4] Horikoshi D., Okumiya M., Kaydin M. “Zero!” (Japanese aircraft in World War II) . - M .: AST, 2001. - ISBN 5-17-007520-0 .

[5] Kofman V.L. Japanese battleships of the Second World War. Yamato and Musashi. - M .: Collection, Yauza, EKSMO, 2006. - 128 p. - (Arsenal Collection). - ISBN 5-699-15687-9 .