A WWII U.S. intelligence report on the Japanese use of the Model 89 grenade discharger, from Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 51, October 1944. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

GRENADE DISCHARGER USED FOR LOW-ANGLE FIRE Japanese use of the Model 89 grenade discharger as a low-angle direct-fire weapon has been definitely indicated, according to recent reports. To use the weapon in this manner, the piece must be emplaced at an angle about 15° from the horizontal. With the Model 89 shell, direct laying at ranges of 50 to 100 vards has been reported as effective. However, this shell has a contact fuze, and premature explosions will occur if trees or other obstructions are in the line of fire. The fragmentation hand grenade Model 91, adapted for use in the discharger, can also be used for direct fire at ranges up to 60 yards. Principal advantage of the hand grenade is its time fuze (6 to 7 seconds) which will not detonate if it passes through light obstructions, thus allowing its use from behind foliage. For maintaining an angle of 45° in firing the discharger, the attachment described below is used. This consists of a small drum, approximately 1.15 inches in diameter, mounted of a circular clamp which fits around the base of the barrel. The attachment is oriented by means of a red sighting line on the back of the clamp, which should be aligned with the sighting line on the barrel. The drum has a small transparent window on the lower rear side, a red line in the center of the window. When the grenade discharger is held so that a luminous line inside the drum is aligned with the red line on the window, the axis of the bore forms an angle of approximately 45° with the horizontal.

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