The following U.S. military report on Japanese weapons in WWII was originally published in Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 10, Oct. 22, 1942. [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.]

STANDARD JAPANESE WEAPONS The following list gives the more important characteristics of the standard Japanese weapons now in use. The details given may contain slight inaccuracies, since a few figures are estimated, and many others have varied in different tests. The muzzle velocity of an old gun, for example, may be considerably lower than that of a new one. Ranges, also, may contain some errors for they have been taken from tables which reported figures sometimes as "range," at other times as "effective range," and at others as "maximum effective range," or merely "effective range." Usually there has been no indication of which of several possible propelling charges has been used. Minor modifications make no change in the model designation, but a major improvement, even though the weapon remains basically the same, will give the equipment a corresponding new model number. The model numbers are based on the Japanese calendar. More complete details on the individual guns have been published in previous issues of Tactical and Technical Trends, and these articles will be continued in the future. A large amount of enemy materiel is now being examined at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and the tests conducted there should provide the most complete reports yet available on all types of enemy armament. The next issue of Tactical and Technical Trends will contain similar data on Italian weapons. Name Caliber (inches) Muzzle Velocity (foot-seconds) Max Range (yards) Weight of Projec- tile Rate of Fire (RPM) Remarks Theor- etical Prac- tical 6.5-mm rifle Model 38 (1905) .256 2,510 2,600 .304 ozs -- -- Weight, 8 lbs 11 ozs; 4 ft 2 in long without bayonet; Mauser design; 5-round magazine. There is another model, shorter and lighter, otherwise almost identical. 6.5-mm carbine Model 44, Arisaka (1911) .256 2,500 2,200 .304 ozs -- -- 4 ft 3 1/2 in long with bayonet, weighs 8 lbs 6 1/2 ozs; 5-round magazine. 6.5-mm LMG Model 11, (1922) (Nambu) .256 2,375 4,400 .304 ozs 500 150 Air-cooled; 30-round hopper; superseded by Model 96, but not obsolete; weight, 22 lbs 8 ozs; bipod and tripod. 6.5-mm LMG Model 96, (1936) .256 2,400 -- .304 ozs 550 -- Air-cooled; fired from bipod or hip; Hotchkiss design; 30-round magazine; weight, 19 lbs 2 ozs. 6.5-mm Hv MG Model 3, (1914) .256 2,437 4,374 .304 ozs 500 200 Weight, 119 lbs; air-cooled; Hotchkiss design; tripod mount; fed by 30-round strips; tripod mount. 7.7-mm Hv MG, (1932) .303 2,700 4,587 Ball, .467 ozs 450 200 to 250 Standard Hv MG; air-cooled; weight, 122 lbs; fed by 30-round strip; tripod mount. 8-mm pistol, semi-automatic, Model 14 .315 2,100 550 .233 ozs -- -- Weight, 1 lb 12 1/2 ozs; 8-round magazine; 4 1/2-in barrel. 9-mm revolver Model 26 (1893) .355 1,050 330 .32 ozs -- -- Weight, 2 lbs; 6-round cylinder. 13-mm AT rifle Arisaka (1939) .512 -- 3,280 1.55 ozs -- -- Air-cooled; weight, 50 lbs; 25-round magazine; not yet identified in action. 13.2-mm AA MG .520 2,722 7,085 (vert 13,120 ft) 1.82 ozs -- -- Weight, 213 lbs; Hotchkiss design. 20-mm AA gun .788 2,720 5,450 (vert 12,000 ft) 8.8 ozs -- 120 Weight, 836 lbs; Oerlikon design. 37-mm AT gun Model 94 1.46 2,300 5,450 under 1 lb -- -- Weight, 815 lbs; bore, 40 calibers. 50-mm grenade thrower, Model 89 1.97 -- 700 Mortar bomb, 1 lb 9 ozs -- 1 man, 10; 2 men, 20 Weapons supported on thigh (in kneeling position) or (usually) ground (in lying position); effective burst radius, 5 yds; weight 10 lbs 1 oz; rifled barrel. 50-mm grenade thrower, Type 10 1.97 -- -- -- -- -- Lighter, shorter, and barrel not rifled, but otherwise similar to above weapon. 70-mm battalion howitzer Model 92 2.76 650 2,800 8 lbs 5.7 ozs -- 10 Weight, 180 lbs; 4 propelling charges. 72-mm mortar 2.84 482 1,695 4.7 lbs -- -- Weight, 116 lbs. 75-mm infantry howitzer Model 41 (1908) 2.96 1,250 7,675 13.85 or 14.1 lbs -- 10 Weight, 1,200 lbs. 75-mm mountain gun Model 94 (1934) 2.96 1,670 11,000 -- -- -- Weight, 1,200 lbs. 75-mm field gun Model 38 (1905) 2.96 1,710 11,800 13.85 or 14.1 lbs -- -- Weight, 2,500 lbs; to be replaced by Model 90 (1930). 75-mm field gun Model 90 (1930) 2.96 2,230 15,000 13.85 or 14.3 lbs -- -- Future service gun for division artillery. 75-mm AA gun (1922) 2.96 1,800 11,000 (vert 19,725 ft) 14.5 lbs -- 12 Length of barrel, 35 calibers. 75-mm AA gun (1928) 2.96 2,450 15,200 (vert 33,000 ft) 14.3 lbs -- 15 Length of barrel, 44.5 calibers; an improved type of the 1922 model. 81-mm mortar 3.19 656 1) 3,280 2) 1,312 1) 7.2 lbs 2) 14.3 lbs -- -- 1)= Light bomb, 2)= Heavy bomb; weight, 129 lbs. 90-mm mortar Type 94 -- -- 612 to 4,155 11 lbs 10 ozs (chem filling) -- -- Used mainly for firing gas shells. 105-mm howitzer Model 91 (1931) 4.14 1,790 11,500 35 lbs -- -- Weight, 4,250 lbs; a new weapon. 105-mm field gun Model 38 (1905) 4.14 1,770 10,900 39 lbs 10 ozs -- -- Weight, 4,950 lbs; obsolescent. 105-mm gun Model 26 4.14 2,300 17,000 35 lbs -- -- Split trail; obsolescent. 105-mm gun Model 92 (1932) 4.14 -- 20,000 33 lbs -- -- Weight, 7,700 lbs; range 20,000 yds with "streamlined" ammunition. 120-mm howitzer Model 38 (1905) 4.73 900 6,300 44 lbs -- -- Obsolete. 150-mm howitzer (1915) 5.91 1,130 8,300 79.2 lbs 6 to 8 1 Weight, 4,477 lbs; standard type; later models are believed to have ranges of from 11,000 to 13,000 yards. 150-mm gun L30 5.91 2,260 19,800 80 lbs -- -- Weight, 7,360 lbs; details unconfirmed. 150-mm gun M18 5.91 2,500 17,900 99 lbs -- -- Weight, 15,000 lbs; other models are available. 240-mm howitzer M12 9.46 1,280 11,300 440 lbs -- -- Fixed mount; probably coast defense. 240-mm railway gun 9.46 3,560 54,500 440 lbs -- -- Several types of this gun.   Information on larger guns is too unreliable to warrant inclusion.

Back to Articles by Subject | Intel Bulletin by Issue | T&TT by Issue | Home Page