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The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - Japanese Armor of WWII - Oct. 5th, 2004
www.wwiivehicles.com ^

Posted on 10/04/2004 11:25:00 PM PDT by SAMWolf



Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


...................................................................................... ...........................................

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Japanese Armor of WWII




European Influences


The Japanese didn't embrace the tank, as it didn't have the calvary tradition that the other countries that developed the tank more extensively had. In traditional Japan Calvary was used for reconnaissance in the mountainous countryside.

After World War I the Japanese acquired several different foreign tanks (French Renault FT & NCI, and Britain's Vickers 6-Ton & Medium C). After analyzing them they began to develop light and medium tanks.

Early Designs



Type 94 'TK' tankettes in a street of Hoihow, on the Hainan Island in 1939.


The first tank designed was the Type 87 (Experimental Tank Number 1) and was produced at the Osaka Arsenal in 1927. It had a crew of 5 and had a water cooled, 8 cylinder, gasoline engine that produced 140 hp. The maximum speed was 12.5 mph. It had a 57 mm gun in a turret with two 7.2 mm MG in a turret that was located at the front and rear of the hull.

In 1925 2 tank companies were established, with one established at the Chiba Infantry School to study tank tactics.

In the late 1920s 6 British Carden-Loyd Mark VI MG carriers and 2 Mark VIb carriers were purchased. After trials were conducted the Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry (later Hino Motors) built a prototype. It became the Type 94 Tankette.


Tankette Type 97 Te-Ke during the victory parade in Manilla in 1942.


The Osaka Arsenal in March 1927, developed the Experimental Heavy Tank I. It weighed 22 tons, with 57 mm gun in the main turret, and 2 MGs in subsidiary turrets. In 1930 the 2nd Heavy tank was developed, but it only made some modifications from the first. In 1932 the Type 91 or Type 92 was developed. The Type 95 was then developed. However, no production orders were placed.

In 1929 the Type 89 (Experimental Tank Number 2) was designed. It weighed 10,000 kg and had a turret mounted 37 mm gun, a turret rear MG, and a bow mounted MG. It's engine was a 6 cylinder gasoline Daimler that propelled it to 15 mph. Mitsubishi started production on it as the Type 98 Medium tank.


Type 95 Ha-Go destroyed towards the end of the war


By 1932, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was producing an air-cooled diesel engine that was suitable for tanks. This was placed experimentally into a Type 89. This later became known as the Type 89-B.

In 1933 Major Tomio Hara designed the basis of many of the suspensions of future Japanese tanks, the bellcrank scissors which had paired bogie wheels connected by a coil spring.

New Mechanization


During the 1930s the Japanese considered mechanization. Studies focused on armored cars at first, but with the terrain in Asia, it was decided to go with tracked vehicles. Ishikawaijma designed the Type 92 'combat car'.


This tank seems to have been abandoned somewhere on the edge of the airstrip.
A tri-color camoflage can clearly be seen on this tank.


Four tank regiments were formed during 1933-34 in Japan and Manchuria. Three of the regiments had 2 companies of 10 Type 89s each. The 4th had 3 Type 89 companies and was known as the Independent Mixed Brigade which included:

  • motorized infantry
  • artillery regiment
  • engineer company
In 1933 the Independent Mixed Brigade was formed in China of mainly Type 95 and Type 89 tanks. It was a combination of 3 Type 89 companies, infantry regiment, artillery regiment, and engineer company, all of which were motorized. The Mixed Brigade was used to spearhead attacks in 1937 but the lack of Chinese opposition prevented the leadership to see it's potential and was disbanded.


Type 89


By 1937 Japan had approximately 1,060 tanks and 8 tank regiments.

During the war in China the Japanese used the tanks as mobile pillboxes as the Chinese didn't have quantities of antitank weapons. Also air-cooled diesel engines were preferred as water was scarce in Mongolia, Manchuria, and North China.

After the battle of Khalkin Gol in 1939 against the Russians and the successes in Europe by the Germans, 2 armored divisions were formed in 1940 in Manchukuo.


Type 4 Chi-To


During most of the war the Japanese focused their industry on building warships and aircraft during the war years as they were the more prestigious weapons of the time. By 1945 production was to be concentrated on the defence of the Japanese homeland, and tanks finally got higher priority, but this was too late.


Type 92


Notes:

The names were based on the last 2 digits of the year in the Japanese calendar. The Japanese Empire was founded in 660 B.C. (Add 660 to western calendar to get year in Japanese calendar.

Sensha (from word sen which meant battle, and sha which meant wagon)



TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: armor; china; freeperfoxhole; japan; pacific; philippines; tanks; treadhead; type3; type4; type89; type92; type95; type97; veterans; worldwarii
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To: Colonel_Flagg
Thanks for the info Colonel. All is well.


101 posted on 10/05/2004 3:56:48 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: PsyOp

LOL. Great cartoons.


102 posted on 10/05/2004 3:58:38 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Darksheare

It blew at 9 am this morning. Wind N. E. so away from us. Small one and who knows what's next.


103 posted on 10/05/2004 4:00:10 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Professional Engineer

I was so disappointed when we went to D.C. and were only able to view one quarter (if that) of the wall. If you look at your aerial view, we were only able to see the right hand corner from the ground to about half of that side. The rest was walled off and completely covered with wood. It really ruined the whole concept of what it should have been like. :-(


104 posted on 10/05/2004 4:03:37 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Professional Engineer
That's how I nabbed it!

Great minds.

105 posted on 10/05/2004 4:04:24 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Light Speed
Armada period thingy...

LOL.

I always thought it was the "Armada period whatchamacallit." :-)

106 posted on 10/05/2004 4:06:13 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: snippy_about_it

Thanks.
I haven't been able to find any info on that.
On Volcano cam, it looked kinda ash blown, but nothing else that i could tell.


107 posted on 10/05/2004 4:06:53 PM PDT by Darksheare (Vote Dubya on Nov 2nd to exorcise the DemUns!)
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To: Light Speed

I agree. We do not have the resolve and Islam will never come out of the dark ages.


108 posted on 10/05/2004 4:07:15 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Darksheare

Of course I mean small as a relative term to the 1980 eruption.


109 posted on 10/05/2004 4:09:37 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
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To: Darksheare

She had the biggest blw up to date for this eruption series. Still not the BIG one yet.


110 posted on 10/05/2004 4:19:44 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: Professional Engineer

Thanks PE.


111 posted on 10/05/2004 4:20:13 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: Professional Engineer

Hard to correct with controls when there's no atmospere. ;-)


112 posted on 10/05/2004 4:21:09 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: PsyOp

YEah, infantry is "cheap" compared to training/equiping the other branchs. But they get the bad guys to sign the peace treaty. :-)


113 posted on 10/05/2004 4:22:47 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: Light Speed

Chaos - Not just a theory, a way of life. :-)


114 posted on 10/05/2004 4:24:18 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: U S Army EOD
It was a bad day for the French.

Gee, that almost makes me feel bad.

115 posted on 10/05/2004 4:26:23 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: Neil E. Wright
Expect to see me more often in the future. DSL in and working


116 posted on 10/05/2004 4:27:54 PM PDT by SAMWolf (CAUTION! Do Not Look Into Laser With Remaining Eye.)
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To: snippy_about_it

I can't believe it. See the little shinny thing below the handle bars of the third bike on the right as we face them. Now I know which son of a bitch stole my bicyle in 1972.


117 posted on 10/05/2004 4:41:15 PM PDT by U S Army EOD (John Kerry, the mother of all flip floppers.I)
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To: SAMWolf

Sam, for some reason I really don't think you mean that.


118 posted on 10/05/2004 4:42:22 PM PDT by U S Army EOD (John Kerry, the mother of all flip floppers.I)
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To: Neil E. Wright
Congrats on getting on broadband, finally :-)



Regards

alfa6 ;>}
119 posted on 10/05/2004 4:58:54 PM PDT by alfa6 (I'm just an analog guy in a digital world.)
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To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf

I understood that, still haven't found any info on it yet.
Which is odd.


120 posted on 10/05/2004 5:11:31 PM PDT by Darksheare (Vote Dubya on Nov 2nd to exorcise the DemUns!)
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