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Posted on 10/04/2004 11:25:00 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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 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.  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. 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:
 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)
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Morning alfa6.
The US spent a lot of time and effort trying to ensure rescue of downed crews. Something the Japanese never really understood.
Hey, Cannoneer no. 4!
I'll keep bugging Snippy to get you a copy. :-) That'd be great if you could get some made. :-)
Thanks
Morning GailA.
Looks like enough coffee there to last me a morning. ;-)
Morning Feather.
Missed seeing you in your mobile body armor.
Morning CT.
Learned something new this morning.
A good book that covers the rivalry btween the Army and Navy is John Toland's "The Rising Sun"
Today's classic warship, USS Baltimore (C-3)
Baltimore class protected cruiser
Displacement. 4,413 t.
Lenght. 336'
Beam. 48'8"
Draft. 20'6"
Speed. 20.1 k.
Complement. 383
Armament. 4 8", 6 6", 4 6pdr, 2 3pdr, 2 1pdr
The USS Baltimore (Cruiser No. 3) was launched 6 October 1888 by William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; sponsored by Mrs. Theodore D. Wilson, wife of Chief Constructor Wilson; and commissioned 7 January 1880, Captain W. S. Schley in command.
Baltimore became flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron 24 May 1890 and during 15-23 August conveyed the remains of the late Captain John Ericsson from New York to Stockholm, Sweden. After cruising in European and Mediterranean waters, she arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, 7 April 1891 to join the South Pacific Station. She protected American citizens during the Chilean revolution, landing men at Valparaiso 28 August. Arriving at Mare Island Navy Yard 5 January 1892, she cruised on the west coast of the United States until 7 October and then returned to the Atlantic. She took part in the naval rendezvous and review in Hampton Roads during March and April 1893. Proceeding via the Suez Canal, she cruised as flagship of the Asiatic Station, 22 December 1893-3 December 1895, protecting American interests. Returning to Mare Island 21 January 1896, she went out of commission 17 February 1896.
Recommissioned 12 October 1897, Baltimore sailed on 20 October for the Hawaiian Islands and remained there between 7 November 1897 and 25 March 1898. She then joined Commodore George Dewey's squadron at Hong Kong, 22 April 1898. The squadron sailed from Mirs Bay, China, 27 April for the Philippines and on the morning of 1 May entered Manila Bay and destroyed the Spanish fleet stationed there.
Baltimore remained on the Asiatic Station convoying transports and protecting American interests until 23 May 1900, when she sailed for the United States, via the Suez Canal, arriving at New York 8 September 1900.
Between 27 September 1900 and 6 May 1903 Baltimore was out of commission at New York Navy Yard. From 5 August to 23 December 1903 she served with the Caribbean Squadron, North Atlantic Fleet, taking part in summer maneuvers off the coast of Maine, in the Presidential Review at Oyster Bay, N. Y. (15-17 August), and in Santo Domingo waters. Between 28 May and 26 August 1904 she was attached to the European Squadron and cruised in the Mediterranean. On 26 September she sailed from Genoa, Italy, for the Asiatic Station and spent the next two years cruising in Asiatic, Philippine, and Australian waters.
Baltimore returned to New York 24 April 1907 and went out of commission at New York Navy Yard 15 May 1907. On 20 January 1911 she was placed in commission in reserve and served as a receiving ship at Charleston Navy Yard (30 January 1911-20 September 1912). During 1913-14 she was converted to a minelayer at Charleston Navy Yard and recommissioned 8 March 1915. During 1915-18 she carried out mining experiments and operations in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic coast.
At American entry into World War I, Baltimore was training personnel. Early in March 1918 she was detailed to assist in laying a deep mine field off the north coast of Ireland in the North Channel. She arrived at the Clyde on 8 March and between 13 April and 2 May laid approximately 900 mines in the North Channel. On 2 June she joined Mine Squadron 1 at Inverness, Scotland, and for four months participated in laying the Northern Mine Barrage.
On 28 September 1918 Baltimore sailed from Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, for the United States. She carried out mining experiments in the vicinity of the Virgin Islands until the end of the year.
In September 1919 she joined the Pacific Fleet. In July 1920, as the Navy implemented its system of ship hull numbers, she was designated CM-1. The old minelayer went to Pearl Harbor early in 1921 and decommissioned there in September 1922. For nearly two decades, Baltimore was inactive at that base, serving for part of the time as a storage hulk. She was present, though in derelict condition, during the devastating Japanese air raid that opened the Pacific War on 7 December 1941. Sold in February 1942, the partially-scrapped ship was finally scuttled at sea on 22 September 1944.
Mind if we call you "Bruce"?
This here's the wattle,
the emblem of our land.
You can stick it in a bottle,
you can hold it in your hand.
Australia, Australia, Australia, Australia,
we love you
amen.
WOO HOO, Sam!
It's 46F at my house right now. I see Portland is having a Pumpkin Festival today! You going? LOL
She was present, though in derelict condition, during the devastating Japanese air raid that opened the Pacific War on 7 December 1941. Sold in February 1942, the partially-scrapped ship was finally scuttled at sea on 22 September 1944.
What a striking difference between the 1890 and 1941 pictures! A sad end for a good ship.
Too many other things to do. :-(
At least she was given a burial at sea.
The Japanese failure to succeed in WWII lies in two main areas IMHO:
1] The Japanese thought that the warrior spirit of the Japanese soldiers and sailors would overcome the lazy, decadent Americans. To a point that would be true, but as the Japanese military found out spirit alone is no match for BARs, Corsairs and ultimately Fat Man and Little Boy. Along these lines was the way the IJN traiined their pilots. The IJN emphasized excllent quality over almost everything else. As such the IJN air arm featured highly trained and skilled aviatiors, the problem was that there was no way to turn out these types of aviators en masse.
Not to denigrate the American system but the Americans turned out skilled aviators en masse. While the skill and quality of the American aviators may not have been on the exact same level as the IJN aviators it was good enough to beat the IJN. The Japanese system of pilot traing was a good example of the adage "perfect is the enemy of good enough".
2] The Japanese nation never went on a total war footing until it was way to late. Alone among the Japanese leaders, Yamamoto realized that the United States could outproduce the Japanese with one hand tied behind our back. A few years ago there was an article in Wings/Airpower concerning the qualitative differnces between Japanese and American aircraft. Of an interesting note in the article was that the Grumman Aircraft Co all by itself produced almost as many aircraft from 19451 to 1945 as did the whole of Japan.
Well so much for my meanerings this AM. On a related Treadhead note I was in the bookstore a couple of weeks back and there was a book on US Marine Armor Operations in WWII. I took the trouble to look through the book and found it quite interesting. However the price at $39.00 was a bit to steep and all the photos looked like they were at least fourth generation Xerox copies.
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Yeah, better than being sold for scrap.
It wasn't the first or last time an enemy misjudged us.
Germany had the same problem with pilots, for the most part the same pilots who started the war were still flying in 1945 (If they survived) we rotated pilots out and used the skilled ones as instructors.
As for production, I believe it was Stalin who said "Quantity has a quality of it's own"
There was no one in the world who could out produce the United States in the 40's.
Hiya Light Speed. Look what we gave the Japanese. They aren't stupid anymore. We rebuilt them and they ran with it. That'll never happen with the Islamists.
Hey radu. Good to see you.
Popular in World War I, maybe. It was arguably the worst tank to see action in World War II.
The points regarding tactics are interesting in this article. It can be argued that the most effective wheeled conveyance in the IJA in 1941-42 was actually the bicycle (Snippy, take note! A new use for the bicyclespankengruppen!)
Some American tanks in the Pacific also made significant use of canister ammunition, which was nearly unheard-of in European fighting. It was all part of the terrain and the kind of fighting the Pacific war entailed.
I hope you're all having a great day!
Good morning Iris. Good tag-line.
Good morning Aeronaut.
Yeah! A Binnie/SpaceshipOne flag-o-gram!
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