A WWII U.S. report on Japanese weapons in WWII, 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.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF PRINCIPAL JAPANESE WEAPONS Latest and most reliable information concerning Japanese weapons is summarized by calibers in the tables below. These present figures on certain Japanese weapons about which, up to now, little or nothing has been known: Model 1, 47-mm antitank gun, 105-mm mountain howitzer, 240-mm howitzer, 300-mm howitzers (both short and long versions), and three mortars—90.1-mm light, 151-mm medium, and 305-mm heavy. Weapon Caliber in millimeters Length of barrel, in calibers except where otherwise specified Range in yards Traverse Weight of projectile (including fuze) Weight of weapon Notes Firing position Traveling position Model 99 (1939), Short Rifle. 7.7 (0.303 in.). Length over-all, 3 ft. 8 in.; length with bayonet attached, 5 ft. Maximum, 3,720; rear sight, 100 to 1,500 meters (109 to 1,641 yds.). --- 184 gr. 8 lb. 10 oz.; with bayonet, 9 lb. 4 oz. --- Magazine capacity, 5 rounds. Model 99 (1939), Light Machine Gun. 7.7 (0.303 in.). Length over-all, 3 ft. 11 in. Maximum, 3,720. --- 184 gr. 21 lb., 13 oz. --- Magazine capacity, 30 rounds; rate of fire, 540 rounds per minute. Model 92 (1932), Heavy Machine Gun. 7.7 (0.303 in.). Length over-all, 3 ft. 9 in. Rear sight, 300 to 2,200 meters (328 to 2,406 yds.). --- Ball, 204 gr.; AP 162 gr. 122 lb. --- Rate of fire, 450 rounds per minute. Model 97 (1937), Antitank Rifle. 20 Length over-all, 6 ft. 7 in. Maximum, 5,470 yds.; rear sight, 100 to 1,000 meters (109 to 1,094 yds.). 90° AP 6 oz. 140 lb. 150 lb. MV 2460 f/s; magazine capacity 7 rounds; rate of fire, 12 rounds per minute; packed by 1 horse. Model 98 (1938), AA Machine Cannon. 20 --- Maximum vertical range, 12,000 ft. 360° 772 gr. (complete round 14.5 oz.). 820 lb. 880 lb. MV 2720 f/s; effective rate of fire, 120 rounds per minute; magazine capacity, 20 rounds. Model 94 (1934), 37-mm Gun. 37 46 Maximum, 7,330; 6,010 with M-94 HE. 60° AP HE, 1 lb. 8 oz; HE, 1 lb. 3 oz. 720 lb. 750 lb. MV 2295 f/s; drawn by 1 horse or packed by 4 horses. Model 1 (1941), 47-mm AT Gun. 47 8 ft. 4 in. (total length of gun). --- 60° HE, 3.37 lb.; APHE, 3.08 lb. 1,660 lbs. --- MV 2,700 f/s. Model 89 (1929), Grenade Discharger. 50 Length overall 2 ft. 55 to 710 --- Model 89, HE, 1 lb. 12 oz. 10 lb. 4 oz. --- Effective radius of burst 11 yds. Model 92 (1932), 70-mm Howitzer. 70 2 ft. 4.5 in. 3,600 with M92 HE. 40° HE, 8 lb. 6 oz. 450 lb. --- MV 645 f/s; effective radius of burst 10 yds.; horsedrawn or packed by 3 horses. Model 41 (1908), 75-mm Mt. (Infantry) Gun. 75 17 7,660 with M90 shrapnel. Right, 2°30'; Left, 3°30'. HE, 14 lb. 9 oz. 1,150 lb. approx. --- Effective radius of burst 24 yds.; drawn by 1 or 2 horses or packed by 6 horses. Model 95 (1935), Field Gun. 75 31 11,700 with M90 Ptd, HE. 50° HE; 14 lb. 9 oz; Shrapnel, 15 lb. 2,450 lb. 4,280 lb. Effective radius of burst 9 yds.; drawn by 6 horses. Model 90 (1930), Field Gun. 75 38 15,310 50° HE, 14 lb. 1 oz. 3,100 lb. 4,400 lb. Effective radius of burst 24 yds.; drawn by 4-ton tractor or by 6 horses. Model 94 (1934), Mountain Gun. 75 21 9,080 with M90 Ptd. HE. 40° HE, 14 lb. 9 oz.; Shrapnel 15 lb. 1 oz. 1,100 lb. approx. --- Horse drawn, or packed by 6 horses. Model 38 (1905), Field Gun, improved. 75 31 13,000 with Ptd. Shell. 7° M94 HE, 13 lb. 4 oz. 2,500 lb. 4,200 lb. Drawn by 6 horses; rate of fire 15 rounds per minute. Model 41 (1908), Cavalry Gun. 75 29 11,700 12° HE, 14lb. 8 oz.; Shrapnel, 15 lb. 2,020 lb. 3,310 lb. Drawn by 6 horses. Model 88 (1928), 7-cm. Field AA Gun. 75 44.2 Maximum vertical range, 29,850 ft. 360° 13 lb. 4 oz. 5,400 lb. 6,050 lb. MV 2,360 f/s. Model 97 (1937), 8-cm. Mortar. 81 15 HE Shell 20, 3,280; Large type HE shell 60, 1,310. 6°40' HE Shell, 7 lb. 4 oz.; Heavy HE Shell, 14 lb. 12 oz. 143 lb. --- Carried on 1 vehicle; packed by 1 horse or packed by 3 men. Light Mortar 90.1 14 4,240 6° HE, 11 lb. 10 oz.; Heavy HE, 24 lb. 14 oz. 350 lb. 450 lb. Effective radius of burst 31 yds.; carried on 1 vehicle or packed by 3 horses. Model 91 (1931), 10-cm. Howitzer. 105 24 11,810 40° HE, 35 lb. 4 oz.; Shrapnel, 36 lb. 15 oz. 3,300 lb. 4,350 lb. Drawn by 6 horses. Mountain Howitzer. 105 12.4 8,640 18° HE, 33 lb. 1 oz. 1,650 lb. 1,700 lb. Horse-drawn or packed by 8 horses. Model 92 (1932), 10-cm. Cannon. 105 45 19,910 with M91 Ptd, HE. 36° HE, 33 lb. 1 oz.; Shrapnel, 33 lb. 4 oz. 8,220 lb. 9,620 lb. Motor-drawn. 4th Year Model (1915) 15-cm. Howitzer. 149 14.6 9,620 6° HE, 78 lb. 8 oz. 6,170 lb. Barrel vehicle, 4,840 lb.; cradle vehicle, 4,730 lb. Disassembled for travel on 2 vehicles. Model 96 (1936) 15-cm. Howitzer. 149 23.6 12,910 with Model 92 Ptd. HE. 30° HE, 78 lb. 8 oz.; Shrapnel, 79 lb. 1 oz. 9,130 lb. 10,870 lb. Motor-drawn. Model 89 (1929) 15-cm. Cannon. 149 40 21,000 approx. 40° HE, 89 lb. 8 oz.; Shrapnel, 99 lb. 23,000 lb. Barrel vehicle, 17,210 lb.; Gun Carriage vehicle, 16,680 lb. Motor-drawn in 2 loads. Medium Mortar. 151 8 4,840 11°6' --- 1,700 lb. approx. --- Used mainly for firing gas shells; drawn by 2 horses or packed by 10 horses. 24-cm Howitzer. 240 24 15,310 240° AP, 440 lb. 83,900 lb. --- Disassembled and transported in 4 loads. Heavy Mortar. 305 8 4,480 120° 296 lb. 6 oz. 46,300 lb. Heaviest vehicle, 26,460 lb. Disassembled and motor-drawn. 30-cm Howitzer (short). 305 16.4 13,130 360° AP, 881 lb. 13 oz. 169,800 lb. Heaviest vehicle, 55,110 lb. Disassembled and transported in 7 loads. 30-cm Howitzer (long). 305 24 16,630 360° AP, 881 lb. 13 oz. 271,070 lb. Heaviest vehicle, 66,140 lb.

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